Symphonic Black Metal bands

Symphonic Black Metal is a genre of Heavy Metal combining Black Metal music with elements from symphonic music, or symphonic metal. Symphonic Black Metal acknowledge a rise in popularity short after the second wave of Black Metal, as it is an easier form of Black Metal to get into than Ambient Black Metal for example.

In this hub, I will introduce you to the particular style of Symphonic Black Metal, and I will present you three bands that revolutionized the genre. For each band, I will also shortly review one of their most defining albums.

Formed in 2001 by members of the technical Trash Metal band testament, Dragonlord widely renown in the symphonic Black Metal scene. Although most adepts do prefer their following album Black Wings of Destiny due to its more ostentatious and technical style, their first full-length album Rapture manages to seize the icy soul of Black Metal music and combine it perfectly with the symphonic melodic style.

Let us not be mistaken, this is not symphonic metal : this is symphonic Black Metal, and if you are familiar with both styles you will easily sense the difference.

Any Vesperian Sorrow album is pure gold, but Regenesis Creation is even above that. Arguably the finest of all symphonic black metal albums, Regenesis Creation is one of the rare releases to capture the dark and misanthropic atmosphere of traditional Black Metal and transform it into a majestic symphony.

The cold melodies of Regenesis Creation abide unsurpassed, as this album is truthfully regarded by many as the most defining work in symphonic Black Metal.

Immortal Black Art is the fourth full-length album by Ceremonial Castings, a band widely acknowledged as one of the most important acts of the black metal second wave. Once again, many would choose their following 2006 release, Barbaric is the Beast, as the most defining Ceremonial Castings album, or most defining album of the whole Symphonic Black Metal genre as a matter of fact.

I would argue otherwise, if Barbaric is the Beast is easier to get into, Immortal Black Art does at least as good as its following in capturing the essence of dark music, and black metal at its best.