Symphonic Metal?

[Rhym]

[FONT=Times New Roman]How many people out there have heard of or like symphonic metal? From what I know, this genre consists of bands like Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody, Blind Guardian, and Kamelot. It's a really cool genre, but I've only met about two people who like it. It's my favorite genre of metal, and it really got me into the metal world. I recommend this subgenre for anyone who wants to get into metal but is turned off by the screaming.

So, has anyone else heard of symphonic metal? Or like it?[/FONT]

[M.Ali]

[font=trebuchet ms]Now I have to admit that I've never heard of Symphonic Metal. A few years ago, when I was in my "rebellious" stage, I did try to get into metal, but I realized that all the screaming just gave me a headache. :animeswea

But since this genre is called Symphonic Metal, I suppose it has a classical or a orchestral kind of sound? But either way, I'd love to hear it.[/font]

[satan665]

I'mnot really familiar with the genre name, but to add to it I have heard of Children of Bodom, which is a great band. They don't use classical instruments or anything, but have keyboard/organ music backing upsomre pretty great guitar and cookie monster vocals.

Do you mean that they play with a real Symphony backing them?

[Semjaza]

[quote name='satan665']Do you mean that they play with a real Symphony backing them?[/quote]

That's pretty much what categorizes it. Orchestration is usually great in most rock-type music, I think. In metal, I think it adds some much needed melody in many cases. People might use it to refer other things for all I know, but that's what it was coined to define.

A lot of the groups that seem really reliant on it usually seem to have something to do with black metal. Not all, but a lot of them. They wind up having really weird histories and lyrics... such is the case with Emperor. A weird background, but certainly some of the more important stuff in the genre. They're quite good, I think.

I also like Nightwish, which was mentioned.

[Kanata]

[SIZE=1][color=#333333]Symphonic Metal, I'm not sure what you mean by that but if you would like some examples then listen to Metallica's S&M (Symphony and Metallica) album. It's really good, combining Metallica with an Orchestra.

As a Metal fan, I must defend when you keep talking about all the screaming and shouting. No. There is no [i]constant[/i] screaming in Metal. There may few shouts but that's it. Otherwise, you'd be listening to Death Metal or even more likely Alexisonfire (Ugh).

But yeah, Symphonic Metal is great!

Kanata \m/[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Jonexe]

Finally! Someone else!

Yeah, it's not often I hear about other people liking things like Kamelot, which is one of my favorite bands. Center of the Universe is an amazing song, same with Feast for the Vain.

Blind Guardian is awesome too, as well as Sonata Arctica, and Rhapsody to boot. If you haven't already, you should check out Hammerfall, Iron Savior, Luca Turlli (I believe that's the spelling), Iced Earth, and uh... I probably have some others I could point you to, if I were at home (In class right now; don't have my CDs.)

Symphonic Metal is some of my favorite music there is. I like it right up there with Nordic/Bardic/Viking/whateveryouwannacallit Metal. (Manowar, Amon Amarth, etc.)

[DeathKnight]

[QUOTE=Kanata][SIZE=1][color=#333333]No. There is no [i]constant[/i] screaming in Metal.
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[color=crimson]If you say so.

Anyway, I adore symphonic metal. It's not my favorite subgenre [that would go to grindcore] but it is very interesting to listen to. I can't quite put my finger on what I like about it- it's just easy to like if you are into metal and want a different taste of it. I can't name specific bands as.. most of you have reiterated the bands I was going to list.

Very rockin'.[/color]

[Rhym]

[FONT=Times New Roman]I have to get some of Luca Turilli's albums. His work in Rhapsody is amazing, but from what I've heard his solo albums trump that. I need to get more of Rhapsody's albums, too. All I have is Dawn of Victory.

I have some of Iced Earth's albums. They're pretty cool. You gotta love how they incorporate the [i]statistics[/i] of the battles they write songs about into the songs themselves.

Symphony X is a great symphonic band, too. They have a 24-minute-long song on their album The Odyssey (as in the Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer).

I think that's what I like so much about symphonic metal. They're totally ridiculous, but they make it awesome.[/FONT]

[Jonexe]

[QUOTE=Rhym][FONT=Times New Roman]I have to get some of Luca Turilli's albums. His work in Rhapsody is amazing, but from what I've heard his solo albums trump that. I need to get more of Rhapsody's albums, too. All I have is Dawn of Victory.

I have some of Iced Earth's albums. They're pretty cool. You gotta love how they incorporate the [i]statistics[/i] of the battles they write songs about into the songs themselves.
[/FONT][/QUOTE]

Luca Turilli IS amazing. While the style is very similar to Rhapsody's, that's really to be expected. Turilli tends to incorporate more technoish sounds and themes towards his music, but it's still amazing. I suggest looking for the album "Prophet Of The Last Eclipse." It's my favorite out of all of his non-Rhapsody work.

And yes! I completely agree with you about Iced Earth! I love "Delcaration Day" and "Hold at All Costs" off of "The Glorious Burden" album. The Civil War themes and lyrics tie into the metal beautifully, and it's simply amazing to hear how they pulled it off. "The Night of theStormrider" is a great album too, but it's not the same sort of style.

Have you checked out Blind Guardian and Iced Earth's group album "Demons and Wizards" yet? It's AMAZING. I highly recommend it if you like both groups.

[Rhym]

[FONT=Times New Roman]My friend just burned me Sonata Arctica's "Winterheart's Guild." This album is awesome. It opens very strongly with "Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited," which has an awesome keyboard riff. "Gravenimage" takes a while to get up to speed, but rocks when it does."Champagne Bath" totally rocks, and "The Cage" is probably the best song I've ever heard. Other highlights are "Silver Tongue" and "Victoria's Secret." I highly recommend this album to any Sonata fan.[/FONT]

[Minako]

I like Symphonic Metal. I'm still new to the genre, but I like Nightwish (They're from Finland, like me...). I recently bought their CD and it's very nice. At first, when I heard the lead singer of Nightwish was an opera singer, I thought, [I]Opera and ROCK??[/I] But as I listend to it, I've learned to like Nightwish and others too.

Along with most of the users who've posted already, I like metal, but I'm turned off by the screaming. You have know idea what they're saying, and I mostly listen to the words of a song...

[Fall]

Nightwish are a good band. Children of Bodom is an awesome band. I don't really listen to this genre because of the symphonic sound, I tend to listen for the guitar. Any band in this genre put the electric guitar to really good use.

If you listen to [b]Everytime I Die[/b] by [b]Children Of Bodom[/b], you'll know what I mean.

[Sir Auron]

[QUOTE=Jonexe]Finally! Someone else!

Yeah, it's not often I hear about other people liking things like Kamelot, which is one of my favorite bands. Center of the Universe is an amazing song, same with Feast for the Vain.

Blind Guardian is awesome too, as well as Sonata Arctica, and Rhapsody to boot. If you haven't already, you should check out Hammerfall, Iron Savior, Luca Turlli (I believe that's the spelling), Iced Earth, and uh... I probably have some others I could point you to, if I were at home (In class right now; don't have my CDs.)

Symphonic Metal is some of my favorite music there is. I like it right up there with Nordic/Bardic/Viking/whateveryouwannacallit Metal. (Manowar, Amon Amarth, etc.)[/QUOTE]


i thought hammerfall, blind guardian, sonata artica, iced earth is power metal bands. well whats the difference between symphonic and power metal..?

[Rhym]

[QUOTE]Originally Posted by [b]Sir Auron[/b]
[i]well whats the difference between symphonic and power metal..?[/i][/QUOTE]

[FONT=Times New Roman]There's little difference most of the time. Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, etc. are both, I believe. They have the power metal sound, but have some symphonic moments. Really, they would be called power metal because they don't use classical instruments/synths of classical instruments (i.e. violins). Blind Guardian would probably be the most symphonic of the power metal groups, just because they do use classical instruments occasionally. But yeah, for the most part, the two genres are interchangeable.[/FONT]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]I have Metallica's S&M album, but I'm afraid that doesn't do too much for me...although I've admittedly never listened to much of it. The closest outside of that, that I would have come to Symphonic Metal, would be listening to some Hammerfall on a friends mp3 player, or Kyuss' "Screaming Eagle", which has very orchestraic [is that even a word, lol?] undertones to it. Yet that would probably fall more within the realm of 'Symphonic Rock' seeing as we're making all these genre distinctions.[/size]

[gwynva]

I don't care what name you call for the type of music Blind Guardian does, but what i know is as a big Lord of the Rings fan, the first time i heard Blind Guardian and their album Nightfall in Middle Earth with the lyrics full of with Silmarillion, I could not help but listen to them over and over again. And Iced Earth is another great group in this type i think. I was thrilled when i listened Demons and Wizards especially knowing that both groups are united.
But i have never heard of Kamelot before, or Luca Trulli, i think i'll give them a try as well? What do you suggest should i listen first among others?

[Jake of Bodom]

[quote name='Sir Auron']i thought hammerfall, blind guardian, sonata artica, iced earth is power metal bands. well whats the difference between symphonic and power metal..?[/quote]

Hammerfall and Iced Earth are power metal (there's really no symphonic-ness to either of those bands). Blind Guardian is Symphonic Power Metal, and Sonata Arctica is... difficult to classify, so I won't even try.

Gwynva, I've put together a little list of Tolkien Metal bands for you:

Arwen
Battlelore
Blind Guardian
Gandalf
Isengard
Rivendell
Summoning

All those bands have LOTR-based lyrics. I hope you enjoy them.

As for which band you should listen to first between Kamelot or Luca Turilli, it's hard to say. Both bands are incredible. I'd say Luca Turilli, though. They're super epic and awesome.

[Leofski]

For further (vaguely) Tolkeiny Metal, Rhapsody tour with Christopher "Saruman" Lee dressed as a king.

I heard some Nightwish and just couldn't get into it. To me it just didn't seem like proper metal and gave me bad memories of a night at the opera :animeswea .

[Jake of Bodom]

[QUOTE=Leofski]For further (vaguely) Tolkeiny Metal, Rhapsody tour with Christopher "Saruman" Lee dressed as a king.

I heard some Nightwish and just couldn't get into it. To me it just didn't seem like proper metal and gave me bad memories of a night at the opera :animeswea .[/QUOTE]

Mmmm... maybe try them again, but with the right songs. I suggest the song Ghost Love Score off the album Once. Amazing truly. If you like Symphonic Metal, Nightwish is one of the best bands out there, so I'd be surprised if you didn't find something to like about them...