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.
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the primary songwriter, keyboardist, and founding member of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has stated that his songwriting is influenced by harmonic film music.
Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars of metal with different elements of orchestral classical music, such as symphonic instruments, choirs and sometimes a full orchestra, or just keyboard orchestration.
Liv Kristine Espenæs is a Norwegian singer who has performed and composed songs mostly for various subgenres of heavy metal music. She started her career in the music industry as a vocalist for the gothic metal band Theatre of Tragedy, and is the former lead vocalist for the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. She is known for her work in close association with her then-husband and leader of the German band Atrocity, Alexander Krull. Currently she is a singer of a German band Midnattsol alongside her younger sister Carmen Elise Espenæs. She also released a number of solo albums in various genres.
Elis was a gothic metal band from Liechtenstein, formed by Sabine Dünser and Pete Streit in 2003 after the split of Erben der Schöpfung in 2002. The band temporarily split up in February 2012 after lead singer Simone Christinat's departure. However, a month later, the band began doing a search for Christinat's replacement and the search was successful. Elis has since "disbanded" in order to form a new group called Zirkonium, with Swiss singer Kathrin Schlumpf as their lead vocalist.
Pilar María Del Carmen Mónica Giménez García, known professionally as Ailyn Giménez or simply Ailyn, is a Spanish singer. She is the current vocalist of Her Chariot Awaits and the former vocalist of the Norwegian symphonic/gothic metal band Sirenia. Whilst in Sirenia she was the fourth singer and sung on more full Sirenia albums than any other singer to date. In 2020 she joined the reformed Trail of Tears.
Delain is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, intending for the band to be solely a project. Singer Charlotte Wessels was invited to join in 2005. The name of the band comes from the Kingdom of Delain in Stephen King's novel, The Eyes of the Dragon. In February 2021, the members parted ways while Westerholt stated he would continue the band as a solo project. In June 2021, Westerholt announced that there would be a new lineup involving former and new members, with Diana Leah later being announced as the new lead vocalist in August 2022.
Eternal Endless Infinity is the debut studio album by Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis, released in 2002. A new edition was released 29 November 2004 and contains three bonus tracks from the band's demo Morning in Atlantis.
Cast Away is the second studio album by Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis, released in 2004.
The Agonist was a Canadian metalcore and melodic death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2004. The last known lineup consisted of lead guitarist Danny Marino, bassist Chris Kells, drummer Simon Mckay, rhythm guitarist Pascal "Paco" Jobin and lead vocalist Vicky Psarakis, who joined in March 2014 following the departure of vocalist and founding member Alissa White-Gluz.
Alestorm are a Scottish heavy metal band formed in Perth, Scotland in 2004. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result, they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. The group currently consists of lead vocalist/keytarist Christopher Bowes, bassist Gareth Murdock, drummer Peter Alcorn, keyboardist/harsh vocalist Elliot Vernon and guitarist Máté "Bobo" Bodor.
Mortemia is a Norwegian gothic metal one-man band created in 2009 by Morten Veland, the founder of Tristania and Sirenia.
Maxi Nil is a Greek singer, and currently as of 6 December 2013, the lead singer of her new project Jaded Star. Maxi is best known for her work as lead vocalist in the Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis from mid 2009 to late 2013. In 2003 she joined the Greek metal band On Thorns I Lay and in the same year she also joined the band Elysion as both a singer and a songwriter.
Pirate metal is a style of heavy metal music characterized by its incorporation of pirate mythology within the music and sometimes in stage performances. Lyrics often use piratical jargon and various musical genres, such as thrash metal, speed metal, and folk metal, may be combined with traditional-sounding songs like sea shanties. Folk instruments, such as the concertina, can be incorporated or emulated with synthesizers. Band members often dress up in period costume during performances, and concert attendees may do so as well. Pirate metal is sometimes referred to by the media as a music scene.
Ad Inferna is a French gothic/black metal and darkwave/gothic-industrial band consisting of members VoA VoXyD and Vicomte Vampyr Arkames, formed in 1998.
Clémentine Delauney is a French singer with a soprano vocal range who is currently singing for the symphonic metal bands Visions of Atlantis and Exit Eden. Previously she was the female backing vocalist for Austrian symphonic power metal band Serenity and the vocalist of French philharmonic metal band Whyzdom.
Alissa White-Gluz is a Canadian singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, and former lead vocalist and founding member of the Canadian metalcore band The Agonist. Her vocal style includes both growling and clean vocals (singing). Although primarily associated with melodic death metal and metalcore, she has appeared as a guest vocalist for power metal, symphonic metal and deathcore bands, notably Kamelot, Delain, Carnifex and Powerwolf, and has performed live with Nightwish and Tarja Turunen.
Georg Neuhauser is an Austrian metal vocalist, best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the Austrian symphonic power metal band Serenity. He helped create the stable line up of Serenity in 2004, and has released 4 full-length albums and 1 demo with the band. He has also appeared as guest vocalist on several albums, including Score to a New Beginning by Fairyland and The Human Contradiction by Delain.
Pirates is the eighth studio album by Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis, released by Napalm Records on 13 May 2022.
Dark Waters is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 10 February 2023 via Napalm Records.
