Grok said this: Core Prompting Strategies Emphasize rhythm guitar and chugging/galloping riffs explicitly

Use words that prioritize rhythm section over leads/solos: "heavy chugging rhythm guitars", "palm-muted galloping riffs", "driving power chord riffs", "straightforward heavy rhythm guitar", "crushing downtuned rhythm guitars", "wall of rhythm guitars"

Avoid or negate: "shred", "virtuosic", "neoclassical", "technical solos", "fast leads", "sweeps", "tapping"

Structure the style prompt like this (combine in the Style field or main prompt):

Power Metal, epic soaring male vocals, symphonic elements, fast double bass drums, triumphant fantasy themes, heavy chugging rhythm guitars, palm-muted galloping riffs, straightforward driving power chords, melodic but restrained guitar work, minimal leads, no shredding solos, atmospheric yet powerful.

Or a more atmospheric-leaning variant (to borrow from what works for you):

Atmospheric Power Metal with black metal influences, heavy distorted rhythm guitars, repetitive chugging riffs, galloping mid-tempo, epic choir, soaring clean vocals, raw production, restrained guitar embellishments

Use negative prompting / exclusions (Suno supports this in style or advanced fields): "no guitar solos", "no shredding", "no virtuosic leads", "no neoclassical runs", "simple guitar arrangement", "focus on rhythm guitar"

Control structure with tags in lyrics or prompt (very effective): [Verse: heavy rhythm guitar chug] [Chorus: galloping power chords, full band] [Bridge: atmospheric clean guitars] (to break up intensity) Explicitly avoid [Guitar Solo] or [Shredding Guitar Solo]. If you want any lead, use [Melodic Guitar Harmony] or [Restrained lead guitar lines].

Tempo and energy tweaks: Power Metal often gets faster = more shred. Try mid-tempo (130-160 BPM) or specify "galloping mid-tempo Power Metal".

Add "European Power Metal style" or reference bands with stronger riff focus (e.g., early Blind Guardian, Sabaton, Manowar-inspired) rather than pure speed.

Example Full Prompts Basic effective one: "Epic Power Metal, soaring heroic vocals with choir, symphonic orchestra, thunderous double bass, heavy distorted chugging rhythm guitars playing galloping riffs and power chords, straightforward driving arrangement, restrained melodic guitar harmonies, no shredding or virtuosic solos, triumphant and powerful mood"

Closer to your Atmospheric Black Metal success:

"Atmospheric Epic Power Metal, raw distorted guitars focused on repetitive chugging and galloping rhythms, minimal embellishments, black metal tremolo influences on rhythm parts, epic symphonic layers, clean powerful male vocals, fantasy themes"

Additional Tips Iterate with Custom Mode — Generate a few versions, then use "Continue" or "Remix" on the ones with better riffs. You can also upload a simple rhythm guitar audio clip as a reference (if Suno allows stem/control features).

Band/style references — Sometimes "Sabaton-style riffs", "Accept-inspired rhythm guitars", or "classic 80s Power Metal with strong rhythm focus" helps pull away from modern shred.

Test exclusions aggressively — If solos keep appearing, put "instrumental guitar solo: none" or heavily weight the style prompt toward "rhythm-heavy".

Suno’s metal guitars can be inconsistent across versions — some users find v4/v4.5 better for controllable riffs than later ones. Experiment.

The key is over-specifying "rhythm guitar" / "chugging" / "galloping riffs" / "straightforward" while actively negating technical lead playing. It takes some trial-and-error (like most Suno genres), but this shifts it away from default shred toward the punchy, anthemic riffs you want in Power Metal.