Symphonic black metal

[Einherjar86]

I don't really consider either Summoning or Hellveto "symphonic" black metal, although both of them are fucking awesome and are two of my favorite black metal acts.

I'm not sure where I draw the line of separation. Where bands like Emperor or Nokturnal Mortum seem to use the symphonic elements in a more directly melodic degree, bands like Hellveto and Summoning have a more droning sound, which leads me to the descriptive term "atmospheric/ambient."

That's completely subjective though.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

Summoning isn't symphonic black metal at all, and I don't think Anthems... is either, although it is certainly a great album.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Anthems is a stale-sounding disaster of an album.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Anthems is a stale-sounding disaster of an album.

I really cannot understand why so many people think Nightside is superior to Anthems. Both are great, but Anthems is much more intricate, complex and intelligent.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Well who cares about all of that shit. Why do you even listen to black metal if what you're looking for is complex and intricate arrangements?

 

[AllShallFall]

Well who cares about all of that shit. Why do you even listen to black metal if what you're looking for is complex and intricate arrangements?

Wtf? Why can't you listen to both regular black metal and symphonic black metal?

 

[Manic Ferocity]

I never I said I didn't listen to symphonic black metal.

 

[Svetovid]

Well who cares about all of that shit. Why do you even listen to black metal if what you're looking for is complex and intricate arrangements?

I can't speak for everyone here but what I like listening to at the moment is very dependent on my mood. Sometimes I want raw, crunching, punk inspired 'true' black metal, sometimes I want a symphony, sometimes I want ambient drony stuff, and sometimes I want super fast heavy music. Guess what? Black metal does all that. The sub-genre is so broad now that it has something to offer for pretty much any mood. I guess my point is there are many reasons to listen to black metal, and many different sounds in black metal so suite the listener's needs, and complex and intricate arrangements does it for a lot of us.

 

[AllShallFall]

I can't speak for everyone here but what I like listening to at the moment is very dependent on my mood. Sometimes I want raw, crunching, punk inspired 'true' black metal, sometimes I want a symphony, sometimes I want ambient drony stuff, and sometimes I want super fast heavy music. Guess what? Black metal does all that. The sub-genre is so broad now that it has something to offer for pretty much any mood. I guess my point is there are many reasons to listen to black metal, and many different sounds in black metal so suite the listener's needs, and complex and intricate arrangements does it for a lot of us.

Totaly fucking true. That's what makes black metal so awesome

 

[Manic Ferocity]

I wasn't saying that black metal can't be diverse. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk sounds very mechanical and lacks the emotive atmosphere of the debut. That's why I don't like it or anything that relies too heavily on complexity and/or technicality.

 

[Svetovid]

Why do you even listen to black metal if what you're looking for is complex and intricate arrangements?

Because of how this was worded I took it as you meaning that complex and intricate arrangements were a bad thing. Either way I don't agree with you about Anthems sounding mechanical, or that it lacks anything Nightside had, but that's of course only a difference of preference. Sorry about the rant.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Complex and intricate arrangements don't work in black metal for the most part and give it a shallow sound (in the case of Anthems... in my opinion). For the most part, though, I find complex and intricate arrangements to be detrimental to songwriting in general.

 

[CF87]

I wasn't saying that black metal can't be diverse. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk sounds very mechanical and lacks the emotive atmosphere of the debut. That's why I don't like it or anything that relies too heavily on complexity and/or technicality.

I blindly purchased Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk and thought it was some of the worst go nowhere grating annoying shit music have ever heard. Add the fact the music is devoid of any type of rythmn/flow. It's really a mess.

 

[sevag00]

Add to that, you hate black metal.

 

[CF87]

I do like some black metal actually. Usually I like the blackened death/black metal stuff, but there are some regular black metal albums I like.

 

[AllShallFall]

Complex and intricate arrangements don't work in black metal for the most part and give it a shallow sound (in the case of Anthems... in my opinion). For the most part, though, I find complex and intricate arrangements to be detrimental to songwriting in general.

Wtf. Complex and intricate arrangements make the music sounds all the much better

 

[AllShallFall]

so fucking epic:

 

[El-Shoggoth]

Nightside Eclipse and Anthems both take me places emotionally that other black metal albums can't even begin to approach. I personally think they're equal. Limbonic Art's first two albums are up there too, and Hellveto was a great recommendation. Here are a couple more that I don't think anyone's mentioned.

Ephel Duath - Just as technical as Anthems, for those who like that sort of thing. After this album they ditched black metal and started playing a fusion of extreme metal and jazz.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAy-ByuGc08&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL88458B8FBB828D45[/ame]


Lunar Aurora - Their early stuff was more symphonic, but it's no longer on youtube. This is at least keyboard heavy, and has choral stuff though.




You may also want to check out my band, Dalla Nebbia. It may be considered more progressive black metal than symphonic, but also very keyboard heavy. We just uploaded a new 3-song ep on bandcamp.

http://dallanebbia.bandcamp.com

 

[Evil Dead]

Hollenthon