If any bands should be considered as "true metal" , Hammerfall would definately be a very good candidat. The music is power/heavy metal very inspired by Iron Maiden and Helloween... The lyrics deal with metal and war, kind of like Manowar in a way...

These talented Swedes have released 2 full-lenght albums; Glory to the Brave (1997) and Legacy of Kings (1998). They have also recently released the single I Want Out, which is a cover of a Helloween song...

The members are Joacim Cans (vocals), Oscar Dronjak (guitar and backing vocals), Stefan Elmgren (lead guitar), Magnus Rosèn (bass guitar) and Patrik Räfling (drums).

The band was started by Oscar and Jesper Strömblad. Jesper now plays in a (terrific) melodic death metal band called In Flames, but he still contributes a lot to the band...

Official site: www.hammerfall.net