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 lyrical themes and imagery are heavily influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology and horror films. The band consists of its founding member, vocalist Dani Filth, drummer Martin "Marthus" Škaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek "Ashok" Šmerda and Donny Burbage, and keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff.
Summoning is an Austrian atmospheric black metal band based in Vienna. Since their formation in 1993, they have released eight full-length albums and two EPs via Napalm Records. Their lyrics make extensive use of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings and mythology. Since 1995, their lineup has had a consistent lineup of Richard Lederer as "Protector" and Michael Gregor as "Silenius". The band never played live performances and has consistently maintained that they have no interest in ever doing so. Their latest album With Doom We Come was released on 5 January 2018.
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1992. The group released their first EP, Under the Moonspell, in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, Wolfheart, a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable metal band from Portugal and a key figure in gothic metal. Fernando Ribeiro is co-founder, singer and songwriter of the band.
Pungent Stench is a death metal band from Vienna, Austria, formed in 1988. Their current lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar), Jacek Perkowski (bass), and Mike G. Mayhem (drums). Pungent Stench achieved prominence in the death metal scene due to their unique style of extreme metal and controversial lyrics, a blend of gore, paraphilia, and black comedy. They dissolved in 1995, re-formed in 1999, then split up again 2007 after recording a final studio album, eventually released in 2018, and re-formed again in 2013 as “The Church Of Pungent Stench” and renamed themselves again as “Schirenc Plays Pungent Stench” in 2014”
Shape of Despair is a funeral doom metal band from Finland.
Lacrimas Profundere is a gothic metal band from Germany. Their name means "to shed tears" in Latin. Their stylistic aesthetic has changed over time; originally a gothic death-doom band, they have simplified their style to a more mainstream gothic rock/metal style with more influences from bands such as HIM, The 69 Eyes, before returning to their heavier gothic doom roots on their 2019 album Bleeding the Stars.
Funeral are a Norwegian funeral doom band formed in 1991 by Thomas Angell and Anders Eek; soon afterward, Einar Frederiksen joined as bassist and songwriter and Christian Loos joined as guitarist. They are known as one of the pioneers of the funeral doom genre.
Iniquity was a Danish death metal group. Established in 1989, the band released three full-length albums before parting ways in 2004.
Midnattsol are a gothic/folk metal band from Germany. The band was founded in 2002 by Norwegian vocalist Carmen Elise Espenæs and German guitarist Christian Hector. The band's name is a modified spelling of the Norwegian word midnattssol, which means 'midnight sun'.
The Blood Divine were a British gothic metal band, founded in the summer of 1995 by Paul Allender, brothers Paul and Benjamin Ryan, and Darren White. Allender and the brothers Ryan had recently left Cradle of Filth after the release of The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and White had recently parted ways with Anathema. They recruited drummer William A. 'W.A.S.' Sarginson and bassist Steve Maloney and were quickly signed up by Peaceville Records.
Odes of Ecstasy is a Greek death metal/gothic metal band formed in 1993 by Dimitris Bikos and Iosif Nikou.
Creepmime were a Dutch death metal band active from 1991 to 1997, and recorded two full-length albums, both on Mascot Records.
Atrophia Red Sun was a Polish death metal band from Kraków, Poland.
Hortus Animae is a progressive black metal band from Northern and Central Italy. They formed in 1997 in the town of Rimini, Italy. After the release of their self-produced debut "The Melting Idols", they began an active live streak with bands like Lacuna Coil, Ancient, and Napalm Death. Upon opening for the Norwegian black metal band Ancient in Padova, Italy, the band developed a friendship with the drummer Grom, who soon after joined the band out of admiration for their work and made it his primary side-project. At this point, the band began the recording process of their second album and first official release, "Waltzing Mephisto", which had been years in the writing. The album was recorded at the Italian metal studio "Fear". Following the recording, the band signed a deal with Greek label Black Lotus Records in October 2002 and subsequently with Sleaszy Rider Records (EMI) for their 3rd album "The Blow Of Furious Winds" in May 2005.
Lifelover was a Swedish band formed in 2005 by Jonas Bergqvist and Kim Carlsson in Stockholm. Following six years of activity the group split up in September 2011 after the death of Bergqvist, as he was the lead composer and one of Lifelover's founding members. While widely considered being metal, Lifelover combined several genres into their sound, citing black metal, post-punk, dark ambient, doom metal and gothic rock among other influences. The band called their music "narcotic metal", which was described in a Decibel interview with Carlsson where he stated "anyone should be able to figure that out [what that means] or make their own conclusion about it."
Alessandro Nunziati, better known by his stage name Lord Vampyr, is an Italian musician, record producer and writer, famous for being the former vocalist of the gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires, as well as one of its founding members.
Undish was a Christian gothic metal band from Oborniki, Poland, formed in 1991. Undish is led by female vocalist Ada Szarata as well as a male vocalist named Robert Baum who is also handling the drums. After the release of their first album, ...Acta Est Fabula, on Massacre Records, they toured Europe in August 1997 together with Saviour Machine and Theatre of Tragedy, and performed at Wacken Open Air. Their second album, Letters from the Earth, was released on Morbid Noizz Productions. The band was planning to record a third album entitled A Gift of Flying in 2003 but its release was delayed until 2005 when it was released on CL Productions.
On Thorns I Lay is a Greek death-doom metal and gothic metal band founded in Athens in 1992. The group has gone through different stylistic facets throughout its career, starting with brutal death metal in their early days, then transitioning to a blackened death doom symphonic style with their first EP, and later embracing atmospheric doom-death in their early albums and later gothic metal with their subsequent albums. On Thorns I Lay is among the bands of the first major gothic doom wave that systematized the principle of contrasting vocals known as the "beauty and the beast" style that became popular in the late 1990s. Towards the end of the first part of their career in the early 2000s, they shifted towards a more stripped-down and introspective rock-metal style.
Isole is a Swedish epic doom metal band that is currently signed to German record label Cyclone Empire.
Poema Arcanus is a Chilean death/doom metal band that was formed in the early 1990s and has six full-length studio albums under their name. The band was originally named Garbage; they later changed their name to Garbage Breed and eventually settled on their current name of Poema Arcanus. Influences of Poema Arcanus include, among others, Autopsy, Candlemass, Fields of the Nephilim, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Queensrÿche, Solitude Aeturnus, and Voivod. This band has been a live supporting act for bands such as Napalm Death, Moonspell, and Candlemass. They are currently signed to Transcending Obscurity Records.
