List of symphonic black metal bands

This is a list of bands that perform symphonic black metal, a form of black metal music that incorporates symphonic and orchestral styles and instrumentation.

List of bands

Band	Country	Formed	Notes
Abigail Williams	US	2005	[1]
Anorexia Nervosa	France	1995	[2]
Antestor	Norway	1990	[3]
Apostasy	Sweden	2000	[4]
Bal-Sagoth	England	1989	[5][6]
Banshee	US	2018	[7]
Bishop of Hexen	Israel	1994
Carach Angren	Netherlands	2003	[8]
Carpathian Forest	Norway	1992	[9]
Catamenia	Finland	1995	[10]
Chthonic	Taiwan	1995	[11]
Cradle of Filth	England	1991	[12]
Crimson Moonlight	Sweden	1997	[13]
Darzamat	Poland	1995	[14]
Demonic Resurrection	India	2000	[15]
Diabolical Masquerade	Sweden	1993	[16]
Dimmu Borgir	Norway	1993	[17][18]
Dragonlord	US	2000	[19]
Emperor	Norway	1991
Equilibrium	Germany	2001	[20]
Graveworm	Italy	1992	[21]
Havoc Unit	Finland	1995	[22][23]
Hecate Enthroned	England	1993	[24]
Kekal	Indonesia	1995	[25]
Lemuria	Belgium	2001
Limbonic Art	Norway	1993	[26]
Obtained Enslavement	Norway	1989	[27]
Old Man's Child	Norway	1993
Opera IX	Italy	1988	[28]
Samsas Traum	Germany	1996	[29]
Shade Empire	Finland	1999	[30][31]
Stormlord	Italy	1991	[32]
Tiamat	Sweden	1988	[33]
Tvangeste	Russia	1996	[34]
Twilight Ophera	Finland	1996	[35]
Vaakevandring	Norway	1999	[36]
Vardøger	Norway	1994	[37]
Vesania	Poland	1997	[38]
Welicoruss	Russia	2005

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns – Abigail Williams : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2012. [...] In the Shadow of 1000 Suns is more in the symphonic black metal vein.
2. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Anorexia Nervosa – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012. ...establishing themselves as a symphonic black metal force to be reckoned with.
3. McCandless, David (23 November 2011). Information is beautiful: Capire il mondo al primo sguardo (in Italian). Milan: Rizzoli Libri. p. 59. ISBN 978-88-586-2295-7.
4. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Apostasy – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Sweden's Apostasy was formed in 1994 and performs keyboard-laden symphonic black metal inspired by the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Arcturus.
5. Huey, Steve. "The Power Cosmic – Bal-Sagoth : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
6. Henderson, Alex. "The Chthonic Chronicles – Bal-Sagoth : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012. [...] The Chthonic Chronicles underscores the ambitious nature of the symphonic black metal style.
7. Enis, Eli (14 June 2022). "Meet Banshee: "Fairy Metal" Artist Inspired by Septicflesh and Megan Thee Stallion". Revolver. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
8. "Carach Angren | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
9. Serba, John. "Defending the Throne of Evil – Carpathian Forest : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. ...Defending the Throne of Evil just falls in with the rest of the symphonic black metal pack.
10. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Catamenia – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Finland became a surprising hotbed of heavy metal talent during the late '90s, and symphonic black metal act Catamenia certainly ranks among the most consistent – if not commercially successful – of these.
11. Prato, Greg. "Seediq Bale – Chthonic : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Symphonic black metal will always be first and foremost associated with Norway, a locale that seems to spawn a new band sporting ghoulish face paint every bloody day. But by 2007, the style had long crossed over into other faraway territories, as evidenced by the emergence of Taiwan's Chthonic.
12. Bregman, Adam. "Midian – Cradle of Filth : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
13. Van Pelt, Doug (August 2010). "Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of All Time" (PDF). Heaven's Metal: 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
14. Prato, Greg. "Transkarpatia – Darzamat : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Symphonic black metal comes from all points of the globe, but it seems to have truly taken hold in Europe circa the early 21st century, as an avalanche of similarly styled bands began sprouting up from this particular locale. And one of Poland's leading entries into the symphonic black metal sweepstakes turned out to be the six-piece Darzamat.
15. "Demonic Resurrection – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
16. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Diabolical Masquerade – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. ...Sweden's Diabolical Masquerade released a string of symphonic and misanthropic black metal albums...
17. Serba, John. "Death Cult Armageddon – Dimmu Borgir : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
18. Jurek, Thom. "In Sorte Diaboli – Dimmu Borgir : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Dimmu Borgir's brand of symphonic black metal...
19. Wiederhorn, Jon. The New (Old) Order. Revolver. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
20. Henderson, Alex. "Sagas – Equilibrium : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Equilibrium's folk metal/symphonic black metal attack isn't just about intensity; it is also about craftsmanship.
21. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Graveworm – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Since forming in 1992, Italy's Graveworm have unleashed a number of very sophisticated gothic-symphonic black metal albums...
22. Loftus, Johnny. "...And Oceans – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
23. Anderson, Jason. "A.M. G.O.D.: Allotropic/Metamorphic Genesis of Disorphism – ...And Oceans : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
24. Henderson, Alex. "Redimus – Hecate Enthroned : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Redimus is neither the best nor the worst that symphonic black metal and melodic death metal have to offer...
25. D, Peter (n.d.). "Review Kekal – The Painful Experience". Lords of Metal. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
26. Serba, John. "The Ultimate Death Worship – Limbonic Art : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. The relatively lo-fi, but still clear, production lends the songs a grainy nastiness that's integral to the overall feel of the record, which strongly represents the ugly, pockmarked side of symphonic black metal.
27. "Obtained Enslavement – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". www.metal-archives.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
28. Henderson, Alex. "Anphisbena – Opera IX : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012. [...] Cadaveria did her part to make Opera IX one of the more unusual bands in symphonic black metal...
29. "Samsas Traum | Bandprofil bei Stormbringer". Stormbringer (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
30. Henderson, Alex. "Sinethic – Shade Empire : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. [...] But these guys take it a step further, providing music that is elaborate even by symphonic black metal standards.
31. "MusicMight :: Artists :: Shade Empire". musicmight.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
32. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Stormlord – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. ...before turning their collective gaze northwards to Scandinavia's bustling extreme metal scene. There they found like-minded accomplices in up-and-coming symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Borknagar...
33. Huey, Steve. "Tiamat – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 August 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Over the course of the 1990s, Sweden's Tiamat evolved from a typical death metal outfit into one of the leading lights in 'symphonic' black metal.
34. "Tvangeste – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2013. Tvangeste was formed in 1996 in Kaliningrad, Russia, and its line-up at the time consisted of Miron Chirva, Edgar, Nikolay "Kok" Kazmin (of Candle in the Dark) and...
35. "The End of the Halcyon Age – Twilight Opera : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012. Twilight Ophera isn't terribly distinctive – plenty of other symphonic black metal bands have favored this type of sound in the Nordic countries...
36. "MusicMight :: Artists :: Vaakevandring". musicmight.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
37. Morrow, Matt (n.d.). "Vardoger – Whitefrozen". The Whipping Post. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
38. Mason, Stewart. "Firefrost Arcanum – Vesania : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2012. [...] Firefrost –Arcanum–, an album so hugely, unapologetically over the top that at first it almost sounds like a deadpan parody of symphonic black metal.