Another Goth Metal Band, I just got recommended:
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and now real symphonic metal:
Epica playing real classical music with a symphony orchestra live. Excellent recording.
Something for @Saturn94. At least the 1st CD.
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Thanks for the suggestion.
Don’t know why no one mentioned them before, but the real deal in Metal/Classical crossover is this quartet:
is still my favorite when it comes to Classical music played in metal.
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@Frank_Daman Yes, good choice. I first got introduced to them while listening to Shinedown. Brent Smith did a song with them called “Not strong enough”.
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Veleno
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I mostly listen to classical but every once in awhile I will flip the switch and listen to Tool. Love em.
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Opeth is a great recommendation. I agree that they’ve become more progressive with each release but I enjoy the more subtle dynamics and the more harmonically complex songs.
A lot of the symphonic metal is just too acrobatic for me, although I admire the talent of the bands.
If you’re considering some more prog-like metal do check out Porcupine Tree, particularly the albums “In Absentia” and “Fear of a Blank Planet”. In PT the primary songwriter is Stephen Wilson, who produced some of the Opeth albums and remixed and remastered several classic prog albums from Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and others. The audio quality is always first rate.
IMO the three best metal albums ever are (in no particular order)
Enjoy 
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Well, there are sooooo many sub genres of Metal that there really is no one best Metal band anymore. Only the ones we identify with or grew up with. They are all great.
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This is about as fast as it gets
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I can’t believe the thread made it so far without mentioning Therion. Originally a Death Metal band it evolved to a true symphonic sound. Check “Vovin”, “Beloved Antichrist” and “Live in Miskolc”
Another great band that mixed classical music with metal with great results is Rhapsody (then Rhapsody Of Fire, for legal reasons) . I recomend “Symphony of Enchanted Lands” “Legendary Tales” and “Rain of a Thousand Flames” (with a song based on Symphony of the New World by Dvorak)
And the solo albums of their guitar player Luca Turilli, especially the first two.
Also listen to “Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die!” from Waltari (available on Tidal) for a weird, but ahead of its time, album from 1996.
For a more extreme classical - (Death) Metal relationship listen to the italian band Fleshgod Apocalypse.
On a more folky subject, be sure to give a chance to the bands, Dalriada (Hungary), Korpiklaani (Finland) and Alestorm (British)…
Lastly, Blind Guardian released a classical concept album under Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra entitled “Legacy of the Dark Lands”
Hope this helps to spread the flame of Metal here!! \m/
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you know this band?
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Yes, formed by labyrinth guitar player Olaf Thorsen as a solo project former Rhapsody singer Fabio Lione joined him and it evolved into a band. Lione left afte the 2nd album.
On the first album they recorded the cover “The Final Countdown” and on the second “Take On Me”.
The late 90’s were very activefor Lione who also sang in another band called Athena, also Power Metal oriented.
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I’m at work so I can’t post screenshots, but please do yourselves a favor and listen to Epica’s “Epica Vs. Metropol Orkest Beyond The Matrix - The Battle” they’ve managed to mix Metal and swing/Big Band music (sorry if the description’s not accurate) but it certainly results in a masterpiece.
In order to apprecieate it maybe you should first listen to “Beyond The Matrix” from their latest album “The Holographic Principle”
Another nice album is Satyricon’s “Live at the Opera” from 2015 recorded live with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus at the Oslo Opera.
Former Nightwish singer Tarja is also a must, and of course her albums with Nightwish, especially Once.
Tuomas Holopainen, Nightwish’s keyboard player, released a solo album “Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge” in 2014.
Recently Myrkur released “Folkesange” which as the title indicates, is mostly based on nordic folk music. If you want you could check her first album “M” with some Black MEtal influences, but still with a lot of melody.
And since I mentioned Black Metal, Basarabian Hills is a, wait for it…Moldovan one man band with great atmospheric music to relax.
Anyway hope I’m not annoying anyone with this recommendations, but I love Metal and the more we listen to it, the better…\m/ Stay home, stay safe, stay Metal \m/
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For a bit of a faster, poppier sound, try Amaranthe. Unique that they have 3 vocalists that they blend in various was in each song. Start with their first album.
Kamelot is another favorite. The best way that I can describe them is if the Phantom of the Opera was fronting a symphonic metal band.
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Funny…my wife feels and says the same!!
I’m with you, strongly disagreeing with her!!
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What I’m noticing in this thread is:
Similar look by the artists
Similar album art
Similar musical themes
Bare with me metal fans I need to know this. Must the subject matter typically be gothic/other-worldly & must the artists all have a similar appearance?
Are there no metal bands that just look like ‘regular’ rock bands & write about ‘average’ subject matter, if indeed the lyrics are of importance?
Right…now everybody have a crack at me for being such a metal noob. 
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