Defending Symphonic Black Metal
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2022
- Background Music
• Covenant - In Times Be...
Vargrav
• VARGRAV "Netherstorm" ...
Obtained Enslavement
• Obtained Enslavement -...
Diabolical Masquerade
• Diabolical Masquerade ...
Apotheosis
• Apotheosis - Farthest ...
Nazgul
• Nazgûl - De Expugnatio...
Bal-Sagoth
• The Empyreal Lexicon
Kull
• KULL - Exile (Official...
Limbonic Art
• Limbonic Art - Moon In...
Sirius
• SiriuS - Aeons of Magi...
Odium
• Odium - The Sad Realm ...
Hecate Enthroned
• Hecate Enthrones - Dar...
Old Corpse Road
• Isobel (Queen of Scott...
Gardsghastr
• Gardsghastr - Slit Thr...
Deogen
• Deogen (US) - The Endl...
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.
This is why I love the metal world, Hecate Enthroned was one of the first bands I heard at about 13, 40 now. Ancient, you folks, and Cradle were the first black metal bands I heard!
@@patrickbertlein4626 I was a fan of Hecate from about the age of 16. After supporting them one time they asked me to fill in for a couple of dates on a tour back in 2006, which was an awesome experience. I joined the band officially back in 2015, but it's still surreal to me that I'm in a band that I was listening to as a teenager. My main gateway for black metal was Emperor and Dissection as In The Nightside Eclipse and The Somberlain blew my mind when I was about 15.
@@J_Stamps86 Same! Heard an Ancient song on a metal massace compilation followed shortly by picking them and Principles by Cradle up, Emperor and strictly at the time Dead era Mayhem were huge for me. I still also love those early Satyricon and Dimmu albums.
Oh man, Anorexia Nervosa are fucking intense. Very second half-era Emperor.
Heyyy! I bought Hecate Enthroned's first EP when it came out, and yes it was exactly how I imagined it to be. A rawer version of CoF without the gay gimmicks. And that's what I wanted to hear. The problem was that because that first release H.E. were set as a CoF clone, and personally I've never looked into the later releases. And that's how important it is to plan the first release. In our time you got a deal, got a studio budget and finally you could record. It was an opportunity you had to take. Today it's easy for bands to plan and record things at their own pace but they screw it up even more wanting to release even their first experiments learing how to edit audio. People today don't have the patience to nurture their art, and that's why the scene is so oversaturated with amateur half arsed bands.
Symphonic black metal actually got me into black metal specifically the band Limbonic Art genuinely some of the best black metal I have heard
In abborhence dementia is absoluetly fire
Limbonic Art genuinely are very talentful i wish knew them before
Advent sorrow and carach angren got me
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
Lucifugum's first 3 albums also criminally underrated, On the Sortilage of Christianity has me addicted, my personal favorite Symphonic BM album. Also to note, Nokturnal Mortum's split (path of the Wolf) with Lucifugum is also great, two great, underrated bands from Ukraine.
Whoevers reading this and went to Emperor's 1997 tour featuring Limbonic Art and (young as hell) Arcturus.... fuck you and please cherish it.
Yes!! They're my favorite band and Moon In The Scorpio is my favorite album of all time.
Nokturnal Mortum is also a great band.
Nokturnal Mortum post-2005 ultimately shits on everything in Black Metal
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!!
Hmm, I thought the most hated BM subgenre was Post BM/Blackgaze
or NSBM 💀
The "kvltists" doooo hate them some Deafheaven- that's for sure.
Agalloch seems to have allot of respect
Blackened Trap might be.
@@Flux799 that's a thing?!
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!
I've just had a listen and the music is epic, like a black metal Rhapsody.. but please tell me the vocals grow on you? I'm not sure why they are done that way...
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.
I saw the title and the first thing that came to my mind was "I didnt know that Symphonic Black Metal needed any defending"
“It’s not trve kvlt! I said it’s not trve kvlt! STOP ENJOYING YOURSELVES IT’S NOT TR-“
Dimmu Borgir is just amazing. Well for me, the 2001 to 2007 Era is my favorite era of the band.
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 find echoes of battle so unimaginably boring and repetitive probably my least favorite bm album of all time
@@lurji thats fine 👍, I personally love it ^^
A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria is one of my favorite albums. It's got something about it I can't describe.
Amazing atmosphere
I think this is the longest someone has ever talked about Bal-Sagoth on RUclips. Thanks brother, its so needed.
I really appreciate the fact that you link the bands you are talking about in the description. Thanks man
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
Two of my favourites albums in this genre are Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order and Images At Twilight - Kings, both are so brutal
I discovered Anorexia Nervosa just a week ago, and they became one of my favorite black metal bands. I don’t get why shymphonic black metal gets so much hate :(
wow thanks for mentioning Images at Twilight, instantly diggin it after searching.
Good to see this band getting mentioned here too. One of my first BM bands I heard as a kid, strong nostalgia factor. But also great music for the most part.
their Drudenhaus release is my personal favorite. it's the most raw and intense release
@@Dirkei Yeah! I like that too
I think an orchestra can make literally any music better, it just elevates it. The first introduction I had was Dimmu Borgir 'Gateways' and I was instantly hooked, just the juxtaposition of the beautiful choirs with the nasty vocals, and the jubilant xylophone woodwind hits with the blast beat is so cool
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.
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.
UhH ACTuaLLy CRAdlE oF FilTH ISNt A BLacK MEtAl baND
Septicflesh is more symphonic death metal than black
How can someone not get chills when the keyboards suddenly play during that opener "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" by Emperor ?
...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.
Damn I can't tell how many times I've listened to these albums
Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts is my go-to album when i'm blazed.
In a similar vein, I also appreciate Covenant's sympho records way more than their electronic material that came a bit later under the name The Kovenant. Curious how these bands developed so similarly. But ...and Oceans is way better in my opinion.
...and Oceans released an amazing album in 2020. It's really good!
Something about the first and oceans album is so bittersweet nostalgic sounding, it's got an atmosphere unlike any other black metal record ive heard. It reminds me of my childhood despite never hearing it at the time.
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.
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.
Saying Cradle of Filth is the black metal equivalent to FFDP is the best way to describe the band lmao
uuuuh no to that first line
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids is a great song musically, but Good Lord does Dani's vocals ruin it
@@chickenman7252 What, do you like FFDP?
@@aSandwich.13 no I think they're a joke where as Cradle of Filth was a legit great band in the 90s.
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.
I'm very very glad you mentioned Gardhgastr. Their 2019's album is like meditation music for me forever.
Simple defense: Bal-Sagoth has written better songs than most "trve" BM artists.
@Angry Fist of the Assassinator THE RAVENS ARE ON THE WING
They are one of the best bands I have ever heard honestly
I would certain agree, I especially like that thick ass British accent Byron would have when he sounds like he's telling a story with the lyrics.
@@andresluna2101 from what I've read from him, he's a good storywriter
@@arcwiz I didn't know that, but I should've known guessing by Bal Sagoth's lyricism.
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
It's hated the same way people hate melodic death metal. The genre names are deceiving, they're misnomers.
A vast majority of melodeath doesn't really even sound close to death metal just as a vast majority of symph BM doesn't sound like actual black metal lol.
@@fatefatefate it is actual black metal. It’s just not tRvE kVlT or whatever
@@fatefatefate I think it's similar to how symphonic black metal started. If you listen to old At The Gates songs, or Dark Tranquillity's demos especially, it literally does as the name suggests, death metal with melody. And then afterwards bands tried to expand upon it and form their own sound. Modern melodeath can sound like power metal with harsh vocals though, so they obviously took it too far for the original fans of the genre. I'd argue that modern symphonic black bands haven't taken it too far away from what black metal is.
@@BigOwl51 Why do you plēbbs always say stuff like that when trying to justify some black-adjacent genre (adjacent at best) is "ackshually black metal"
@@fatefatefate "actual black metal" by whose standards? Yours?
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
Yep, black metal was seen as pussy shit by the death/gore metal crowd. Bunch of dudes in makeup prancing around in the woods. And I loved it! Still think BM is somewhat separate from metal culture as a whole.
BTW Nazgûl is working on new stuff, and recently reissued their demo with an extra demo track.
Awesome video man! Please do more on symphonic black metal
Faustin pact is one of my personal new favorites. Also good shit man definitely, gonna check out some of the albums you mentioned. 🤘
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
Early dimmu album is good TBH, stormblast is kvlt album..
@@gigiperih DB is mid.
@@fatefatefate mid?
Yeah a lot of bands go completely overboard with it and from there on their sound starts to contradict what black metal is to me. Similar to how overly melodic noise just isn't noise anymore. I've been getting into melodic and a bit of experimental and post-bm lately, but symphonic is still a bridge too far for me personally.
goddamn this is what was needed to be said. this genre is huge and more bands need more recognition
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.
I feel like Arcturus gets overlooked a lot in general. Every album of theirs sounds totally different, while still sounding like Arcturus. And Garm and Vortex are two of the most versatile and recognizable vocalists in metal. And, you know, Hellhammer.
@@frostogtaake I finally found myself warning up to the vortex stuff. Honestly, that last album was sick. I'm just hoping after that borknagar one off in 2016 maybe we can get Garm and Vortex together on the next album.
It's boring tho so it's where it is.
Thanks for the obtained enslavement recommendation in whatever other video it was. I probably never would have found them otherwise.
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.
ICDD and Elvira Madigan? I've never met a man so cultured as you
Vesania and Stormlord are amazing , made my 2016
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
I am a huge black metal fan and symphonic ranks among my absolute favorite.
Lots of love for the releases from Nocturnal Art Productions, I see.
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.
The Nightspectral Voyage is my favorite symphonic black metal album of all time, hands down. Nothing touches it.
So glad someone mentioned this. My favourite symphonic BM album of all time.
Hell yeah.
That Apotheosis album is so awesome. Picked it up on a whim about 17 or so years ago.
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.
Excellent band, still spin their albums regularly
To the gates of blasphemous fire is the heaviest bm album I don’t c a r w
Limbonic Art are one of my favorite Symphonic Black Metal bands
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.
It’s basically a modern version of the Punk simplicity vs Metal complexity arguments of the late 70’s/early 80’s.
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 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.
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.
Love the Covenant in the background haha, couple albums i havent heard here that i'm looking forward to listening to.
Early Kovenant was great, and I even liked Animatronic. But, unknown to American black metal fans it seems, a lot of the bands in Europe were influenced and into various forms of industrial and goth music. In my eyes early Cold Meat went hand in hand with the second wave of black metal, and lots of bands such as Arditi and Puissance have worked with black metal bands. Plus all the other goth and industrial shit from Aborym to Nagelfar and so much more.
@@patrickbertlein4626 yeah i dont mind some The Kovenant era stuff, Star by Star from SETI is a really good track even if the rest of that album is a bit mediocre.
Kvist is probably my favorite, great subgenre, many classics and masterpieces.
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?
Listen to Norther or Wintersun before?
Really glad more people know about Nazgûl. Really unique band that needs to make a new album
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!
...And Oceans.
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
Daemonicium is a rare gem i haven't heard mentioned anywhere either, just one release though. Tvangeste is another solid one
Shit I own this Album. Totally forgot about it!
Thoughts on alghazanth?
Obtained Enslavement could've been huge if they toured
You'd think being on Napalm Records that wouldn't have been too hard, unfortunate.
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
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.
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.
It doesn't need any defense.
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
Any views on Dimmu Borgir? For All Tild is overlooked too much as it sounds great. Hypnotic and melancholic.
Opera IX are a good Italian Symphonic Black Metal band with a female lead vocalist
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.
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.
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
I just saw the title im like wtf SBM got me into the black metal genre.
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 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 🤩
The Kovenant playing in the background
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
Adding all of them to my list hahaha
@@enzoaugusto4994 Same, barring two I know already haha but I probably have half of these already bkmarked.
8:30 pretty ballsy of that woman to go to skeletal wyverns without a dragonfire shield
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.
A man of culture, indeed
Yo bro where’d you get your blackout tattoo done? Are there any good artists in Massachusetts?
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.
I like both styles both have elements,I like. Don't really care if others like it. They are the ones missing out.
I never dove into symphonic black metal really but I might after this video.
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.
My teacher, thanks for another good lesson
...And Oceans is an amazing Symphonic BM band, they represent the genre done right.
I actually love the apotheosis album artwork but then again I love the style of "bad" artwork lol
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!!
How about Dissection with storm of the nights bane/ somberlain ?
the first black metal i ever heard was symphonic, specifically dimmu and i was trying to figure out if i liked it or not, were talking 2000-01 time. I thought cradle of filth was complete garbage, (im from florida hail Chuck) but when i heard burzum and bethlehem everything changed. Thanks so much for a video to potentially introduce me to symphonic black that has some quality, i hope these are good! and by the way, you have a wonderful style of oration that makes a discussion on black metal sound like a deep philosophical debate and.. i love how "real" you are when confronting critiques. A request, id love a list on avante garde metal, im a huge bungle fan and of course gorguts-obsucra but what am i missing with the avante garde metal genre? fyi deathspell omega isn't working for me YET, i did like some songs from a band Adversarial and i adore the new Bekor Qilish, so thats the avante garde im looking for, i.e again, gorguts-obscura is to me the "definition", of avant metal, but show me more please! and to close, by far my favorite band you turned me onto is Human Serpent, i will forever be grateful for that!
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 🤡
This fan base has always been the pathetic waste of the genre, hanger ons just trying to look tough and cool. Actual bands that started all this act nothing like this nor do they only listen to "true kvlt" black metal.
Yes Nazgul (Italy) BADASS album
Sick Suicide LP absolute classic
I wouldn't call it symphonic, but I was on Debemur Morti's site the other day and the artwork for the new White Ward album intrigued me. They have a full time saxophonist and it actually works somehow. Worth a listen.
Lux Occulta did it better, just my opinion.
@@patrickbertlein4626 Never heard of them, I'll have a listen
I think Italy has produced some of the best SBM bands in my opinion. One of my favs is Hortus Animae.
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 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.
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.
I was obsessed with Crimson Moon at one point! Same with Black Funeral. Can't say I listen to either that much today but damn were they huge for me when I was younger!
@@patrickbertlein4626 Even though its probably my favorite genre, I don't listen to black metal just all the time. From what I can hear over the years though, Crimson Moon has remained consistently good for me. Black Funeral (and there are others on metal archives who feel the same) were great when they were unapologetically lofi and primitive. They've actually become more skillful as of late, and in my opinion, its made them sound more generic than they did before. I am not one of these 'lofi only' types, but that development didn't help them, for me at least. You probably paid attention at the right time then.
Yeah man i dont get some people i think the synths compliment BM very well making the music soar to epic proportions or even make it darker and bleaker than it already is.
I recommend you to listen to the album Omega Arcane of the Finnish band Shade Empire, if you're a Dimmu Borgir /Septic Flesh fan you might like this.