concering "categories":
I think it depends on whom you're talking to.
If I'm talking to someone who's familiar with metal or heavy music then it's fine for me to say "I like power metal". They'll know what I'm talkin about.
But I've experienced many occasions where people just had a big question mark on their faces when I mentioned the word "power metal". So that's why I choose not to use these subcategories that often. I'm aware of them and of course I use these terms sometimes.
But my former point was just a general one.
If I talk about Falconer to somebody who's not so familiar with heavy music, then I talk about metal first.
I say Falconer is metal. Then I continue by saying that this particular kind of metal is called power metal. Then I describe it like "very melodious and heavy at the same time" or "for the most part clear singing but sometimes still with a raspy edge" or stuff like that.
The whole story is different when talking to some metalhead at a rock pub. I say I listen to power metal and he goes like "Oh, like Hammerfall or Stratovarius or Blind Guardian?" and I go like "yeah kind of. rather like Falconer, Sonata Arctica or Rhapsody".
You know what I mean?
I'm not a declared opponent of subcategories, they can be usefull too, yeah.
But still I feel like the trend nowadays goes towards "finding a category for every single band and song". That's what I think is not really necessary.
