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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.
- 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...
- Shoemaker (2020) Human.
- Song of Myself (2011) The last proper song on Imaginaerum is a thirteen-minute-long epic in four parts.
- 7 Days to the Wolves (2007) “The wolves, my love, will come,” purrs Anette at the beginning of this Dark Passion Play track that sits firmly at the heavier end of the Nightwish oeuvre.
- Dead Boy's Poem (2000) One of Tuomas’ most personal compositions, the penultimate track on Wishmaster has a slow, hymnlike pace and deeply melancholic lyrics; introducing the ‘Dead Boy’ motif to represent the songwriter and employing a child narrator, the song climaxes in a stunning vocal delivery by Tarja that never fails to induce goosebumps.
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- Spencer Grady
- Fleshgod Apocalypse - Veleno (2019) They may dress like decomposing 18th-century composers, but these Italians’ definitive factor is their connection to light-speed tech-death.
- Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale (1997) Of all the genre-mutilating variations birthed by black metal’s second wave during the late 90s, Arcturus’s second album, La Masquerade Infernale, was surely the most baffling.
- Rhapsody Of Fire - The Frozen Tears Of Angels (2010) Originally called Rhapsody, before being forced to change their name in 2006, the Italians reached their apogee of mixing power metal and orchestration with the third chapter of their Dark Secret Saga.
- Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear (1996) Arguably the most important of the European bands springing up in reaction to the romantic gothic doom innovations of My Dying Bride, this Norwegian septet’s seductive second album was steeped in the spirit of grandiloquent overdrive.
- The Greatest Show On Earth (Endless Forms Most Beautiful, 2015) Three lead vocalists, seven albums and 19 years down the line, it felt like Nightwish surely couldn’t get any more gloriously overblown.
- Dark Chest Of Wonders (Once, 2004) ‘Once I had a dream, and this is it…’ The opening track to Once was the moment that the picture really clicked for Nightwish, with Tuomas’ orchestral extravagance, his band’s munchy power metal bombast and Tarja’s peerless operatic talent combining for an impossibly singular sound that would make them European metal superstars.
- Storytime (Imaginaerum, 2011) Touted by Tuomas as a “celebration of life”, Nightwish’s seventh album is an incredible exercise in chucking absolutely everything they could imagine into the mix and somehow making 99 per cent of it work.
- Ghost Love Score (Once, 2004) Like the lost soundtrack to some big-screen gothic romance, the 10-minute Ghost Love Score is by some distance the most ambitious track on hit-studded fifth album Once.
Dec 15, 2008 · Nightwish. 2. Ice Queen. Within Temptation. 3. Ghost Opera. Kamelot. 4. Never Enough. Epica. 5. Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness. Rhapsody. 6. Warriors of the World United. Manowar. 7. Through the Fire and Flames. DragonForce. 8. Black Diamond. Stratovarius. 9. Domination. Symphony X. 10. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24. Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 11.
Sep 20, 2022 · :II: Nature., symphonic metal royalty Nightwish used a double album to explore both the “symphonic” and “metal” parts of the equation like never before.
