Dead Can Dance deserve their own thread, they're nowhere close to ambient music, rather world/heavenly rooted in a blend of celtic and gothic culture.
Although not being a huge fan of downright ambient stuff myself, I can recommend the three latest Raison d'Être albums as some of the most outstanding non-guitar material I own, and the cool thing about them is that each of them has its own concept/atmosphere so you can't say the guy is just feeding on the same recipe despite the obviously unspectacular style and spare elements.
"In Silence, Sadness and Solitude" is like the apex of Raison d'Être "forlorn monastery" vibe. Choirs, rising synths, some percussion loops and the usual catalogue of samples. Great album.
"The Empty Hollow Unfolds" is end of the world soundscapes par excellence, relying on industrial clashes and distant rumbles to underline almost stagnant keyboard streams. Very fulfilling but painful to get through.
"Requiem of Abandoned Souls" is quite peculiar. In a way it's like the sequel of the former album's apocalyptic visions in that the music seems to be spiralling underneath the earth, gently coiling around whatever remains of civilations lie there. Raison d'Être uses some oriental-pipes kind of synths and builds real melodies (albeit slow disillusioned ones), which makes this album rather soothing and absolutely gorgeous in places.
Hope that's of some use?
