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- Nightwish. 1,373 votes. Nightwish, a Finnish symphonic metal band, has consistently pushed the boundaries of the genre since their formation in 1996. Integrating classical elements, intricate orchestrations, and soaring melodies, they create epic soundscapes that are both powerful and enchanting.
- Epica. 962 votes. Epica, hailing from the Netherlands, has been a formidable force in the symphonic metal scene since their inception in 2002. Combining dynamic, complex arrangements with hauntingly beautiful female vocals, and aggressive growls, Epica presents an engaging duality that defines their sound.
- Within Temptation. 971 votes. Within Temptation has made their mark as one of symphonic metal's most successful and influential bands. Formed in 1996, the Dutch group masterfully fuses rich orchestration, gothic undertones, and a powerful rock sensibility to create a truly immersive sound.
- Kamelot. 528 votes. Kamelot, an American-based symphonic metal band, has been captivating fans since the early 1990s with their blend of progressive, power, and symphonic metal elements.
- Imaginaerum (2011) After the darkness of Dark Passion Play, with Imaginaerum, Nightwish stepped back into the light. Described by Tuomas as a “celebration of life”, their seventh album was a sprawling, wide-eyed wonder that explored the depths of every human emotion and experience, threw everything at the wall and watched it all stick.
- Once (2004) The album that introduced Nightwish to the masses. Once brandishes many of the band’s most famous songs and saw Tarja on the form of her life: the tempestuous Dark Chest Of Wonders, stomper Wish I Had An Angel, wintery anthem Nemo and their career-defining moment, the extraordinary Ghost Love Score.
- Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015) Nightwish’s first album with Floor Jansen is a high-concept exploration of evolutionary science, narrated by scientist Richard Dawkins and an absolute triumph.
- Dark Passion Play (2007) Following their messy and very public split with Tarja, who was fired in 2005 via an open letter, the band’s next record was an unsurprisingly intense affair.
Sep 7, 2020 · Nightwish are easily the most popular symphonic metal band. They have plenty of non metalhead fans along with their metal fans. They may not be the first symphonic band, but they are arguably the most important given how many bands have emulated their format since they began.
- Delain
- Epica
- Kamelot
- Gamma Ray
- After Forever
- Xandria
- Amarathe
- Blind Guardian
- Within Temptation
- Dragonforce
Coming from the Netherlands, Delain is a very interesting band, combining symphonic metal with some of the more modern metal elements. Of course, they also feature a female vocalist. The first vocalist was Anne Invernizzi, although that initial lineup broke up after about a year. From 2005 to 2021, Delain’s style was mostly defined by Charlotte Wes...
Another Dutch band, we have Epica as a great example of a group that’s similar in style to Nightwish. Active since 2002, they first started with Helena Iren Michaelsen on vocals, who was replaced by the very talented Simone Simons not long after the band’s formation. Thanks to her voice and impeccable performances on every record, they’ve cemented ...
Fusing the European innovativeness and American metal fury, Kamelot pushed the boundaries of the then newly-formed genre of power metal. At this point, they have 12 full-length studio albums, all filled with some of the best music of the genre. From the band’s formation in 1987 until now, Kamelot has been led by guitarist Thomas Youngblood. He is n...
Coming from Germany, Gamma Ray are the real deal. Formed by Kai Hansen in 1989 after his much-debated departure from the legendary Helloween, they pushed the boundaries of this new style of music, delivering some new elements into this world. Throughout most of their career, Kai Hansen has played guitar and provided lead vocals. Of course, there’s ...
Once again, we’re bringing a Dutch band to the list. After Forever is one of those groups that combines operatic female vocals with aggressive growling. The band formed back in 1995, with Mark Jansen, later known as the leader of Epica, doing all the guitar and vocal duties. Although Mark remains the creative leader, they also added vocalist Floor ...
Although not as commercially big as some of the other bands on this list, Xandria have been delivering some awesome quality symphonic and power metal since the mid-1990s. Throughout the years, guitarist and keyboard player Marco Heubaum remains the band’s leader and the only constant original member. There are seven albums in their collection. And,...
Amaranthe is a band that took a bit of a different approach, ultimately achieving great success in the world of symphonic and power metal subgenres. They basically have it all – clean female vocals, clean male vocals, growling male vocals, a standard instrumental formation, and a diversity of styles that they cover. Of course, if you’re a fan of a ...
Now we get to the true old epic power and symphonic metal. Blind Guardian are often considered the pioneers of these subgenres, and rightfully so. They started their work back in 1984 and kept pushing through all of the musical changes on the market, all while staying true to their own unique style. Since their formation, only two constant members ...
Another Dutch band on the list, Within Temptation makes some pretty catchy metal music and is really easy to get into. In fact, fans of genres other than metal are also very fond of them. Their lineup changed a lot over the years, but vocalist Sharon den Adel, bassist Jeroen van Veen, and guitarist and vocalist Robert Westerholt remain the core of ...
If we’re talking about the power metal subgenre, DragonForce is a band that you just cannot go without. They’re fast, they’re extremely energetic, and they deliver some of the most intricate guitar parts you’ll hear in metal music. If you’re predominantly into guitar-driven stuff, you’ll enjoy Herman Li and Sam Totman doing their thing on all of th...
Nightwish's (or to be honest Tuomas) symphonic metal sound came from (European) power metal. Bands like Blind Guardian, Kamelot, Sonata Artica, Stratovarius are a good sample of that style of power metal but with male vocalists.
Jun 4, 2021 · Symphonic metal existed before Nightwish – pioneered by outfits like Sweden’s Therion and Italy’s Rhapsody – but no band has made it bigger, better or more bombastic than the great...
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Who are Nightwish?
Nightwish performs goth-influenced symphonic metal with female vocals. Their music has been also described as symphonic gothic metal which mixes metal, opera, weepy power ballads, and keyboard solos.
