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Symphonic black metal is a style of black metal that incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. This may include the usage of keyboards to conjure up "pseudo-orchestral" soundscapes with default presets (e.g. strings, choirs, piano, organs, and pads), or full orchestral arrangements.
Though it's an imperfect designation, symphonic black metal is the most common term for a European-centered style that emerged in the mid- to late '90s. It isn't literally symphonic, of course; that simply refers to the thick-sounding instrumentation and sweeping, dramatic soundscapes.
- Emperor – In The Nightside Eclipse (1994) An indisputable black metal benchmark in all sorts of ways, Emperor’s full-length debut sounded extraordinary upon its release and still exerts a strange, mystical power today.
- Bal-Sagoth – Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule (1996) We might as well regard Bal-Sagoth as a symphonic black metal band, because their utterly insane music could hardly fit anywhere else.
- Cradle Of Filth – Dusk & Her Embrace (1996) As much as whiny folk like to bitch about Cradle Of Filth’s supposed failure to be legitimately necro enough, it is irrefutable that the band’s early records were hugely influential on all the symphonic black metal that followed.
- Limbonic Art – Moon In The Scorpio (1996) Madder than a wolverine with a bulldog clip on its knackers, Limbonic Art’s debut album still sounds like the result of some drug-fuelled ‘Eureka!’
Symphonic Black Metal Promotion giftsthe best songs of 2019 from the genre Symphonic Black Metal.SBMP: ... Symphonic Black Metal Promotion giftsthe best songs of 2019 from the genre Symphonic ...
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- I. Odium – Winterpath. One of the OGs when it comes to symphonic BM. The production is gritty and ethereal as it should be and they have two keyboard players, which is incredibly rare and makes for an overly dense sound.
- II. Carach Angren – Haunting Echoes From The Seventeenth Century. A favorite band throughout school and college. I remember grabbing this album from HMV with birthday money and obsessively memorized most of the lyrics.
- III. Dimmu Borgir – In Death’s Embrace. I’ll probably get a bit of abuse for putting a couple of these bands in this list but no one can deny the first three Dimmu albums were incredible and rather ahead of their time.
- IV. Stormlord – Under The Boards. I feel like this is where the framework for what She Must Burn draws from massively. Oppressive and bleak chord progressions coupled with blast beats & the occasional hook, the song is tuned to G# as well which for a black metal song in 2004 is ludicrous.
Symphonic Black Metal is a subgenre of Black Metal that incorporates elements of classical music, such as orchestral arrangements and choirs, into the traditional harsh and aggressive sound of Black Metal.
Though it's an imperfect designation, symphonic black metal is the most common term for a European-centered style that emerged in the mid- to late '90s. It isn't literally symphonic, of course; that simply refers to the thick-sounding instrumentation and sweeping, dramatic soundscapes.
