I'll check out the first band later but the second one eliminates the main problem I have with power metal
The fact that the genre is so overly cheesy and revels in it. I get it if your not too serious about the music, but reveling in the cheese is a bit too much for me.
Band seems to take itself seriously enough that I can get into the music, which is great.
The yankee power metal is different than the euro stuff, it's tastefully mixed with thrash metal and the cheesier side is stuff like Manowar and Virgin Steele.
On that note I can't listen to Helloween without wanting to vomit, listened to some a while ago and had to bail after hearing the song "Future World".
Here's a great classic of the genre, funny how the vocalist sounds like Bruce Dickinson. There's a one grating song though, but the guitar work is marvelous.
Some decent stoner metal, sounds tr00 enough.