The rising year of Symphonic Metal (1997) and the history of how it came to be

We now have two days left until a brand new year, 2022. One special thing about that year is, it will mark the 25th anniversary of symphonic metal rising to prominence. I've mentioned this in another thread, but I felt like giving this topic its own.

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). While many of those albums don't have the symphonic metal tag or The Guardians clan (or have but don't deserve them), the combination of metal and symphonics would inspire countless bands to do the same, whether they're mainly symphonic metal or not. However, those 5 bands and their 1997 albums are no match for one band and their debut that year, Haggard with their album And Thou Shalt Trust... the Seer. After a few prog-death metal demos, they changed their sound to mix metal with actual classic/medieval instrumentation, thus creating pure symphonic metal to please the masses searching for such a mix.

Now let's go back through the years leading up to that rising climax. Therion went a similar stylistic route to Haggard, beginning with death/progressive metal, then with their 1996 fifth album Theli, they have established the symphonic metal sound we would know today, but like I said, it wasn't until 1997 when symphonic metal's subgenres took off in other bands. Other key starters for symphonic metal in 1996 include the 8-part 56-minute epic by Waltari, Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony in Deep C, and Rage's collaboration album with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, Lingua Mortis, both of which have added orchestra and progressive elements to the bands' respective sounds. Arcturus is known as one of the earliest developers of symphonic black metal, with demos and EPs going as early as 1991, but their debut Aspera Hiems Symfonia is what brought them to the 1996 symphonic metal club, though their second album La Masquerade Infernale is where the band really emphasized the symphonic, toned down the black metal, and added their well-known avant-prog metal sound.

Symphonic power metal bands have been around slightly earlier such as Skylark (not to be confused with teen singer Chip Skylark from The Fairly OddParents), Angra, and X Japan, the latter two having released the very first albums to have the official symphonic metal tag in 1993; Angra's debut Angels Cry and X Japan's 29-minute epic Art of Life.

However, that doesn't mean symphonic elements haven't been around in metal much earlier, they sure have! In 1990, two tech-thrash bands have released game-changing albums; Mekong Delta's Dance of Death and the second album from Believer, Sanity Obscure. Mekong Delta have done the uncommon motive of mixing thrash with elements of neoclassical metal (though Coroner have already done that as early as 1987's R.I.P.), but Believer have mixed actual classical instrumentation with their usual thrash, especially in "Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)" where the first half of the song has just strings, synthesizer, and soprano vocals, then the second half is the usual tech-thrash. Think of it like Metallica's "One" but with the first half having just the S&M orchestra.

There's still a little more to discover in the 80s. Celtic Frost’s first two full albums To Mega Therion and Into the Pandemonium are a couple more of the earliest albums to use symphonic elements in metal. But that’s more apparent in the latter album, with the former only using a French horn in a few tracks and inspiring the name of Therion. I guess you can count the 1983/1984 albums of Savatage and Warlord as the very earliest ones that add symphonics to metal, but I think those are just keyboards and not actual orchestration. Just wait until, say, Savatage's 1989 album Gutter Ballet to hear symphonic-ish piano grandeur.

With all those different bands and the ideas they've had, they've all led to symphonic metal's rising year 1997, after quite some steps those separate bands took for the idea of the subgenre to catch on. If you enjoy bands such as After Forever, Epica, Edenbridge, 21st century Kamelot, and Twilight Force, you know which year and bands to thank. Here are some metal albums with symphonics (whether labeled symphonic metal or not) from 1997 I recommend to symphonic metal lovers (especially you, Scarecrow, if you haven't listened to them yet):

Arcturus – La Masquerade Infernale

Children of Bodom – Something Wild (symphonic/neo-classical elements added to the melodeath/power metal sound the band would be known for)

Dimmu Borgir – Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

Haggard - And Thou Shalt Trust... The Seer

Kamelot – Dominion (some sources see the release year as 1997, and there are some symphonic elements added to their power metal style that would make their 21st century sound)

Lacrimosa – Stille

Nightwish – Angels Fall First

Rhapsody – Legendary Tales

Septicflesh - The Ophidian Wheel

Symphony X – The Divine Wings of Tragedy (some sources see the release year as 1996 instead of 1997, and there are some symphonic elements added to their usual progressive/neo-classical metal sound)

Therion - A'arab Zaraq – Lucid Dreaming

Within Temptation – Enter

That was an interesting read Andi. I'd suggest that it was actually 1994 when the whole symphonic black metal thing began off the back of arguably the most important symphonic metal release of all time in Emperor's classic "In The Nightside Eclipse" album. It would take a couple more years before we'd see that sound solidifying into a genuine subgenre of any significance though with 1996 seeing a whole bunch of black metal artists going fully symphonic, most notably Cradle Of Filth & Dimmu Borgir.

I've just made this Spotify playlist with the longest songs for each of the albums I've recommended (including Dimmu Borgir's 1997 album. Thanks for the heads-up, Daniel!) to celebrate this milestone of an anniversary for symphonic metal. Check it out: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0RUIcyC6ZXEkbknDjSxi8Z

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). 

I've been testing my memory over the Septicflesh album you mentioned overnight Andi. It's certainly been a long time since I've heard these releases but I don't remember "The Obsidian Wheel" being the record where they completely converted to a totally symphonic approach. Wasn't it 1998's "A Fallen Temple" album where they did that?

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). 

I've been testing my memory over the Septicflesh album you mentioned overnight Andi. It's certainly been a long time since I've heard these releases but I don't remember "The Obsidian Wheel" being the record where they completely converted to a totally symphonic approach. Wasn't it 1998's "A Fallen Temple" album where they did that?

When I was listening to Septicflesh, I remember their earlier albums, including The Ophidian Wheel and A Fallen Temple, having this odd frustrating thing where the songs are straight-up gothic-ish death metal and then they have a few symphonic stage play tracks, and each of those two categories are separated from each other with barely any combination. That's why A Fallen Temple was a bit of a struggle for me at the time, especially the "Underworld" series of symphonic tracks. With that said, those two albums have a few songs that combined the two stylistic categories smoothly, such as the song I've selected for my 1997 symphonic metal Spotify playlist, "On the Topmost Step of the Earth", and "The Eldest Cosmonaut" from the latter album that I submitted to one of The Guardians monthly playlists because of the Therion-like symphonic metal sound. Then after a case of industrial-goth identity crisis in Revolution DNA, the band took their usual death metal and symphonic sounds even further in Sumerian Daemons, with both sounds combined into one, the way it was meant to be. Their comeback album Communion really sealed the deal for that sound that they've maintained ever since.