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Heavy Metal Thunder Symphonic Power Metal

Genres Heavy Metal Power Metal Symphonic Power Metal

Symphonic Power Metal

Power metal with an orchestra and, usually, a classically trained singer. Enormous, romantic and completely sincere.

Active years
1995 – present
Origin
Finland / Netherlands
Family
Power Metal
Bands here
13

Start here

Four records in order of how easy they are to get into — which is not the same as best first.

  1. Once Nightwish, 2004 The landmark

    The record that took the genre worldwide, and it is still the easiest entry to it. A real orchestra, an operatic soprano, and “Ghost Love Score” — ten minutes that convert people who thought they hated this.

    Listen to Once

  2. The Black Halo Kamelot, 2005

    A Faust concept album, and the most tightly written record in the genre. Roy Khan sings like a stage actor because he trained as one.

    Listen to The Black Halo

  3. Design Your Universe Epica, 2009

    The heaviest of the symphonic bands, with real growls answering the soprano and an actual orchestra rather than a keyboard patch.

    Listen to Design Your Universe

  4. Wintersun Wintersun, 2004

    The deep end. Jari Mäenpää plays almost everything himself and the result is symphonic power metal with black metal's tempo — vast, ridiculous and completely sincere.

    Listen to Wintersun

What it sounds like

An orchestra, a choir and usually a classically trained soprano. This is power metal with the arrangement budget spent: full string sections, timpani, occasional flute, and a lead vocal that has clearly had lessons. The guitars are still there but they are one colour in a large palette rather than the foundation. Tempos are mid-paced rather than galloping and the mood is romantic and cinematic. Compared with the European strand it is slower, grander and less riff-driven. It is closer in spirit to film music than to metal, and its audience extends well beyond metal as a result. Male growls occasionally answer the soprano, but the register stays grand rather than extreme, and the choruses are written to be sung by a very large room.

  • Heaviness 3 out of 5
  • Speed 3 out of 5
  • Aggression 2 out of 5
  • Technicality 4 out of 5
  • Darkness 2 out of 5
  • Melody 5 out of 5

Where the name came from

Coined by music press and fan communities in the 1990s to describe the fusion of power metal's anthemic energy with full orchestral and choral arrangements. Finland's Nightwish, formed in 1996, are the genre's defining act and were central to the term gaining widespread use.

The bands

Hear these first

  • Nightwish Finland
  • Kamelot USA
  • Epica Netherlands
  • Sonata Arctica Finland
  • Wintersun Finland

And 8 more

  • Within Temptation Netherlands
  • Edenbridge Austria
  • Visions of Atlantis Austria
  • After Forever Netherlands
  • Xandria Germany
  • Serenity Austria
  • Twilight Force Sweden
  • Fairyland France

Where it happened

Counting this genre and everything descended from it.

  • Austria Austrian Black & Symphonic Metal 3 bands
  • Finland Finnish Metal — Folk, Symphonic & Extreme 3 bands
  • Netherlands Dutch Symphonic, Gothic & Death Metal 3 bands

If you liked this

Closest in sound outside this family, leaning towards the similar or the gentler rather than straight into the deep end.