I might regret revealing myself on here but what the hell - I'm Joe, I'm the current vocalist for Hecate Enthroned. The Cradle comparison has often been a bit frustrating for us, so it's always great to hear people see the differences between us. The earlier material is what gets compared to Cradle the most, but both bands have gone their own way since. We still do a lot of the earlier material live and it's awesome for me to do because I was a big fan before I joined the band. But these days both us and Cradle sound totally different to one another, so it's a bit of a pain if people compare us. Oh, and while I'm here, kudos on the Old Corpse Road mention. I agree with a lot of the other comments, Anorexia Nervosa are incredible too.

Limbonic Art is a sympho-black project that gets overlooked a lot in my opinion. Moon in the Scorpio is such a great release, probably on par with Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (my favorite Emperor record) imo. Edit: Nokturnal Mortum has great albums in the genre as well. Goat horns and To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire are classics

I see that Suicide record in the background!! I discovered that when I was a teenager back in the 80's......and it fucked up my head up in the best possible way!! I been into BM since the get-go, and I absolutely love Sympho BM. Obtained Enslavement, Parnassus, Pocolus, Ancient, Tartaros, and early-Emperor are my faves!!

Symphonic black metal actually got me into black metal specifically the band Limbonic Art genuinely some of the best black metal I have heard

Hmm, I thought the most hated BM subgenre was Post BM/Blackgaze

The first three Gehenna records are also really great examples, the keyboards are really subtle and eerie and really added to the occult/witchcrafty vibe they used to have

There has always seemed to be an element of anti-symphonic music in metal, I’ve never understood it. Symphonic metal has this incredible level of ambition to it when it’s at its best, whether that be Nightwish’s “Once” or Emperor’s “Anthems to the Welkin”.

That Nazgûl album is really something else. I didn't know I was looking for something like it my entire life until I listened to it thanks to you mentioning it. Wow!

Echoes of Battle by Caladan Brood became one of my favorite albums of all time a few years ago, and to this day it’s one of the most amazing albums in Metal, in my opinion.

I think this is the longest someone has ever talked about Bal-Sagoth on KZfaq. Thanks brother, its so needed.

I really appreciate the fact that you link the bands you are talking about in the description. Thanks man

A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria is one of my favorite albums. It's got something about it I can't describe.

Two of my favourites albums in this genre are Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order and Images At Twilight - Kings, both are so brutal

“It’s not trve kvlt! I said it’s not trve kvlt! STOP ENJOYING YOURSELVES IT’S NOT TR-“

Hecate Enthroned - The Slaughter of Innocence, a Requiem for the Mighty was my introduction into symphonic black metal. Its still my favorite album out of all black metal genres. Agathodaimon - Blacken the Angel another favorite. Also Ancient Ceremony first 2 albums are great.

Respectfully, it needs no "defense" buddy boy! Those who cannot appreciate, are _themselves_ at a loss. Makes no difference to those who "can hear the music," so to speak.

...and Oceans's first two albums are fantastic symphonic BM. It's on the more simplistic side but I absolutely love the psychedelic, sci-fi and psychoanalytic themes they deploy.

Thanks for the recommendations. Not a big fan of this style of black metal but you really got me in the mood to explore more and expand my horizons

I saw the title and the first thing that came to my mind was "I didnt know that Symphonic Black Metal needed any defending"

Woah what a great video and channel! I have been down a BM rabbit hole for the past 4 hours and thanks to your video and a few others I have added some amazing music to my playlist. My love for BM is reinvigorated today after several years away from the genre. I plan to pickup my guitar just as soon as I get done with this youtube binge haha! Thanks again excellent work!

Cradle of Filth is to black metal as Five Finger Death Punch is to overarching "metal". But Dusk and Her Embrace was still my gateway into black metal, without it I wouldn't have discovered all the all the incredible black metal bands I love and enjoy today. But credit where it's due.. Dani Filth, while his vocals grind my gears anymore, is an incredibly talented lyricist/poet and still to this day one of my biggest literary inspirations. Commence shit storm below.

Dude, you just piled a whole bunch of new band recommendations for me to check out, since symphoblack is hands down my favourite style of black metal to begin with! I haven't listened to any of these bands, so this will be a awesome time of checking them out. I would also like to mention some of my favourite symphoblack bands that weren't mentioned in this video: -early Abigail Williams -Mars On Earth -Vesperian Sorrow -Bastard of Loran -Nox Doloris -Vesania -Zornheym -Vereor Nox -Aryoch -Grimleal -Dragonlord -Blackthorn -Imperial Circus Dead Decadence -Netherbird -Serenity In Murder -Elvira Madigan -Path of Destiny -Shade Empire -Stormkeep -Stormlord -Withered Land -Xanthochroid.

Dimmu Borgir is just amazing. Well for me, the 2001 to 2007 Era is my favorite era of the band.

for me i used to get shit for listening to SBM when I was a teenager, because my social circle mostly listened to hardcore or "br00tal" metal, but i never cared because I enjoyed what I liked and others opinions didn't mean shit. basically i feel SBM gets the bad rap it does is because others don't know how to form their own opinions and listen to their friends opinions instead. basically, if you enjoy it, who gives a shit what others think, it's your time spent listening to it, not theirs

I'm really surprised by this actually I thought regular black metal listeners would appreciate additional elements. I got into black metal *because* of symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Carach Angren, Septicflesh and Cradle Of Filth especially them actually.

So glad to see someone mentions Sirius's Aeons of Magick ! I would also recommend The Nightspectral Voyage by Obsidian Gate and Nokturnal Mortum early stuff.

I'm very very glad you mentioned Gardhgastr. Their 2019's album is like meditation music for me forever.

How can someone not get chills when the keyboards suddenly play during that opener "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" by Emperor ?

Great discussion man, excellent band references (and nice Covenant background tunes!). Much like Obtained Enslavement, Mustis formerly in Dimmu Borgir knew his stuff in the Classical acumen, I credit him to why their earlier stuff is so much better than the newer material. There's many great acts in the subgenre that aren't given their due. Cosmic Black Metal has many treats/ greats, be it Nibiru, Bezmir, and of course Darkspace. Many great things/ albums done in that style. Same can be said for the Epic/ Fantasy based Symphonic Black Metal, absolutely-- aside from Bal-Sagoth be it Summoning, Caladan Brood, Emyn Muil, Stormkeep, and so many more that really do well in their own regard, I don't think it takes away from the Metal roots at all. Could certain fit many Pagan/ Viking/ Folk Black Metal acts in this as well, many correlations and many further great acts. Apart from Gardsghastr, Chaos Moon is amazing with the more etherial, almost psychedelic fusion with Black Metal, fantastic.

I had no idea symphonic bm was so hated. A lot of my favorite black metal albums are symphonic. I do also love raw bm but still

Big ups for turning me onto Nazgûl. De Expugnatione Elfmuth is an absolute *banger* of an album. And thank the Gods Bal-Sagoth and Limbonic Art finally get some of the recognition they've so desperately deserved! Some of my favorite bands of all time, and heavily slept on in my opinion-not to mention that Bal-Sagoth has some of the best cover art I've ever seen.

Kataxu - Hunger of Elements is another fantastic symphonic black metal album from Poland. Majestic keyboard passages throughout.

to me symphonic black metal was always the BM equivalent of melodic death metal. despite that it has "black metal" in the name (just like melodeath) it doesn't really sound like black metal most of the time; it's a very repackaged easily digestible offshoot of a more underground and harsher style of music. ofc this does *not* apply to either of the genre's veteran bands: early Emperror is one of the only bands (to me) that literally sounds like black metal with symphonic elements just as At the Gates' TRITSIO actually sounds like death metal that is literally melodic. idk why either genre couldn't stay that way though

goddamn this is what was needed to be said. this genre is huge and more bands need more recognition

Obsidian Gate is a band I never really see talked about in this genre. Their debut 'The Nightspectral Voyage' is personally one of my favorites within the genre. Especially if you're a fan of Obtained Enslavement I can toss this recommendation out there.

BTW Nazgûl is working on new stuff, and recently reissued their demo with an extra demo track.

Getting sick of everyone forgetting about arcturus' debut, aspera hiems symfonia... forget the fact that it's basically part ulver, 1/4 mayhem, but that album is untouchable. It's symphonic without the over the top cheese, atmospheric as fuck and walks the line between raw and well produced.

One word, Miasthenia. A local symphonic black metal band, honestly one of the most interesting and raw bans I've ever listened to. Also, their live shows are amazing.

I am a sucker for Cradle of Filth. It's corny, but I really like Hammer of The Witches lol

Simple defense: Bal-Sagoth has written better songs than most "trve" BM artists.

To the gates of blasphemous fire is the heaviest bm album I don’t c a r w

Thanks for the obtained enslavement recommendation in whatever other video it was. I probably never would have found them otherwise.

I have a story to tell. I was never a metal fan. I have always been rock fan for my last 13 years (i'm 26 now), my music collection only range to rock music, the classics one to the newer one. But when it gets too metal, i get out and don't want to try to listens. But after listening to Gateways by Dimmu Borgir. Symphonic Black Metal is becoming my favorite number 1 genre. Literally the first 3 band you mentioned (Dimmu Borgir, Craddle of Filth, Carach Angren) is my favorite band as of now. Because of that, right now i open to other metal genres, "True" black metal, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Blackened Death Metal, etc. So you can say that Gateways was literally my gateway onto my Metal Journey. I also read everywhere that the BM fanbase hates the Symphonic parts of the genre. But i never cared, i came for the music and Symphonic Black Metal is the best sounding genre i know and the composition of each song must be really well thought out. It is simply art. Why would i care to the BM metal who doesn't want to try new things. I literally regards Symphonic Black Metal as a highest form of art on music Industry and those "true" BM fanbase should understand that. All and all, you gave me a lot of new recommendation here. I appreciate it so much. I cannot wait to try to listen to Bal Sagoth and Sirius.

Very disappointed that Anorexia Nervosa from France wasn't mentioned! A truly grim black metal band where the keyboards take the lead. The vocalist is literally the phantom of the opera incarnate.

I am a huge black metal fan and symphonic ranks among my absolute favorite.

As a fan of symphonic/melodic BM, here are the bands I enjoy and would like to recommend： ...and Oceans Abyssos (Sweden) Ancient (Norway) Anguis Dei Anorexia Nervosa As Sahar Autumnfall ( Finland) Avathar ( Finland) Bastard of Loran Daemonium & Akhenaton Darzamat Dead Silent Slumber Demonic Infestation De Profundis (France) Eidyllion (Mexico, more doom metal oriented) Embraced (Sweden) Enochian Key Fall Of The Leafe Evilmare Graveworm Grimoire (Israel) Helioss HELLEBORUS Juno Bloodlust Lamia Antitheus Lord (France) Lord Astaroth Lord Belial Lullaby (Brazil) Mutilanova Neron Kaisar Northwind Wolves Obscurcis Romancia Old man's child Ordo Draconis Parnassus Prophetic Age Salacious Gods Stormlord Sungoddess The Bishop of Hexen Throes Of Dawn Vesania Vesperian Sorrow Vindsval Witchcraft (El Salvador) Witchcraft (Poland) 帝辛 啟示錄

Limbonic Art are one of my favorite Symphonic Black Metal bands

Faustin pact is one of my personal new favorites. Also good shit man definitely, gonna check out some of the albums you mentioned. 🤘

Daemonicium is a rare gem i haven't heard mentioned anywhere either, just one release though. Tvangeste is another solid one

Opera IX are a good Italian Symphonic Black Metal band with a female lead vocalist

Thanks for the suggestions. Another approach to Symphonic Black Metal is focus on epic aspects: the result isn't necessarily cheesy. So, again I must mention Sweden's Midvinter and their "At The Sight Of The Apocalypse Dragon". I'm still inclined to think this is my best Metal album (been listening since 1995). /playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m1dO4EJ7Vg_GSLwyeCPJNGYa3IoK1G_yE

I love those underground black metal/Death metal bands. Hell, Recently I found in a used/new vinyl store a singel by the band Throat Violence and its their only work. Most people might don't like that kind of almost demo like sound to an official release, but I do, and the same thing could be said by all other types of black metal. Some only listens to Raw black metal like DarkThrone and despise symphonic and vica versa. In my honest opinion, I like some genres more than some, but I do occationaly like and listen to something I usually don't listen to because I like it. In honesty, listen to what you like no matter what people say. I have stuff like Pat Benatar and Michael oldfield vinyls in the same collection were I got stuff like cannibal corpse and Dissection, because I love em all.

Thoughts on alghazanth?

The only people who hate on the genre are chickenshits who are afraid of being seen to listen to something with “symphonic” in the title. I guarantee most would actually enjoy the bands you mentioned if they gave them the time of day 🤡

It’s basically a modern version of the Punk simplicity vs Metal complexity arguments of the late 70’s/early 80’s.

Kvist is probably my favorite, great subgenre, many classics and masterpieces.

There is an American solo act called Wreche that accomplishes a very 'classical' sand with a very minimal set up of piano and drums with some synth flourishes. It's amazing how 'symphonic' and how black metal his sound is conveyed with very minimal instrumentation - entirely guitarless.

Lots of love for the releases from Nocturnal Art Productions, I see.

Awesome video man! Please do more on symphonic black metal

...And Oceans.

Obtained Enslavement could've been huge if they toured

Really glad more people know about Nazgûl. Really unique band that needs to make a new album

The Kovenant playing in the background

Check out a Japanese one-man project called "Zemeth", he's also released death metal under the name "Bloody Cumshot", despite the names, the dude is insane. His compositions are up there with Emperor and Summoning.

It doesn't need any defense.

8:30 pretty ballsy of that woman to go to skeletal wyverns without a dragonfire shield

I like both styles both have elements,I like. Don't really care if others like it. They are the ones missing out.

Love the Covenant in the background haha, couple albums i havent heard here that i'm looking forward to listening to.

That Apotheosis album is so awesome. Picked it up on a whim about 17 or so years ago.

I got into BM by so many Symphonic Black Metal bands at first that I actually though Black Metal itself mostly WAS Symphonic lol. Imagine my shock... and now still the BM I listen to is usually SBM 🤩

I don't know why a lot of people considerate Limbonic Art similar to Emperor, imo they are completely different, and Also they have a lot of techno and industrial influences, btw another masterpiece of cosmic-sympho black Is "The Nightspectral Voyage" by Obsidian Gate

...And Oceans is an amazing Symphonic BM band, they represent the genre done right.

Great video man! I've heard or owned all of those for several years now. You should have talked about Covenant since you had them playing in the background. A few others I'd highly recommend, and you may know them, but anyway; ...and oceans, Arx Atrata, Manii, Parnassus, Vordven, and Alghazanth.

Thank you for adding Bal-Sagoth to your list, and discussing them at length. It amazes me how this band is being left out of 'Symphonic Black Metal' discussions / playlists, which such regularity. Here are just a few points I would like to add: Regarding Bal-Sagoth sounding more like a power metal band on 'The Power Cosmic'. I suppose you didn't mean that literally, as the album cannot really be considered a power metal album. But yes, the sound here is different from the other Bal-Sagoth albums, particularly the drum sound (Dave Mackintosh, the drummer later moved on to Dragonforce where he played actual power metal). The first two singles of Kull's Exile suggests distinct parallels to Bal-Sagoth. But listening to the entire album I find that they actually sound quite different. Only very rarely can you hear Chris Maudling's - Bal-Sagoth style tunes, or Tarkan adopting Byron Robert's singing style. Other than that, Kull seems to very much be a different band.

There's a current symphonic BM band also from Italy who are coincidentally called "Nazgul Rising". I don't know if they have any connection to the original "Nazgul", but when you mentioned the original band a light bulb went off lol. check them out. I think they are pretty good. Great video like always!

Yeah, always thought this subgenre was far too blanketly dismissed. The early records by Opera IX 'Sacro Culto' and 'The Black Opera...' are by far my favorite examples. Crimson Moon and Bestia Arcana are quite nice as well. Will have to look into some of the others I've seen mentioned here now. As for cosmic black metal, there is this cabal called Prava Kollektiv who mainly release cassettes. The bands associated with them are some the best cosmic style I've heard in a while, in my opinion anyway.

Supet sad midnight odyssey wasnt mentioned, Funerals From the Astral Sphere is my personal favorite "Black Metal" album ever made. Regardless i will be checking out most of the stuff youve mentioned.

I think part of the issue with symphonic black metal also applies to symphonic metal in general and it comes down to the ambiguous role of keyboards. Are they really meant to be a budget stand in for a symphony orchestra and choir or are they meant to be keyboard instruments in their own unique role? It's one thing to employ a keyboard in a rudimentary role padding out tracks with synth choir and string patches for 'atmosphere' or use Vangelis-like flourishes. It's another to explore the full extent of what a choir and orchestra can do. There is a reason why Septic Flesh use backing tracks live - because nuanced complex orchestral and choir textures and colours can't be conveyed adequately by a keyboardist who is limited by a pair of hands. Also, recording multiple, dense layers of instruments is always going to be difficult to mix and anything that goes beyond splashes of cheap keyboard presets is going to require a step up from the DIY raw black metal lo-fi production aesthetic.

Any views on Dimmu Borgir? For All Tild is overlooked too much as it sounds great. Hypnotic and melancholic.

The power cosmic rules but i gotta go with battle magic. Even my wife used to love that album back in the day.

norwegian band Troll is probably the best symphonic/black metal band, check out the drep de kristne album

Emperor and Dimmu Birgir were the 1st symphonic BM bands I listened to and still do. Recently, I listen to Wolves in the throne room

Thank you for your video, I have got albums to discover. In this style one of my favorite album is The Kovenant « Nexus Polaris », and I love Cradle Of Filth discography except the Manticore album.

Obsidian Gate, my dude.

Some excellent bands in here! It's one of those genres, when it is done right it is glorious. But it is really easy to mess it up.

I never dove into symphonic black metal really but I might after this video.

Bal Sagoth the power metal of Black metal. Not a bad thing. Great band

I came around to SBM in last year or so. One album what got me hooked even thoigh its a jarring mix is Midnight Betrothed's Dreamless. Super raw blavk metal instrumentation backed up by semi clean campy/spooky symphonic ambient keys. Weird yet great listen

Difficulty levels of being accepted as a "trve" black metal listener *Easy:* Anything from Scandinavia except Satyricon, Depressive/Suicidal *Normal: (doesn't exist)* *Hard:* Symphonic, Synthetic, Blackened Folk *Survival:* Atmospheric, Satyricon

Recently got the Moon in Scorpio shirt, complete with the members flipping off the camera on the back! Hilarious but also, kind of how I feel about the modern black metal scene, both the hipsters and the kvlt kiddies. I know everyone reading this is familiar with Uada, even if you're not a fan check out Jake's earlier band Ceremonial Castings. Nick, his brother and the keyboardist, is one of those legit classical musicians that adds a lot to the Black metal sound.

I enjoy symphonic black metal even tho it’s not my first choice in the black metal genre I usually listen to it when I smoke.

I just saw the title im like wtf SBM got me into the black metal genre.

Greetings everyone, and kudos Wyatt for mentioning all those great bands. As a lot said in the comments, I don't think Symphonic Black Metal needs any defending, I had my fair share with Elitist and Purist over the years, never once I heard anyone bashing old Dimmu, Emperor, Old's Man Child, Limbonic Art, Bishop of Hexen and the list goes on... The only thing we can agree on is that commercialism in Black Metal is getting all the hate, despite the sub-genre (could be indeed Symphonic BM, Post BM, Blackgaze, etc)

I would have to say Hortus Animae is by far one of the best to use some symphonic theories. I get tried though of symphonic BM more of Folk BM myself Windir being of my favorites has some symphonic ideas or classical ideas. Symphonic just comes from the word Symphony and is mostly related to string instruments in a Orchestra. Instead of being called symphonic it should be called Classical BM

Yes Nazgul (Italy) BADASS album

My teacher, thanks for another good lesson

Really cool recommendations, espiecially these scandinavian ones from about 20 years ago. I would like to recommend one more album - "My Guardian Anger" by Lux Occulta, really high quality extreme metal album that has sympho-black elements and also technical death elements.

Chasm is a great example of why symphonic black metal doesn't suck.😎

Thanks for the recommendations! Been wanting to get more into Symphonic Black Metal a more, and aside from Dimmu Borgir, I wasn't too sure where to go from there. Based on your recommendations, Bal-Sagoth - The Power Cosmic is what I want to check out first. While I love all metal, I'm drawn to Power Metal the most, and Syphonic Black Metal with sprinklings of Power Metal seems right up my alley. Speaking of the 2 genres, what's your thoughts on Blackened Power Metal?

I only ever liked 3 symphonic black metal bands, Nightbringer, Nokturnal Mortem and Emperor. This video was super interesting, will check out the bands mentioned!!