Symphonic metal is a subgenre of metal that incorporates orchestral or symphonic instrumentation such as strings, woodwinds, and choirs in order to emulate the style of classical music. Unlike many metal genres, symphonic metal often features classically trained female vocalists to give songs an operatic sound. In typical metal fashion, however, it’s not uncommon to also feature a deeper, growling male vocalist for a soprano and gravel approach. Lyrical content, like its associated genre power metal, often involves fantasy and other mythological themes.

Artists:

• Therion
• Epica
• Nightwish