 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Symphonic black metal" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Symphonic black metal | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early to mid 1990s, Norway and United Kingdom |
Symphonic black metal is a subgenre ofblack metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporatessymphonic andorchestral elements.[1]
One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal wasCeltic Frost on their1987 albumInto the Pandemonium.[2] The first extreme metal bands incorporating classical, orchestral, and operatic elements into their music wereMekong Delta,[3]Bulldozer on their albumNeurodeliri (1988),[4]Believer onSanity Obscure (1990) andDimensions (1993),[3][5]Master's Hammer onRitual (1991)[6] andJilemnický okultista (1992 demo and 1993 album)[7] andSigh on their debutScorn Defeat (1993).[8]
The style onEmperor'sIn the Nightside Eclipse (1994) had a pioneering influence though and was the main inspiration for many keyboard-based black metal bands following after.Troll'sDrep de kristne (1995) andArcturus'Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) are other notable early works of symphonic black metal, before the genre was commercialised by the international success of bands likeDimmu Borgir andBal-Sagoth.[9][10]
Symphonic black metal is a style ofblack metal that incorporates symphonic andorchestral 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" oroperatic 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, hightreble andtremolo-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 asvampirism (Theatres des Vampires,Cradle of Filth),occultism and theparanormal (Carach Angren). Political themes are more neglected by them as in other black metal subgenres.
