This is a list of bands that perform symphonic black metal, a form of black metal music that incorporates symphonic and orchestral styles and instrumentation.
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The band has been through numerous lineup changes over the years; vocalist Shagrath and rhythm guitarist Silenoz are the only original members who still remain.
Death Cult Armageddon is the sixth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 9 September 2003. It has since sold over 100,000 copies in the United States; the first album under Nuclear Blast to do so; and debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 169. The song "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" was released as a single with an accompanying music video. This would also be the last album to have Nick Barker on drums.
Stormblåst is the second studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released on 25 January 1996 through Cacophonous Records, re-released in 2001 by Century Media, and completely re-recorded in 2005, released as Stormblåst MMV.
For all tid is the debut studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released in 1995 through No Colours. It was remastered and re-released in 1997 through their new label Nuclear Blast with the front cover art in full color and the entire Inn i evighetens mørke EP added. It is the band's only studio album on which Shagrath is on drums, Tjodalv on guitar and Silenoz on vocals.
Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is the third studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 30 May 1997 through Nuclear Blast. It was the band's first release through Nuclear Blast. This is the last release to feature keyboardist Stian Aarstad and the first with bassist Nagash.
Snowy Shaw is a Swedish heavy metal musician based in the port city of Gothenburg in the west coast of Sweden. He has played with many heavy metal bands, like King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate, IllWill, and Memento Mori.
Mustis is the pseudonym of Øyvind Johan Mustaparta, a Norwegian keyboardist best known for his work in the symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, as well as the black/thrash metal band Susperia.
Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia is the fifth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released by Nuclear Blast Records in 2001. This is the first album to feature drummer Nick Barker, guitarist Galder, and ICS Vortex on bass. It is also the first album upon which the band used real orchestral instrumentation instead of keyboards.
Godless Savage Garden is the first compilation album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released in 1998 by Nuclear Blast and re-released on 3 October 2006 with 2 bonus tracks.
Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski, is a Polish heavy metal drummer. Brzozowski has played with such bands as Vader, Black River, Jelonek, Armagedon, Arysta, Azarath, Faust, Neolithic, Crionics, Autumn: Death, Imperial Age, Kayzen, Crystal Abyss, Nerve, Insidious Disease and Pyorrhoea. He currently plays in Dimmu Borgir, Vesania, Symbolical, Hunter, and Masachist.
Abrahadabra is the eighth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released in 2010. The first single from the album, "Gateways", was released on 20 August in Europe and 24 August in North America. On 14 September a video for "Gateways" was released featuring Djerv front-woman, Agnete Kjølsrud. On 17 September the song "Born Treacherous" was released on Dimmu Borgir's official Myspace for streaming. On 24 September the band announced they would stream Abrahadabra in its entirety, until 7 p.m. EST that evening. This would mark the first official release of all the tracks on the album. The album features drummer Daray and additional keyboards by Gerlioz.
Eonian is the ninth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, which was released on 4 May 2018. It's the fifth and final album featuring lead guitarist Galder before his departure in August 2024.
[...] In the Shadow of 1000 Suns is more in the symphonic black metal vein.
...establishing themselves as a symphonic black metal force to be reckoned with.
Sweden's Apostasy was formed in 1994 and performs keyboard-laden symphonic black metal inspired by the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Arcturus.
[...] The Chthonic Chronicles underscores the ambitious nature of the symphonic black metal style.
...Defending the Throne of Evil just falls in with the rest of the symphonic black metal pack.
Finland became a surprising hotbed of heavy metal talent during the late '90s, and symphonic black metal act Catamenia certainly ranks among the most consistent – if not commercially successful – of these.
Symphonic black metal will always be first and foremost associated with Norway, a locale that seems to spawn a new band sporting ghoulish face paint every bloody day. But by 2007, the style had long crossed over into other faraway territories, as evidenced by the emergence of Taiwan's Chthonic.
Symphonic black metal comes from all points of the globe, but it seems to have truly taken hold in Europe circa the early 21st century, as an avalanche of similarly styled bands began sprouting up from this particular locale. And one of Poland's leading entries into the symphonic black metal sweepstakes turned out to be the six-piece Darzamat.
...Sweden's Diabolical Masquerade released a string of symphonic and misanthropic black metal albums...
Dimmu Borgir's brand of symphonic black metal...
Equilibrium's folk metal/symphonic black metal attack isn't just about intensity; it is also about craftsmanship.
Since forming in 1992, Italy's Graveworm have unleashed a number of very sophisticated gothic-symphonic black metal albums...
Redimus is neither the best nor the worst that symphonic black metal and melodic death metal have to offer...
The relatively lo-fi, but still clear, production lends the songs a grainy nastiness that's integral to the overall feel of the record, which strongly represents the ugly, pockmarked side of symphonic black metal.
[...] Cadaveria did her part to make Opera IX one of the more unusual bands in symphonic black metal...
[...] But these guys take it a step further, providing music that is elaborate even by symphonic black metal standards.
...before turning their collective gaze northwards to Scandinavia's bustling extreme metal scene. There they found like-minded accomplices in up-and-coming symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Borknagar...
Over the course of the 1990s, Sweden's Tiamat evolved from a typical death metal outfit into one of the leading lights in 'symphonic' black metal.
Tvangeste was formed in 1996 in Kaliningrad, Russia, and its line-up at the time consisted of Miron Chirva, Edgar, Nikolay "Kok" Kazmin (of Candle in the Dark) and...
Twilight Ophera isn't terribly distinctive – plenty of other symphonic black metal bands have favored this type of sound in the Nordic countries...
[...] Firefrost –Arcanum–, an album so hugely, unapologetically over the top that at first it almost sounds like a deadpan parody of symphonic black metal.