View source for Symphonic metal

{{Short description|Music genre that blends heavy metal with classical music}}
{{Distinguish|Neoclassical metal}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Original research|date=January 2013}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Symphonic metal
| other_names       = * Opera metal
* operatic metal
| stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|
*[[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
*[[classical music|classical]]
*[[neoclassical metal]]
*[[power metal]]
*[[gothic metal]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Early 1990s, [[Finland]], [[Scandinavia]] and the [[Netherlands]]
| derivatives       = 
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = * [[Symphonic black metal]]
* symphonic death metal
* symphonic gothic metal
* symphonic power metal
| regional_scenes   = 
| other_topics      = [[List of symphonic metal bands]]
}}

'''Symphonic metal''' is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of [[heavy metal music]] subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars of metal with different elements of [[orchestra]]l [[classical music]], such as symphonic instruments, choirs and sometimes a full orchestra, or just keyboard orchestration.

Symphonic metal bands can feature classically trained vocalists, in which case they can be attributed nicknames such as '''opera metal''' or '''operatic metal'''. Perhaps the most prominent examples of symphonic metal bands are Swedish band [[Therion (band)|Therion]], Finnish band [[Nightwish]], German band [[Xandria]], Italian band [[Rhapsody of Fire]], American bands [[Lorna Shore]] and [[Trans-Siberian Orchestra]] and Dutch bands [[Epica (band)|Epica]] and [[Within Temptation]]. Those bands place a large focus on elements prevalent in [[film score]]s in addition to the more basic classical components utilized more widely in the genre. Many people who participate in this genre of metal music have a degree in musical thought or have been taught how to sing in a classical style.

==Musical characteristics==
{{multiple image
| align     = left
| direction = vertical
| width     = 190
| image1    = Tarja Turunen at Obras Stadium 2008 02.jpg
| image2    = Tuomas-Holopainen-keyboards1.JPG
| footer    = Nightwish is one of the prime acts adopting the symphonic metal style. The use of [[Synthesizer|keyboards]] through traditional piano and strings and the [[soprano]] vocals of [[Tarja Turunen]], until her departure from the band in 2005, were distinct parts of their original sound.<ref name="heavymetal.about.com">{{cite web |author=Bowar, Chad |title=''Highest Hopes'' review |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwish.htm |publisher=[[About.com]] |access-date=14 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209080256/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwish.htm |archive-date=9 December 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwishdark.htm |title=Nightwish – Dark Passion Play Review |publisher=Heavymetal.about.com |date=14 June 2010 |access-date=23 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521064022/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwishdark.htm |archive-date=21 May 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

The metal subgenres most typically featuring a subset of symphonic bands are [[gothic metal]], [[power metal]], [[black metal]], [[death metal]] and classic [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]. As with many other metal bands, those adopting a symphonic style may feature influences from several metal subgenres.

{{Listen|type=music
|filename    = Fall Of An Empire - Chapter 3 - Heavy Is The Crown (instrumental).ogg
|title       = "Heavy Is The Crown (instrumental)"
|description = A piece of symphonic metal music which uses both live instrument performances and music workstation orchestration, performed by [https://thel-train.bandcamp.com/ L-Train & the Royal Canterlot Symphonic Metal Orchestra].
|filename2    = The Time Has Come.ogg
|title2       = The Time Has Come, by Capricia
|description2 = A symphonic/progressive metal song by the band Capricia, who have since turned to [[video game]] development. This song is part of the album ''[https://ofbirdandcage.bandcamp.com/album/of-bird-and-cage Of Bird and Cage]'', which is a [[concept album]] written to accompany the [https://store.steampowered.com/app/523770/Of_Bird_and_Cage/ video game of the same name] that the band deems an interactive album.
}}
[[Music workstation]] keyboards and [[orchestras]] are often a key feature of the style, distinguishing symphonic from non-symphonic bands within the same metal subgenre. Other instruments, including guitars, bass and drums, may at times play relatively simple parts in contrast to the complex and nuanced keyboard and/or orchestral parts. Bands that do not use live orchestral instrumentation on their recordings or when playing live typically utilize factory presets on workstation keyboards (i.&nbsp;e., strings, choirs, pianos, pipe organs, etc.) to conjure up a "pseudo-orchestral" sound, where parts are played idiomatically according to keyboard technique. This is particularly characteristic of lesser-known bands on tighter budgets. Some symphonic metal bands abstain from using keyboards entirely, preferring to use orchestral backing tracks pre-recorded by a live symphony orchestra and/or choir during an album session, or recorded using virtual software instruments in a [[Music sequencer|sequencer]]. This is particularly characteristic of bands that feature deeper and more complex arrangements which could be more difficult for one or two keyboardists to reproduce faithfully in a live performance.

It is more difficult to generalize about the role of the classic metal instruments (guitars, bass and drums), as they vary depending on the metal subgenre to which the symphonic band mostly associates. With varying frequency, symphonic bands may employ these instruments (as well as the lead vocals) to play more simple, catchy melodies than non-symphonic bands, which arguably make the symphonic metal style one of the most accessible in metal.

Songs are often highly atmospheric, though more upbeat than those of many non-symphonic metal bands; songs with morbid themes routinely feature prominent major-key fanfares. Particularly central to creating mood and atmosphere is the choice of keyboard [[timbre]].

Lyrics cover a broad range of topics. As with two of its often overlapping elements, power metal and opera (including symphonic [[progressive rock]]), fantasy and mythological themes are common. [[Concept album]]s styled after operas or [[epic poem]]s are not uncommon.
{{Listen
| type         = music
| filename     = Epica - Wacken Open Air 2018-3130.jpg
| title        = Epica at Wacken Open Air 2018
| description  = 
| filename2    = Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity.ogg
| title2       = Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity, by Epica
| description2 = The contrast between [[Simone Simons]]' operatic vocals and [[Mark Jansen]]'s [[death grunts]] is a feature of [[Epica (band)|Epica]]'s music, as demonstrated over symphonic power metal in this sample of the song "Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity" from their album [[Omega (Epica album)|Ωmega]] (2021).
}}Bands in this genre may often feature a female lead vocalist, usually a [[soprano]]. Male vocalists ([[baritone]] or [[bass-baritone]]), are also common in gothic metal. Growling, death-metal-style vocals are not unknown but tend to be used less frequently than in other metal subgenres (a notable exception being [[Mark Jansen]] in [[Epica (band)|Epica]]). Backing vocals, often consisting of a choral ensemble or full [[choir]], may be employed.

It is common for bands, particularly female-fronted bands, to feature operatic lead vocals. Such bands may be referred to as ''operatic symphonic metal''<ref name="the manitoban">The Manitoban (PDF-file, page 25): [http://hotink.theorem.ca/system/manit/issues/000/003/903/15oct2008_FINAL_screen_quality.pdf?1253635013 "Opera Metal for the Masses"] stored at [https://www.webcitation.org/5s9fQJw00?url=http://hotink.theorem.ca/system/manit/issues/000/003/903/15oct2008_FINAL_screen_quality.pdf?1253635013 webcitation.org]</ref> and include the likes of [[Epica (band)|Epica]], [[Nightwish]] ([[Tarja Turunen]], then [[Floor Jansen]]), [[Haggard (band)|Haggard]],<ref name="the manitoban"/> [[Therion (band)|Therion]], Operatika, Dremora, [[Dol Ammad]], [[Visions of Atlantis]], [[Aesma Daeva]], and [[Almora (band)|Almora]], among countless others. The operatic style is not tied exclusively to symphonic metal, but may appear in [[avant-garde metal]], progressive metal and gothic metal. Many bands featuring operatic female vocalists also have a male vocalist who uses [[Death growl|harsh vocals]] for contrast, in a vocal style often referred to as "beauty and the beast".<ref>{{cite web |title=Albert's Beginner's Guide to Symphonic Metal {{!}} Symphonic Metal |url=https://symphonicmetal.mit.edu/ |website=symphonicmetal.mit.edu}}</ref>

==Origins and evolution==
One of the earliest songs by a heavy metal band to include string arrangements is "Spiral Architect", the closing track of the fifth [[Black Sabbath]] album, ''[[Sabbath Bloody Sabbath]]'', released in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brannigan |first=Paul |date=2025-07-01 |title=The 40 best Black Sabbath songs ever |url=https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/the-40-best-black-sabbath-songs-ever |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=Louder Sound |language=en-US }}</ref> In the 1980s, [[Celtic Frost]] experimented with orchestration, woodwinds, horns, and choral voices in the albums ''[[To Mega Therion (album)|To Mega Therion]]'' and ''[[Into the Pandemonium]]''.<ref name="MHbestsymph">{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Hywel |last2=Dome |first2=Malcolm |last3=Goodman |first3=Eleanor |last4=Chantler |first4=Chris |last5=Gordon |first5=Connie |last6=Grady |first6=Spencer |last7=Rees |first7=Adam |last8=Selzer |first8=Jonathan |date=17 November 2021 |title=The 25 best symphonic metal albums |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-25-best-symphonic-metal-albums/2 |access-date=5 June 2025 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] |publisher=[[Future plc]]}}</ref> A 2021 article by [[Metal Hammer]] listed the latter at number two in its list of the best twenty-five symphonic metal albums.<ref name="MHbestsymph" /> The article claims that while perhaps neither Celtic Frost album constitutes "full-blown" symphonic metal, the rest the symphonic metal recordings listed in the article likely would not exist if not for ''Into the Pandemonium''.<ref name="MHbestsymph" />

An early prototypical symphonic metal song was "Dies Irae" by American Christian [[thrash metal]] group [[Believer (band)|Believer]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Treppel|first1=Jeff|title=The Lazarus Pit: Believer's Sanity Obscure|url=http://decibelmagazine.com/blog/featured/the-lazarus-pit-believers-sanity-obscure|website=[[Decibel (magazine)|Decibel]]|publisher=Alex Mulcahy|access-date=4 June 2015|date=9 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119202902/http://decibelmagazine.com/blog/featured/the-lazarus-pit-believers-sanity-obscure|archive-date=19 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Appearing on their 1990 album ''[[Sanity Obscure]]'', it foreshadowed the operatic approach used by the bands [[Therion (band)|Therion]] (named after the Celtic Frost album ''To Mega Therion'') and [[Nightwish]].<ref name="meandeviation">{{Cite book |author=Jeff Wagner, Steven Wilson |title=Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZwZcZ2X5ToC |publisher=Bazillion Points Books |date=2010 |pages=154–157 |isbn=978-0-9796163-3-4 |access-date=8 January 2016 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713225032/https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZwZcZ2X5ToC |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Jeff Wagner in his book ''[[Mean Deviation (book)|Mean Deviation]]'', the song was a creative watershed in metal, and except for [[Mekong Delta (band)|Mekong Delta]], no other [[extreme metal]] band at the time had merged the genre with [[classical music]] so seamlessly.<ref name="meandeviation" /> The band continued with operatic and symphonic elements on their next release, ''Dimensions'' (1993), on the multi-song [[Suite (music)|suite]] "The Trilogy of Knowledge".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Powell |first=Mark Allen |author-link=Mark Allan Powell |title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music |publisher=[[Hendrickson Publishers|Hendrickson]] |year=2002 |isbn=1-56563-679-1 |location=[[Peabody, Massachusetts]] |pages=76 |chapter=Believer |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00mark/page/76/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="meandeviation" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mei |first=Valerio |date=March 2006 |title=Believer - Dimensions |url=http://www.whitemetal.it/recensione_believer_-_dimensions.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605011504/http://www.whitemetal.it/recensione_believer_-_dimensions.htm |archive-date=5 June 2009 |access-date=5 June 2025 |website=Whitemetal.it}}</ref> The gothic metal band [[Saviour Machine]], which formed in 1989 and released its [[Saviour Machine I|first studio album]] in 1993, has also been referred to as symphonic metal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magliano |first=Fabio |date=1 December 2020 |title=Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) – I miei 10 album fondamentali |url=http://www.metalhammer.it/rubriche/2020/12/01/eric-clayton-saviour-machine-i-miei-10-album-fondamentali/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] Italy |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ariatti |first=Alessandro |title=Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine I |url=https://www.metal.it/album.aspx/45144/saviour-machine-saviour-machine-i/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=Metal.it |language=Italian}}</ref>

[[File:C. Johnsson and L. Lewis.jpg|left|thumb|[[Therion (band)|Therion]]'s [[Lori Lewis]] and [[Christofer Johnsson]] with symphonic orchestra and choir during the live classical show at the [[Miskolc Opera Festival]], Hungary, 2007.]]

The band [[Therion (band)|Therion]] were influential in forming the genre through their use of a live orchestra and classical compositional techniques; gradually these elements became a more important part of Therion's music than their death metal roots, culminating on the 1996 album ''[[Theli (album)|Theli]]''. Another key early influence was Finnish [[progressive metal]] band [[Waltari]]'s album ''[[Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony in Deep C]]''. In mid-1996 [[Rage (German band)|Rage]] released ''[[Lingua Mortis]]'', the band's first collaboration with the [[Prague Symphony Orchestra]].

[[Nightwish]], [[Rhapsody of Fire]] and [[Within Temptation]] all released their first album in 1997. Within Temptation's sound was usually defined as gothic metal, being overall simpler than Nightwish's power metal, but both bands shared two frequent symphonic metal elements: powerful female lead vocals from [[Tarja Turunen]] and [[Sharon den Adel]] respectively, and the heavy use of classically influenced keyboard playing.

Many new symphonic bands appeared or came to wide attention in the early to mid-2000s, including Rain Fell Within, [[After Forever]], [[Epica (band)|Epica]], [[Delain]], [[Leaves' Eyes]], [[Xandria]], and [[Edenbridge (band)|Edenbridge]], all featuring female vocals and the characteristic keyboards. Power metal, with its relatively upbeat fantasy themes and stylized keyboard sounds, tended to be an important influence on these groups.

==The symphonic style in metal subgenres==

The term "symphonic metal" denotes any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements; "symphonic metal" then is not so much a subgenre but rather a cross-generic designation. A few bands simply refer to themselves as "symphonic metal", particularly [[Aesma Daeva]], and the term is applied by some to generically ambiguous metal bands like [[Epica (band)|Epica]] and post-2002 [[Nightwish]]. Following heavy metal's tradition of classifying its subgenres based on the differences among the musical structures in the electric, "metal" part of bands' sound, the label "symphonic" is usually prefixed to the subgenre to which a band mostly belongs. No "symphonic metal" band being simply symphonic, a subgenre definition could be attributable to any bands simply defining themselves as symphonic metal. Symphonic heavy metal and symphonic gothic metal bands are the main objects of such neglect of classification, originating the misperception of "symphonic metal" as a coherent and separated metal subgenre excluding symphonic black, death, and power metal bands. Symphonic elements are often implemented in songs by bands of other subgenres.

===Symphonic black metal===
{{Main|Symphonic black metal}}
'''[[Symphonic black metal]]''' has similar components as [[melodic black metal]], but uses keyboarding or instruments normally found in symphonic or classical music. It can also include black metal bands that make heavy usage of atmospheric keyboarding in the music, akin to symphonic metal or [[gothic metal]]. The symphonic aspects of this genre are normally integral parts of a band, and as such are commonly used throughout the whole duration of a song. The prototypical symphonic black metal bands are [[Dimmu Borgir]], [[Cradle of Filth]], [[Emperor (Norwegian band)|Emperor]] and [[Carach Angren]].

===Symphonic power metal===<!-- This section is linked from [[Heavy metal music]] -->

{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Symphonic power metal
| stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|
*Symphonic metal
*[[power metal]]
*[[neoclassical metal]]
}}
| cultural_origins  = Early to mid-1990s, [[Finland]], [[Italy]] and [[Japan]]
| instruments       = 
| derivatives       = 
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = 
| regional_scenes   = 
| other_topics      = 
}}

'''Symphonic power metal''' refers to [[power metal]] bands that make extensive usage of keyboards, or instruments normally found in classical music, similar to symphonic metal. These additional elements are often used as key elements of the music when compared to regular power metal, contributing not only an extra layer to the music, but a greater variety of sound. Bands in this genre often feature clean vocals, with some bands adding relatively small quantities of screams or growls.

The first prototypical symphonic power metal song was "[[Art of Life]]", a twenty-nine-minute song performed by Japanese [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[X Japan]] in 1993. A defining role for the style's development was played by Italian band [[Rhapsody of Fire]] since their groundbreaking 1997 debut, ''[[Legendary Tales]]'', first with a baroque approach influenced by [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]] and [[Niccolò Paganini|Paganini]], and subsequently with a growing film-score-oriented turn employing full orchestras and choirs. The influence of symphonic and operatic music are equally audible in cognate bands [[Luca Turilli's Rhapsody]] and [[Turilli / Lione Rhapsody]]. Rhapsody's contributions to symphonic metal are best exemplified by short songs like "Emerald Sword", "Dawn of Victory" and "Lamento Eroico", and long suites such as "Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness", "The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight" and "Erian's Mystical Rhymes". Finnish band [[Nightwish]], who debuted the same year, also performed symphonic power metal, their style being well exemplified by songs like "Wishmaster" from the album ''[[Wishmaster (album)|Wishmaster]]'' and the rest of their discography until the year 2000. Since the album ''[[Century Child]]'', they gradually decreased their power metal influences, with over 10-minute epics like "Ghost Love Score" from the album ''[[Once (Nightwish album)|Once]]'' and "The Poet and the Pendulum" from the album ''[[Dark Passion Play]]'' as the best examples of their new course making a more extensive use of orchestral elements.

German band [[Blind Guardian]] also introduced some symphonic elements in the album ''[[Nightfall in Middle-Earth]]'', although it wasn't until 2002 with [[A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album)|''A Night at the Opera'']] when they established their symphonic power metal style, mainly with the song "And Then There Was Silence". They gradually composed more and more symphonic songs such as "Sacred Worlds" and "Wheel of Time", both featured on the album ''[[At the Edge of Time]]'', and "The Ninth Wave", "At the Edge of Time", "The Throne" and "Grand Parade" from their latest album, ''[[Beyond the Red Mirror]]''. They also made orchestral versions of previously released songs like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Theatre of Pain", both included on the compilation album ''[[The Forgotten Tales]]''. Blind Guardian went deeper into symphonic music with the album ''[[Legacy of the Dark Lands]]'', a fully orchestral album composed by singer [[Hansi Kürsch]] and guitarist [[André Olbrich]] that kept the band's spirit but was credited to the Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra, as Hansi was the only member of the band to perform on the album.
	
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Several of the most widely known symphonic power metal bands">
Twilight Force Rockharz 2016 24.jpg|[[Twilight Force]]
Kamelot_in_2019_with_Lauren_Hart.jpg|[[Kamelot]]
Rhapsody Buenos Aires 2010.JPG|[[Rhapsody of Fire]]
Nightwish au Rockhal 2015.JPG|[[Nightwish]]
Epica - Wacken Open Air 2018-0909.jpg|[[Epica (band)|Epica]]
Blind Guardian Group.jpg|[[Blind Guardian]]
</gallery>

===Symphonic gothic metal===<!-- This section was originally written in the [[gothic metal]] article -->
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Symphonic gothic metal
| stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|
*Symphonic metal
*[[gothic metal]]
*[[doom metal]]
}}
| cultural_origins  = Early to mid 1990s, [[United States]], [[Norway]] and the [[Netherlands]]
| instruments       =
| derivatives       =
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      =
| regional_scenes   =
| other_topics      = 
}}

'''Symphonic gothic metal''' was first pioneered by American band [[Saviour Machine]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magliano |first=Fabio |date=1 December 2020 |title=Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) – I miei 10 album fondamentali |url=http://www.metalhammer.it/rubriche/2020/12/01/eric-clayton-saviour-machine-i-miei-10-album-fondamentali/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] Italy |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ariatti |first=Alessandro |title=Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine I |url=https://www.metal.it/album.aspx/45144/saviour-machine-saviour-machine-i/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |website=[[Metal Hammer]] Italy |language=Italian}}</ref> One of the first gothic metal bands to release a full album featuring "beauty and the beast" vocals, where [[death metal]] vocals are contrasted with clean female vocals, was the Norwegian [[Theatre of Tragedy]] in 1995. From then on after the departure of lead singer [[Liv Kristine]] in 2003, she and her future husband, [[Alexander Krull]], formed the symphonic metal band [[Leaves' Eyes]]. The band is one of the pioneers of the "beauty and the beast" vocal style. The contrasting styles of vocals are also sometimes performed by only one vocalist, an example of this being Ambre Vourvahis of [[Xandria]], combining and layering her clean (and occasionally operatic) vocals with her deep gutturals on the band's 2023 album ''[[The Wonders Still Awaiting]]''. Other bands, such as the Dutch [[Within Temptation]] in 1996,<ref>{{cite web |author=Shyu, Jeffrey |url=http://www.ssmt-reviews.com/int/within.htm |title=Interview with Jeroen van Veen of Within Temptation |publisher=Ssmt-reviews.com |access-date=22 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215082933/http://www.ssmt-reviews.com/int/within.htm |archive-date=15 February 2012 }}</ref> expanded on this approach. A debut album, ''[[Enter (Within Temptation album)|Enter]]'', was unveiled in the following year, followed shortly by an EP, ''[[The Dance (EP)|The Dance]]''.<ref name="MusicMight">{{cite web |author=Sharpe-Young, Garry |url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/netherlands/utrecht/within+temptation |title=Within Temptation |publisher=[[MusicMight]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021105031/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/netherlands/utrecht/within+temptation |archive-date=21 October 2012 }}</ref> Both releases made use of the beauty-and-beast approach delivered by vocalists [[Sharon den Adel]] and [[Robert Westerholt]]. Their second full-length, ''[[Mother Earth (Within Temptation album)|Mother Earth]]'', was released in 2000 and dispensed entirely with the death metal vocals, instead "relying solely on den Adel's majestic vocal ability", apart from one [[B-side]] track that did not make the final album release.<ref name="MusicMight"/> The album was a commercial success, with their lead single, "[[Ice Queen (song)|Ice Queen]]", topping the charts in Belgium and their native Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web |author=Taylor, Robert |title=''Mother Earth'' review |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r548440 |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-date=17 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417082350/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r548440 |url-status=live }}</ref> Their third album, ''[[The Silent Force]]'', arrived in 2004 as an "ambitious project featuring a full orchestra and 80-voice choir accompanying the band".<ref name="AMGWT">{{cite web |author=Deming, Mark |title=AMG Within Temptation |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p508773 |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-date=24 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224032440/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p508773 |url-status=live }}</ref> The result was another commercial success across Europe<ref name="AMGWT"/> and introduced "the world of heavy guitars and female vocals" to "a mainstream audience".

Within Temptation's brand of [[gothic metal]] combines "the guitar-driven force of hard rock with the sweep and grandeur of symphonic music".<ref name="AMGWT"/> The critic Chad Bowar of [[About.com]] describes their style as "the optimum balance" between "the melody and hooks of mainstream rock, the depth and complexity of classical music and the dark edge of gothic metal".<ref>{{cite web |author=Bowar, Chad |title=''The Heart of Everything'' review |publisher=[[About.com]] |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/withintemptatio.htm |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119234115/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/withintemptatio.htm |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The commercial success of Within Temptation has since resulted in the emergence of a large number of other female-fronted gothic metal bands, particularly in the Netherlands. A typical example of their most symphonic sound can be heard in the songs "Jillian (I'd give my Heart)" and "Our Solemn Hour".

Another Dutch band in the symphonic gothic metal strain is [[After Forever]]. Their debut album, ''[[Prison of Desire]]'' in 2000, was "a courageous, albeit flawed first study into an admittedly daunting undertaking: to wed heavy metal with progressive rock arrangements and classical music orchestration - then top it all off with equal parts gruesome cookie-monster vocals and a fully qualified opera singer".<ref>{{cite web |author=Rivadavia, Eduardo |title=''Prison of Desire'' review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r640587 |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713225034/https://www.allmusic.com/album/prison-of-desire-mw0000739874 |url-status=live }}</ref> Founding member, guitarist and vocalist [[Mark Jansen]] departed After Forever a few months after the release of their second album, ''[[Decipher (After Forever album)|Decipher]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sharpe-Young, Garry |title=After Forever |url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/netherlands/after+forever |publisher=[[MusicMight]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528234224/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/netherlands/after+forever |archive-date=28 May 2009 }}</ref> Jansen would go on to form [[Epica (band)|Epica]], another Dutch band that performs a blend of gothic and symphonic metal. Their debut album, ''[[The Phantom Agony]]'', emerged in 2003 with music that combines Jansen's death grunts with the "angelic tones of a classically trained [[soprano]], [[Simone Simons]], over a lush foundation of [[#Symphonic power metal|symphonic power metal]]".<ref>{{cite web |author=Rivadavia, Eduardo |title=''The Phantom Agony'' Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r674057 |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713225033/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-phantom-agony-mw0000335387 |url-status=live }}</ref> The music of Epica has been described as combination of "a dark, haunting gothic atmosphere with bombastic and symphonic music".<ref>{{cite web |author=Bowar, Chad |title=''The Divine Conspiracy'' review |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/epicadivine.htm |publisher=[[About.com]] |access-date=22 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120162249/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/epicadivine.htm |archive-date=20 January 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Like Within Temptation and After Forever, Epica has made use of an orchestra. Their 2007 album ''[[The Divine Conspiracy]]'' was a chart success in their home country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Epica: 'The Divine Conspiracy' Enters Dutch Chart At No. 9 |date=14 September 2007 |publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]] |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BLABBERMOUTH.NET/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=80811 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070502104536/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BLABBERMOUTH.NET/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=80811 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 May 2007 |access-date=9 May 2008 }}</ref>

This blend of symphonic and gothic metal has also been arrived at from the opposite direction. The band [[Nightwish]] from Finland began as a symphonic power metal act<ref>{{cite web |author=Rivadavia, Eduardo |title=''Century Child'' review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r641059 |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=23 April 2008 |archive-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222040802/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r641059 |url-status=live }}</ref> and introduced gothic elements on their 2004 album ''[[Once (Nightwish album)|Once]]'',<ref>{{cite web |author=Grant, Sam |url=http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=36 |title=''Once'' review |publisher=Soniccathedral.com |access-date=23 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804003751/http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=36 |archive-date=4 August 2008 }}</ref> particularly on the single "[[Nemo (song)|Nemo]]".<ref>{{cite web |author=Fulton, Katherine |title=''End of an Era'' review |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r842788 |access-date=23 April 2008 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713225033/https://www.allmusic.com/album/end-of-an-era-mw0000444231 |url-status=live }}</ref> They continued to mix their style of "bombastic, symphonic and cinematic" metal with a gothic atmosphere on their next album, ''[[Dark Passion Play]]'', in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bowar, Chad |title=''Dark Passion Play'' Review |publisher=[[About.com]] |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwishdark.htm |access-date=23 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521064022/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/nightwishdark.htm |archive-date=21 May 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Swedish group [[Therion (band)|Therion]] also introduced gothic elements to their brand of symphonic metal on their 2007 album ''[[Gothic Kabbalah]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bowar, Chad |title=''Gothic Kabbalah'' review |publisher=[[About.com]] |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/theriongothic.htm |access-date=23 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511214632/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/theriongothic.htm |archive-date=11 May 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Symphonic death metal ===
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Symphonic death metal
| stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|
*Symphonic metal
*[[death metal]]
*[[melodic death metal]]
*[[blackened death metal]]
*[[deathcore]] (later bands)
}}
| cultural_origins  = Late 1990s and early to mid 2000s, [[Germany]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Finland]], [[Italy]], and [[United States]]
| instruments       =
| derivatives       =
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      =
| regional_scenes   =
| other_topics      = 
}}
Bands described as '''symphonic death metal''' include [[Ex Deo]], [[Septicflesh]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-09-27/10-of-the-best-metal-bands-from-greece|title=10 of the best metal bands from Greece|date=27 September 2016|newspaper=Metal Hammer|language=en-GB|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202022748/http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-09-27/10-of-the-best-metal-bands-from-greece|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Children of Bodom]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocweekly.com/music/children-of-bodom-prepare-for-a-night-of-shredding-at-observatory-7723345|title=Children of Bodom Prepare For a Night of Shredding at Observatory|last=Distefano|first=Alex|date=5 December 2016|newspaper=OC Weekly|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202010508/http://www.ocweekly.com/music/children-of-bodom-prepare-for-a-night-of-shredding-at-observatory-7723345|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mayan (band)|MaYaN]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bravewords.com/news/mayan-guitarist-mark-jansen-names-his-top-3-symphonic-death-metal-album-in-new-dhyana-album-trailer|title=MAYAN GUITARIST MARK JANSEN NAMES HIS TOP 3 SYMPHONIC DEATH METAL ALBUM IN NEW DHYANA ALBUM TRAILER|access-date=20 November 2019|archive-date=10 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210014435/http://bravewords.com/news/mayan-guitarist-mark-jansen-names-his-top-3-symphonic-death-metal-album-in-new-dhyana-album-trailer|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Fleshgod Apocalypse]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-fleshgod-apocalypse-king|title=Album Review: FLESHGOD APOCALYPSEKing - Metal Injection|date=5 February 2016|newspaper=Metal Injection|language=en-US|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202005256/http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-fleshgod-apocalypse-king|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/vote-best-metal-song-6th-annual-loudwire-music-awards/|title=Vote for the Best Metal Song - 6th Annual Loudwire Music Awards|website=Loudwire|date=2 December 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202013549/http://loudwire.com/vote-best-metal-song-6th-annual-loudwire-music-awards/|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Haggard (band)|Haggard]]'s 2000 album, ''[[Awaking the Centuries]]'', has been described as death metal–styled symphonic metal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-11-02/the-10-essential-symphonic-metal-albums|title=The 10 Essential Symphonic Metal Albums|date=2 November 2016|newspaper=Metal Hammer|language=en-GB|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229033404/http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-11-02/the-10-essential-symphonic-metal-albums|archive-date=29 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Eternal Tears of Sorrow]], [[Starkill]], and [[Wintersun]] are known for their symphonic [[melodic death metal]] sound.<ref>[https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=5395 Review: Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Children of the Dark Waters]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Aux Portes Du Metal : Chronique d'album metal Starkill Shadow Sleep (Mélodeath sympho) - Album Review|url=https://www.auxportesdumetal.com/reviews/Starkill/starkill-shadowsleep.html|accessdate=March 8, 2025|date=November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Baldin |first=Benedetta |date=29 August 2024 |title=Masterpieces take a while to be created – review of Wintersun’s “Time II” |url=https://chaoszine.net/masterpieces-take-a-while-to-be-created-review-of-wintersuns-time-ii/ |access-date=29 September 2025 |website=Chaoszine}}</ref> [[Mechina (band)|Mechina]] combines symphonic death metal with [[industrial metal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=28230 |title=Mechina - New Song Released |website=[[Metal Storm (webzine)|Metal Storm]] |date=2015-12-26 |accessdate=2025-01-09}}</ref>

The symphonic death metal scene includes [[deathcore]] bands mixing the two genres together, starting in the late 2000s with [[The Breathing Process]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=3380|title=The Breathing Process - "Odyssey: (Un)Dead" CD Review|website=Metalunderground.com|date=2010-10-20|access-date=2025-06-26}}</ref> and [[Winds of Plague]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winds-of-plague-mn0000667554/biography |title=Winds of Plague - Biography & History : AllMusic |last=True |first=Chris |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209103226/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winds-of-plague-mn0000667554/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> In the early 2010s, [[Make Them Suffer]] developed the symphonic deathcore subgenre further in their earlier material,<ref name="translate">{{cite web|url=http://www.impericon-mag.com/de/make-them-suffer-mozart-trifft-deathcore-3003|title=Make Them Suffer – Mozart Trifft Deathcore|author=Marcel|publisher=Impericon|date=13 March 2015|access-date=17 March 2017|language=de|archive-date=15 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315175353/http://www.impericon-mag.com/de/make-them-suffer-mozart-trifft-deathcore-3003/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/video/make-them-suffers-new-song-ether-is-pretty-damn-catchy|title=MAKE THEM SUFFER's New Song "Ether" Is Pretty Damn Catchy - Metal Injection|newspaper=Metal Injection|language=en-US|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202005430/http://www.metalinjection.net/video/make-them-suffers-new-song-ether-is-pretty-damn-catchy|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> as did [[Betraying the Martyrs]], known to "temper the punishing brutality of deathcore with melodic flourishes pulled from symphonic and [[progressive metal]], giving it a theatricality that feels distinctly European."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/betraying-the-martyrs-mn0002437936/biography |title=Betraying the Martyrs - Biography & History : AllMusic |last=Heaney |first=Gregory |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209103148/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/betraying-the-martyrs-mn0002437936/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> It was not until the late 2010s and early 2020s when the symphonic deathcore scene started rising in popularity with bands like [[Shadow of Intent]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Welsh |first1=Connor |title=REVIEW: SHADOW OF INTENT – MELANCHOLY [2019] |url=http://new-transcendence.com/review-shadow-intent-melancholy-2019/ |website=New Transcendence |access-date=9 November 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109215806/http://new-transcendence.com/review-shadow-intent-melancholy-2019/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lorna Shore]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Max|last=Morin|url=https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-lorna-shore-pain-remains|title=Album Review: Lorna Shore Pain Remains|work=Metal Injection|date=12 October 2022|access-date=14 October 2022|archive-date=14 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014234029/https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-lorna-shore-pain-remains|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[A Wake in Providence (band)|A Wake in Providence]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 12, 2024 |title=A Wake In Providence - I Write To You, My Darling Decay review|url=https://metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=19728|access-date=2025-01-23|website=[[Metal Storm (webzine)|Metal Storm]]}}</ref> Some bands such as [[Worm Shepherd]], [[Carnifex (band)|Carnifex]] in their later albums, and [[Mental Cruelty]] combine the genre with [[symphonic black metal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wonderboxmetal.com/2021/06/03/worm-shepherd-in-the-wake-ov-sol-review/|title=Worm Shepherd – In the Wake ov Sòl (Review)|access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Carnifex Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}} ... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/carnifex-mn0000599399 |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Zwielicht – Mental Cruelty |url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-zwielicht-mental-cruelty/ |website=Distortedsoundmagazine |date=June 27, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of symphonic metal bands]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Symphonic metal}}

{{heavymetal}}
{{Goth subculture}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symphonic Metal}}
[[Category:Symphonic metal| ]]
[[Category:Fusion music genres]]
[[Category:Heavy metal genres]]
[[Category:Norwegian styles of music]]
[[Category:Dutch styles of music]]