[Evil Beauty of Melody] A roundup of recommended symphonic black metal bands
Among the subgenres of heavy metal, black metal is an underground style that tends to be for a select audience.
We’ll skip its origins and bloodstained history here, but in recent years many people may have learned about it through films like 2018’s Lords of Chaos.
Even within black metal there are further subgenres, and the style that incorporates orchestration and strings with a classical influence is called symphonic black metal.
In this article, we introduce symphonic black metal bands ranging from the well-known to the obscure.
If you’ve recently become interested in this genre, please take a look!
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[Evil Beautiful Melodies] Recommended Symphonic Black Metal Bands (1–10)
A Dreaming BeautyGraveworm
When it comes to Italian metal—be it power metal, melodic death, or gothic metal—the impression is that there are many bands wielding grandiose, dramatic, and gloriously cheesy melodies as their weapon.
Graveworm is a group born from that very Italy, often described as symphonic black metal or melodic black metal.
Formed in 1992 around founding member and vocalist Stefano Fiori, they released their debut album “When Daylight’s Gone” in 1997.
From the opening, the record blends symphonic elements reminiscent of a film soundtrack with aggressive heavy metal, possessing an immediate appeal for those expecting an over-the-top symphonic approach; even on their debut, it’s easy to grasp the direction they were exploring.
In their case, they’re often discussed more within the “melodic black” sphere, favoring melancholic melodies and drama over the hysterical, breakneck rush associated with black metal.
The atmosphere—pushing the elements of symphonic black metal, gothic metal, and epic heavy metal all to excess—is superb.
They’re also known for their love of covers, reworking everything from traditional heavy metal like Iron Maiden to classics from entirely different fields like R.E.M.
and Pet Shop Boys in their own distinctive style, so be sure to check those out as well!
Mother AnorexiaAnorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is a rare symphonic black metal band from France.
Formed in 1991, they can be considered quite old within the symphonic black metal scene, but after releasing four albums they disbanded in 2007, making them something of a cult act.
Since the 2000s, France has produced uniquely original black metal bands like Deathspell Omega that enjoy high recognition among devoted fans, but Anorexia Nervosa also possesses a fierce individuality.
It almost makes one speculate that precisely because France isn’t known as a particularly metal-heavy country, bands with such singular presence emerge from there.
Their true prowess came to the fore with their second album, Drudenhaus, released in 2000: death vocals that erupt into frenzied screams, majestically grand synth tones, blast beats like a wall of sound, song structures that are extravagantly dramatic to the point of excess, and a worldview steeped in gothic decadence.
The aggressiveness of their sound—almost as if saying “only those who love this should listen”—left an impact strong enough to create fervent devotees.
Their third album in 2001, New Obscurantis Order, pushed their evolution even further, and many fans regard it as their masterpiece.
On their final album, Redemption Process, they presented a more refined sound that suggests a newly acquired sense of dynamics; moreover, the Japanese edition includes a must-hear bonus track: a cover of X Japan’s early classic I’ll Kill You.
When Crows Tick On WindowsCarach Angren
While many of the quintessential symphonic black metal bands have been active since the 1990s, the Dutch band featured here, Carach Angren—formed in 2003—has become a standout presence in the symphonic/melodic black metal scene.
Their debut, Lammendam (2008), drew attention among devoted fans for its highly polished sound, weaving together flowing classical motifs and film-score-like grandeur with intense black metal.
With each subsequent release, their profile grew, and they made a strong impression on Japan with their first visit in 2013.
As of 2022, they have released six albums, all of which emphasize a theatrical, fantastical, and horror-laden aesthetic—sure to appeal to fans of bands like Cradle of Filth.
Their highly narrative lyrics are also worth noting.
If harsh vocals don’t put you off, this is a band I recommend to every metalhead who loves symphonic heavy metal with a distinctly grand European flair!
[Evil Beautiful Melodies] Recommended Symphonic Black Metal Bands (11–20)
Rider on the BonezDiabolical Masquerade
If the band name Diabolical Masquerade intrigues you—one that evokes a certain decadent, lyrical darkness rather than purely black-metal evil—you’ll almost certainly love the music too! Diabolical Masquerade isn’t a band, but a solo project by Anders Nyström, guitarist and original member of Katatonia, the legendary Swedish death/doom outfit.
He released music in parallel with Katatonia, but sadly ceased activity after unveiling the fourth album, Death’s Design, in 2001.
Still, the sound—transmuting Katatonia’s haunting, brooding darkness into the more aggressive realms of black and thrash metal—is unique to this project.
Amid the black-metal-derived, noisy guitars, boldly heroic melodies are woven throughout, showcasing Nyström’s extraordinary talent.
Particularly noteworthy is that Dan Swanö—also from Sweden, renowned for his work with Edge of Sanity and in high demand as a producer and sound engineer—appears on every release.
In Diabolical Masquerade, beyond producing and mixing, he also took part as a drummer in the recordings, making these works a remarkable result of collaboration between two of Sweden’s singular talents.
Beneath the Burial SurfaceLimbonic Art
Limbonic Art is a Norway-born band famed for a quintessential symphonic black metal sound: keyboards weaving flowing yet somehow tragic melodies, guitars carving out razor-sharp riffs, and the mechanical pulse of a drum machine.
While their duo lineup may evoke Satyricon, Limbonic Art’s music leans fully into the straight-ahead appeal of symphonic black metal.
Their 1996 debut album, Moon in the Scorpio, comprises seven tracks, with all but the brief instrumental being long-form compositions; even the opening number, Beneath the Burial Surface, runs over 13 minutes, making it clear the band favors grand-scale works.
The music is melodic, but it foregrounds black metal’s malignancy, and coupled with production that can hardly be called pristine, it may be a challenging listen for newcomers.
That said, if you’re looking to delve deeper into symphonic black metal, this is a band you should absolutely hear sooner or later.
Incidentally, the group’s central figure, Daemon, contributed vocals to the debut album by Zyklon—a band formed by Samoth and Trym of Emperor.
WitchcraftObtained Enslavement
From the album jacket and title alone, you can practically smell the thick stench of evil—true sanctified Norwegian black metal! They’re a band known mostly to diehard fans, but in fact members of Norway’s black metal titans Gorgoroth have taken part, making them a cult act that makes aficionados drool.
Formed back in 1989, they recorded demo tapes in 1992 and 1993, then released their debut album, “Centuries of Sorrow,” in 1994.
The sound is quintessentially primitive black metal: vocals that echo from the depths of hell, relentless blast beats on the drums, and mournful guitars—pure, orthodox black metal.
Even so, from their next releases onward they grew musically, dropping the highly acclaimed second album “Witchcraft” in 1997.
They boldly shifted to a style incorporating symphonic black metal elements, and the moment that grand, soundtrack-like orchestral opening bursts in, anyone who loves this stuff can’t help but grin.
The frostbitten black-metal riffs, utterly evil vocals, and terrifying blast beats remain intact, but now they’re fused with a fantastical, Norse-myth-inspired symphony that explodes into an epic sound—transcendence guaranteed! Considering Emperor’s masterpiece “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk” also came out that same year, there’s no doubt this is a band you must check when discussing ’90s symphonic black metal.
LugburzSummoning
In the black metal scene, it’s quite common to find two-person units or solo projects, and Summoning is a duo based in Vienna, Austria.
They reportedly started as a four-piece in 1993, but soon became the current two-member lineup and have released eight albums up to 2022.
Both members are multi-instrumentalists, and their most distinctive trait is that their works draw primarily on the writings of J.
R.
R.
Tolkien—most notably The Lord of the Rings—as their thematic core.
Like many symphonic black metal bands, their early activity centered on primitive black metal, but Summoning truly came into their own with their second album, Minas Morgul, in 1995.
They presented a mid-tempo black metal built around lyrical melodies led by flowing keyboards and a gothic worldview, and it’s striking that this kind of sound emerged in 1995 not in Norway, black metal’s stronghold, but in Austria.
On the following album, Dol Guldur, most of the lyrics were handled by members of their compatriot black metal band Abigor, an example of how their refusal to cling to a fixed band style enabled them to realize an atmospheric black metal sound.
I feel this is music that should be heard not only by black metal fans but also by anyone interested in underground music.