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Symphonic Metal Thread

The Strategos

By The Strategos
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The Strategos Newbie

The Strategos

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Hi everyone, My idea for an improvement would be a dedicated Symphonic Metal thread alongside all the other metal genres. I don't quite know where Symphonic Metal sits in the existing framework :cry: , and no one thread seems quite to cover them. Power metal covers so much more than Symphonic, such as DragonForce, Kamelot etc. Also, some Symphonic is more like Folk/Celtic metal than Power, such as Leaves' Eyes and old Within Temptation. Symphonic Metal is quite distinct from other genres and, to me, is characterised by complex melodies, extensive use of keyboards, orchestral instruments, choirs and other world/folk instruments and the counterpointing of heavy, low, cruchy guitar with high female voices. Does anyone agree with me?

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Iceni Newbie

Iceni

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Re: Symphonic Metal Thread Symphonic power metal is one of my top 3 genres, alongside technical death metal and progressive metal. My favorite band, Harmony, is a symphonic prog/power band. However, I don't see the point in having a specific symphonic metal thread. Serenity is symphonic power metal, so they belong in the power metal thread. Epica is gothic metal even if they are much more symphonic than most gothic metal bands. Manticora is symphonic prog/power metal, so it's arguable where they belong; you could discuss them in both the power and prog threads. I have a bone to pick with your definition. If you use folk instruments on a regular basis, you're still a folk metal band. Orphaned Land is actually quite prog, but because they use several folk instruments and melodies they're a folk band. High female voices is another thing I don't always agree with. What do you mean by that? Operatic or just high-pitched? Kaisa Jouhki of Battlelore is my favorite female singer, but the reason I think she's great is because she doesn't belt these high notes all the time. But I would say Battlelore has symphonic elements, even if it's hard to categorize them as a band. Since symphonic metal generally means any metal with orchestra-style keyboard work in it, that means that you could include a lot from different genres, but I don't think it needs to stand on its own.

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The Strategos Newbie

The Strategos

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Re: Symphonic Metal Thread Hi Iceni and feel free to pick my bones :D , Re. Folk instruments. Fair point, regular use should be Folk Metal. Re. Female voices. When I say high, I don't necessarily mean Operatic, and more mean that as a woman's voice singing even normally is quite high (unless she decides to death grunt, admittedly), the interplay is automatically accomplished as long as the chord progressions are quite low. Thanks for clarifying where I should yap about Epica, because of all bands I had no clue about that one!

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RelentlessOblivion Grand Master

RelentlessOblivion

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Re: Symphonic Metal Thread I agree with Iceni there are so many different bands which use symphonic elements that creating a symphonic metal thread seems somewhat pointless, for example there are numerous symphonic black metal bands, and I know of at least one symphonic death metal band (though I can't remember their name) plus symphonic power and progressive metal bands, logistically you can't really discuss all of them in one thread

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