   Blind Guardian
  Since several people on here have recommended power metal bands, I decided to listen to as many as I could find.  That said, I really enjoyed Blind Guardian.  I was wondering if there are any other bands that sound like them that you could recommend (outside of the obvious veterans like Iron Maiden/Judas Priest)?  I also heard some stuff by Demons and Wizards which is a side project of Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer from Iced Earth, it was pretty awesome (of course I've been listening to Iced Earth's music for a long time now, so that was kind of a sure bet).   
  Check out Paradise Lost, ppl who like one tend to like the other.  In particular the album "One Second" and anything after that (about 1997 onwards), this is when they really started to mature as a band.   ;Savage Circus are similar to their middle years, since it includes the ex drummer of Blind Guardian who sadly left last year.Just as a thought though, go to blind guardians official forum, theres more than enough of these threads there to keep you busy for months.   