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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.
- X Japan - Art of Life
- Sirenia - Riddles, Ruins & Revelations
- Haggard - Eppur Si Muove
- The Young Gods - L’Eau Rouge
- Aesma Daeva - The Eros of Frigid Beauty
- Delain - Lucidity
- The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
- Avantasia - The Metal Opera
- Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
- Bal-Sagoth - Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule
In the early 90s, X Japan (née X) were at their height of popularity. With fame and fawning came limitless self-indulgence. Band leader Yoshiki purchased a Hollywood recording complex and dug into his Scrooge McDuck-ian vault to hire London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to join him on Art Of Life’s two-year-long recording journey. Rife with everyt...
Pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a symphonic metal band, Sirenia’s 10th studio album Riddles, Ruins & Revelations embraced the darker side of the human psyche, as themes of addiction and declining mental health took centre stage in this sprawling epic. The Norwegians welcomed huge, melodic death metal elements to an already bustling pa...
Asis Nasseri has overseen Haggard’s development from early 90s prog-death hopefuls to an extraordinary chamber orchestral metal collective, employing oboe, clarinet, flute, kettledrum and crumhorn. With an impressive 28 credited musicians, their third album Eppur Si Muove – based around the life of Italian astronomer Galileo – was an undertaking as...
No one has ever made symphonic metal quite like Geneva’s The Young Gods. If their self-titled debut album’s looped samples of classical music and barbed riffs instigated a cataclysmic new dawn for heavy music, the follow-up was stealthier yet no less devastating. From La Fille De La Mort’s invoking of molten new landscapes from the most pastoral of...
A collective masterminded by obsessive leader/boundary-pusher John Prassas, this Minnesota-based ensemble were unique for a number of reasons, their combination of avant-garde metal with gilded chamber music and modern classical being one of them. Aesma Daeva pushed additional buttons with The Eros Of Frigid Beauty’s use of drum programming, and fl...
Former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt intended Delain to be a studio project, but his ambitious vision melded cinematic orchestration and bombastic metal into an extravagant gothic symphony too good to be kept locked away. Appearances from previous bandmate Sharon den Adel and then-Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala helped Delain’s c...
Devin Townsend is no stranger to the kitchen sink approach. Such was the scope of the third album of his eclectic Devin Townsend Project venture, and the sheer volume of ideas crammed in, that the symphonic elements weren’t actually the headline act. But even with the Canadian’s eccentricity and humour doing their best to hog the limelight on Decon...
The brainchild of Tobias Sammet, this debut album from Avantasia featured a raft of top vocalists, including Michael Kiske of Helloweenand Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, on a concept album based around the witch trials in Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. The album lived up to the title, having a massive, almost Wagnerian approach th...
This Tuscany sextet lean more towards power metal than full-on symphonic metal, but their strength lies in how huge they make the traditional guitar/bass/drums/keys line-up sound. The speed and fluidity of Return To Heaven Denied nudged ahead of early Dragonforce and Sonata Arctica on the timeline, but their incorporation of classical guitars, keyb...
The Yorkshire black metallers suffered from horrendous technical issues on this second album, but it forced them to be inventive, and the result is one of the finest symphonic black metalalbums ever released. Not only was it inevitably brutal, they took inspiration from movie composers such as John Williams, turning towards the wildly imaginative a...
- Hywel Davies
This article showcases the very best symphonic metal bands. Read on and see if your favorite band made the list! The raw energy and colossal compositions in symphonic metal are what make this such a unique musical subgenre.
- Metallica – S&M (1999) The granddaddy of them all. Lars Ulrich’s beloved Deep Purple had teamed up with the London Symphony Orchestra for their classical blowout Concerto For Group And Orchestra in 1969.
- Scorpions – Moment Of Glory (2000) Veteran German rockers the Scorpions were among the first to follow in S & M’s footsteps when, in 2000, they released Moment Of Glory: a momentous collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Cradle Of Filth – Damnation And A Day (2003) When they released the breakthrough Midian in 2000, Cradle Of Filth were met with growing mainstream notoriety.
- SepticFlesh – Communion (2008) When bands reform after a breakup, they normally become a shell of their former selves. However, when SepticFlesh returned with Communion in 2008, they came bursting out of the gate with one of the most rabid symphonic albums ever.
- Spencer Grady
- Celtic Frost - Into The Pandemonium (1987) It’s a real toss-up between 1985’s To Mega Therion and Into The Pandemonium as to which Celtic Frost full-length put more orchestration on display – and that’s if either could even be considered full-on symphonic metal, given the left-field implementation of horns, woodwind and choral voices.
- Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015) While the Finnish band were already among the elite of symphonic metal, Endless Forms Most Beautiful really raised the bar for the genre.
- Cradle Of Filth - Dusk… And Her Embrace (1996) One of Cradle Of Filth’s crucial innovations was the refinement of black metal keyboards, escorting the instrument from its background role as wall of atmospheric noise to its own star in a lush erotic horror soundtrack.
- Within Temptation - The Silent Force (2004) Although you’re likely to be distracted by the captivating strength of Sharon den Adel’s upfront vocal dynamism, Within Temptation’s symphonic aspirations reached their most querulously romantic apex on this goosebump-inducing masterwork of the form.
Sep 15, 2023 · From newcomers to headliners of popular festivals, symphonic metal in any form is an epic affair. Maybe you've already taken a liking to this music or maybe you're brand new to the world of metal? In any case, here you'll find the classics that you should definitely check out!
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May 29, 2020 · And while many consider symphonic metal to be closer to power metal, with songs about knights and dragons and fictional kingdoms and whatnot, we also have great examples of symphonic death...
