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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.
A comprehensive list of bands that play symphonic metal, a subgenre of metal music that combines heavy metal with classical music elements. The list includes bands from various countries, genres and eras, with links to their articles and references.
- 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
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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...
A list of the most influential and innovative symphonic metal releases, from X Japan to Devin Townsend, featuring orchestral, gothic and prog elements. Discover the history and diversity of this subgenre that embraces metal's grandiose side.
- Hywel Davies
Symphonic metal is a metal subgenre that combines heavy metal with orchestral classical music. Learn about its musical characteristics, origins and evolution, and some of the most prominent symphonic metal bands, such as Nightwish, Epica, Therion and more.
Sep 15, 2023 · Learn about the history and features of symphonic metal, a subgenre of metal that combines orchestral and classical elements with metal. Discover the most popular and influential bands, such as Nightwish, Within Temptation, Epica and Tarja.
Feb 4, 2019 · A list of the finest offerings from the genre that blends metal and orchestral music, featuring bands like Nightwish, Rhapsody and Therion. Learn about the history, influences and highlights of symphonic metal from this article by Metal Hammer.
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May 24, 2023 · Learn about the history and features of symphonic metal, a genre that combines classical music and metal. Discover five essential albums from Therion, After Forever, Within Temptation, Epica and Nightwish.
