Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and

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l elements.

History

One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal was

Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...

on their

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

album '' Into the Pandemonium''. The first extreme metal bands incorporating classical, orchestral, and operatic elements into their music were

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on their album ''Neurodeliri'' (1988), Believer on '' Sanity Obscure'' (1990) and ''Dimensions'' (1993),; ; > Master's Hammer on ''

Ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

'' (1991) and '' Jilemnický okultista'' (1992 demo and 1993 album) and Sigh on their debut '' Scorn Defeat'' (1993). The style on

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's '' In the Nightside Eclipse'' (1994) had a pioneering influence though and was the main inspiration for many keyboard-based black metal bands following after.

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's ''Drep de kristne'' (1995) and

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' '' Aspera Hiems Symfonia'' (1996) are other notable early works of symphonic black metal, before the genre was commercialised by the international success of bands like Dimmu Borgir and Bal Sagoth.Aspera Hiems Symfonia - Arcturus - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic
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Characteristics

Symphonic black metal is a style of

that incorporates symphonic and

l 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. Bands may feature solo instruments such as violins in addition to keyboards and/or orchestral arrangements. Vocals can be "clean" or operatic in style, and song structures are more defined or are inspired by symphonies, and follow a typical riff-based approach. Many of the characteristics of traditional black metal are retained, such as shrieks, fast tempos, high treble and

tremolo In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are multiple types of tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note, an alternation between two different notes, or a variation in volume. Tremolos may be either ''measured'' ...

-picked electric guitars. The overall sound and themes can be considered wider than traditional black metal, many groups of symphonic black metal use themes such as vampirism ( Theatres des Vampires,

Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...

occultism The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mystic ...

and the

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

( Carach Angren). Political themes are more neglected by them as in other black metal subgenres.

References

{{Goth subculture Black metal genres Heavy metal genres Norwegian styles of music

History

Characteristics

See also

References