History Main / HeavyMithril

* Infocalypse, the project of "experimental, electronic, minimal" music. Anigif logo that imitates loading on UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum - [[http://namcub.accela-labs.com/infocalypse/ check]]. Albums named "RaygunGothic" and "[[MadScientist Delusional Science]] Incorporated" - check. Tracks like "JustForFun/CandleJack and Chopper" and "Jam the [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]]" (BTW, it sounds as if performed on two telegraph keys yet is fun) - [[http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/759454 check]].

* "War in the Middle Earth", a Tolkien-inspired [[UsefulNotes/{{MOD}} Screamtracker 3]] song by Skaven of the Future Crew.

* British Post-hardcore/alt rock upstarts Fightstar seem to have a big obsession with ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. This is evidenced in songs like "Shinji Ikari", "NERV/SEELE", "Unfamiliar Ceilings" and in "Lost Like Tears In Rain." In fact it's frequently commented that the cover art for their debut album is very similar to the ruins found in the aforementioned series.

PowerMetal is probably the most common genre for this type, but there are others, like Viking Metal, GothicMetal, FolkMetal, BlackMetal and SymphonicMetal (which is why you can be skilled in instruments other than the typical rock ones). It can even be multiple such genres at the same time, such as Symphonic Power Metal. However, not all power metal bands fall under this trope (especially many American power metal bands) as the subgenre is also known for its similarities to speed metal and the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal.

** Moorcock actually defected from the Hawkwind camp to the B.Ö.C. because the Americans were prepared to pay more for the songs. This caused strife and a lawsuit, as Hawkwind (or to be more precise, its litigious band leader Dave Brock) alleged the songs ''Black Blade'' and ''Veteran of the Psychic War'' had been initially promised to them. They lost, however, and B.Ö.C. got the songs. Hawkwind just got the bill, another thing disgruntled band members hold against Dave.

* Music/TwilightForce takes it a bit further by having their outfits look like they just got done LARPing and will tell their story through the music of PowerMetal. Also, their artwork is just wonderfully stylized. The booklet that comes with the CD from their second album even goes a step further, with spreadsheets of their classes and character stats, as if they where straight out of some Fantasy RPG.

PowerMetal is probably the most common genre for this type, but there are others, like Viking Metal, GothicMetal, FolkMetal, BlackMetal and SymphonicMetal (which is why you can be skilled in instruments other than the typical rock ones). However, not all power metal bands fall under this trope (especially many American power metal bands) as the subgenre is also known for its similarities to speed metal and the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal.

* Clutch throws in D&D references into their lyrics at times, and they've done a few fantasy-based songs. ''Red Horse Rainbow'' was one, and ''24 Earth Years'' was such self-indulgent satire that it was released as an 'outtake'.
** Their recent-as-of-2023 albums lean into this even harder, ''Sunrise on Slaughter Beach'' in particular.

* Music/WindRos} has their songs' lyrics inspired by Tolkien. Also, they did a cover of {{LetsPlay/Yogscast}}'s Diggy Diggy Hole RunningGag that took on a life of its own. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU&lc=Ugxk2BXQFOAWV-K-d_t4AaABAg Yogscast-approved]])

* Swedish power metal band Music/{{Bloodbound}} have songs referencing ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (Moria), ''Literature/GameOfThrones'' (Iron Throne) and a whole album about dragons (War of Dragons).

->''"Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear''\\
''How years ago, in days of old, when magic filled the air''\\
''T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair''\\
''But Gollum, and the Evil One, crept up and slipped away with her"''

* Inverted in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' prequel, ''Recap/OnTheOriginOfPCs''. Roy finds a pack of villagers who beg him to save them from some bad-tempered orcs that are hanging around and won't leave. Turns out the orcs are teenagers, who are camping there to await an upcoming rock concert... in a Mithril setting.

* Hammerfall. Notably, several of their song titles are lifted directly from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', such as "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" and "Take The Black."

* Music/{{Wind Rose}} has their songs' lyrics inspired by Tolkien. Also, they did a cover of {{LetsPlay/Yogscast}}'s Diggy Diggy Hole RunningGag that took on a life of its own. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU&lc=Ugxk2BXQFOAWV-K-d_t4AaABAg Yogscast-approved]])

* Music/{{Epica}}, name derived from the Kamelot album of the same name, combines some Heavy Mithril with lots of social commentary. Their target of choice is usually organized religion, which one album calls the "Divine Conspiracy" to enslave humanity.
* Creator/ChristopherLee released a pair of metal [[ConceptAlbum Concept Albums]] about the life of Charlemagne (of whom he is related through his mother's family, the Carandinis), singing the title role himself. The first, ''[[Music/{{Charlemagne}} Charlemagne: by the Sword and the Cross]]'' is SymphonicMetal, while the follow-up, ''[[Music/{{Charlemagne}} Charlemagne: the Omens of Death]]'' is HeavyMetal.

* Lost Horizon. They have a [[RatedMforManly ridiculously awesome]] song called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj5PWLXC7Qo "Highlander (The One).]] Guess what it' about.

* Swedish power metal band Bloodbound have songs referencing ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (Moria), ''Literature/GameOfThrones'' (Iron Throne) and a whole album about dragons (War of Dragons).

* Norwegian band Keldian base a large number of their songs on the ''Literature/HyperionCantos'', and their most recent album has the song ''Life and Death under Strange New Suns'', which is based on ''Franchise/MassEffect''.

* Italian power metal band, ''Domine'' have songs about ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' and Creator/MichaelMoorcock characters like ''[[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric]]'' and ''Literature/{{Corum}}''.

* Music/WithinTemptation: Many of their songs fit to this trope, especially ''Hand of Sorrow'' which relates Creator/RobinHobb's ''Literature/{{Farseer}}'' trilogy. "Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)" is from the perspective of Nevyn explaining the backstory of ''Literature/{{Deverry}}'' to Jill.

* Skylark. Take ''Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming'', turn it into symphonic metal opera, then push "Epic" slider up, but not so far that Creator/BorisVallejo covers vanish, and you have this.

* ''The Gathering'' by Music/{{Delain}} is about ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Also, [[WordOfGod Charlotte has stated point-blank]] that "Turn the Lights Out" is about [[ComicBook/TheSandman1989 Death of the Endless]].
* "The Unburnt" by Myrath is about [[Series/GameOfThrones Mother of dragons]].

* ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'': The Music/BlueOysterCult album ''Fire Of Unknown Origin'' was composed to be the soundtrack for the film - ultimately, only the song ''Veteran of the Psychic Wars'' (written by Creator/MichaelMoorcock) made it into the film, though the song ''Vengeance (The Pact)'' off the same album is a blatant retelling of Taarna's story.
* The whole Barbarians are Metal thing is parodied in the Scandanavian CGI film, ''WesternAnimation/RonalTheBarbarian'', especially the song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuWrhLaellg Barbarian Rhapsody]].

* The Peruan trash metal band named [[http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Gangrel Gangrel]]. As in, ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade''.

* The ''Literature/PastDoctorAdventures'' novel ''The Devil Gobins From Neptune'' features a band called Glandring the Forehammer. Invariably referred to in the text as "Glandring the Forehammer ('It's from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', man')". (Except it isn't, exactly; the sword called Glandring is also known as the ''Foe''-Hammer.)

* Several of Music/{{Lovebites}}' songs ''might'' qualify, but it's often difficult to tell if the fantastic elements are meant to be literal or metaphorical. Two unambiguous examples are "Winds of Transylvania" (the OP of ''Anime/VladLove'') and "Spellbound" (about the myth of Medusa).

* French hardcore/crossover thrash band Rise of the Northstar is based around anime, from the band themselves being named after Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar to their 2012 EP "Demonstrating My Saiya Style" being based around the Franchise/DragonBall series.

* The Music/{{Eagles}} did what for them was a strangely out-of-character instrumental track called ''Journey of the Sorcerer''. This might have remained an obscure oddity, except that in 1979, a then-obscure BBC radio comedy-drama was looking for a theme tune where the royalties were not going to break the bank. Creator/DouglasAdams loved this tune and thought it was just odd and atmospheric enough - as well as relatively cheap to use. Expecting his radio comedy show would last for [[BritishBrevity six episodes]] and no more, performance rights were acquired. And thirty-five years on, the ''Radio/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is still synonymous with this theme music...

** And spin-off band Star One is even worse. Not only is the band named for ''Series/BlakesSeven'', but their song "Intergalactic Space Crusaders" is a FilkSong, complete with the two singers essentially playing the parts of Blake and Avon. Star One also cranked out songs about Franchise/{{Dune}}, 2001ASpaceOdessey, Franchise/StarTrek, Franchise/StarWars...you name it, they've probably got a song for it.

In the late 60s and early 70s, at the birth of heavy metal, fantasy-themed lyrics were not uncommon for rock bands like Music/LedZeppelin, Music/JethroTull, Music/BlackSabbath and Music/UriahHeep. During this era, fantasy-themed songs generally tended to be folksy or psychedelic in their sound, due to the hippie generation's fascination with Tolkien. In the mid-to-late 70s, Music/{{Rainbow}}, fronted by Music/RonnieJamesDio, ran under a consistent fantasy aesthetic while playing some of the heaviest rock of its day, thus serving as a TropeCodifier for fantasy metal in particular.

* ''The Gathering'' by Music/{{Delain}} is about ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Also, [[WordOfGod Charlotte has stated point-blank]] that "Turn the Lights Out" is about [[ComicBook/TheSandman Death of the Endless]].

* Several songs by the Finnish PowerMetal band Music/BattleBeast are based on Creator/KentaroMiura's DarkFantasy {{manga}} ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. These include "The Band of the Hawk" and "Victory". They also have songs based on ScienceFiction, like "[[Literature/{{Neuromancer}} Neuromancer]]" and two songs based on ''Film/TheMatrix''.

* Music/{{Elvenking}}

* Music/PowerQuest

* Wuthering hights

* Music/{{Versailles}} vocalist/frontman Kamijo is a fan of vampire mythos in general and ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' in particular. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oqhwysrg3w It shows.]] Many (if not most) of their songs reference vampires or other related fantasy concepts (amusingly enough, most of the rest of their discography consists of [[SillyLoveSongs love songs]]). "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GdPPdydLPY AFTER]] [[http://crystalscherzo.blogspot.com/2010/06/after-cloudia-translation.html CLOUDIA]]" was specifically written about a scene in ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire''.

* Music/{{Twilight Force}} takes it a bit further by having their outfits look like they just got done LARPing and will tell their story through the music of PowerMetal. Also, their artwork is just wonderfully stylized.
** The booklet that comes with the CD from their second album even goes a step further, with spread sheets of their classes and character stats, as if they where straight out of some Fantasy RPG.

* And now something different: Irish folk-rock band ''Music/{{Horslips}}'' were trail-blazers in marrying traditional Irish music to rock instruments and rhythms. Two of their LPs, ''The Táin'' (based on the [[Literature/TheCattleRaidOfCooley the Táin Bó Cuailgne]]) and ''The Book of Invasions'' (based on, what else, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebor_Gab%C3%A1la_%C3%89renn the Book Of Invasions]]) set Irish mythology of the Mithril Age to music, largely updated Irish folk standards with new lyrics based on the myths, re-arranged for rock band plus traditional instruments. Blending traditional Irish music and modern rock instrumentation on both traditional and electric instruments, this band is credited with being the father of the Celtic Rock movement.

* And now something different: Irish folk-rock band The ''Music/{{Horslips}}'' were trail-blazers in marrying traditional Irish music to rock instruments and rhythms. Two of their LP's, ''Tain Bho Cuilagne'' (''The Tain'') and ''Lebhair Gabhala Eireann'' (''The Book Of Invasions'') set Irish mythology of the Mithril Age to music, largely updated Irish folk standards with new lyrics based on the myths, re-arranged for rock band plus traditional instruments. Blending traditional Irish music and modern rock instrumentation on both traditional and electric instruments, this band is credited with being the father of the Celtic Rock movement.

* Music/{{Rush}} The entire later half of the 70s was Heavy Mithril with Rush, with at least one fantasy-based song per album, culminating in ''Hemishpheres'', which side A is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy concept album, culminating in a song about Trees arguing, and an instrumental trip through a Alice in Wonderland-esque nightmare. Their catalog from this time period could be the soundtrack for any given ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game.

** ''[[Music/FireOfUnknownOrigin Vengeance (The Pact)]]'' was originally written for ''AnimatedFilm/HeavyMetal'' to accompany the Taarna story, but was never used for the film.

** ''[[Music/FireOfUnknownOrign Vengeance {The Pact]]'' was originally written for ''AnimatedFilm/HeavyMetal'' to accompany the Taarna story, but was never used for the film.