The Best Symphonic Metal Album - Metal Storm Awards 2025

Aephanemer - Utopie

Aephanemer have long exhibited neoclassical influence in their extravagant melodic death/extreme power metal sound, with symphonic flourishes a long-standing presence. However, Utopie sees the French trio really commit to the symphonic side of their style, with emphatic results, while arguably also dialling up the folk metal influences too. The end result is a jubilantly bold collection of music that shows no regard for subtlety and instead traipses listeners in a glorious tapestry of scintillating guitar leads, lush melodies, and rich orchestrations.

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Ashen Fields - So Haggard And So Woe-Begone

Spawned by ex-members of Path Of Sorrow, Ashen Fields have worked on their debut full-length for several years, and the efforts are on full display across So Haggard And So Woe-Begone. Stirring choirs and operatic vocalists, dramatic orchestral flourishes and charming Nightwish-style keyboards provide lush accompaniment to a very solid melodeath musical core, filled with hooky guitar lead melodies and emphatic solos. There is a commendable richness and balance to the mix of the various elements; the guitar riffs have a strong presence in the mix, yet the nuances of the myriad symphonic components also shine through fully, enabling these evocative and exhilarating compositions to shine to their fullest.

Belnejoum - Dark Tales Of Zarathustra

Do you ever wish George Kollias drummed for Fleshgod Apocalypse? Well, Belnejoum might not be exactly that, but Kollias is drumming here, and Fleshgod Apocalypse offers a guitarist and the person behind their orchestrations, so alongside the other members there's definitely a lot on this band's debut that feels like the best qualities of some other bands, and what Belnejoum do with that is to commit to the "dark" in the album's title to make one of the most vividly dramatic extreme symphonic metal concept albums.

Blackbriar - A Thousand Little Deaths

With three albums under their belt, Blackbriar have well and truly cemented themselves as esteemed purveyors of darkly majestic symphonic metal with an enchanting gothic slant. The serenity of Zora Cock's vocals, seductive when hushed and heart-piercing when fully unleashed, continues to be a potent weapon, but the beauty of the keyboards and the grandeur of the orchestral arrangements do just as much to make these songs larger than life. An alt-metal accessibility pervades into several tracks, but others offer full-blown theatrical splendour, radiating larger than life like the best symphonic metal does.

Cradle Of Filth - The Screaming Of The Valkyries

The Screaming Of The Valkyries is the latest of Cradle Of Filth’s streak of great records since 2015, and once again, they deliver. Few bands of this longevity and caliber have aged so gracefully, and this release is sure to further cement their special position within the genre. Energetic compositions, catchy riffs, Dani Filth’s trademark vocals, all that you could ask for on a Cradle Of Filth album is present here, and it’s as good as ever.

Epica - Aspiral

Very few bands can become as synonymous with a genre the way Epica have with symphonic metal. Now having celebrated their twentieth anniversary as a band since their last album, the hour of music on Aspiral shows a band with that much experience in knowing what makes the genre's wheels spin. Some infusions do show up, some parts are proggier, some parts are more saccharine in either a power metal or pop way, and some of the chugging might show tinges of groove alt, but the core DNA is the same it was more than twenty years ago.

Ex Deo - Year Of The Four Emperors

Four years after The Thirteen Years Of Nero comes The Year Of The Four Emperors. The historical accuracy of that statement will have to be discussed on another day, as this means above all else that Ex Deo are back, this time in a more bite-sized fashion. With 18 very engaging minutes of their trademark ferocious symphonic death metal, The Year Of The Four Emperors is another really catchy and well-written release from the Roman Empire-obsessed Canadians; be sure to check it out.

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Liv Moon - The Land Of Spirits

Liv Moon's music moves lightly and lands softly: frequently the violin leads the melodies and sets the tone while a lot of the impressive technical work gets done by the bass, which makes for an unusually textured but pleasantly unique ensemble (though that is not to discount equally outstanding guitar and drum work).  Out front, Akane Liv's voice modulates in energy level but is always smooth and beautiful, with delicate backing vocals maintaining a presentation of refinement and daintiness behind her.  The Land Of Spirits does get heavy - any symphonic metal band, at least one with clean vocals, at some point has to reach for the epic anthem - but it is always easy on the ears, always melodic in a nostalgic kind of way.  Through upbeat folk-inspired tunes, fast and dramatic power metal bangers, and dark showtunes, Liv Moon strongly represents the Japanese symphonic/power metal style in our lineup here with yet another album of compelling and catchy symphony.

Qrixkuor - The Womb Of The World

Qrixkuor started off as a band that seemed intent on conjuring up the never-ending torment of hell, but as time has gone on, Satan's domain has been afforded an increasing degree of infernal majesty. The Womb Of The World is a truly staggering combination of monstrously gruesome death metal, dissonant and cavernous, with the kind of spine-chilling orchestrations that the most deranged classical composers would be proud of. The symphonic arrangements here are so adept that they must have been crafted by someone with a genuine classical composition background, yet said composer is equally capable at writing the most malevolent and esoteric of extreme metal, and the end result is a behemoth of a release that puts the large majority of music labeled as 'symphonic death metal' to shame.

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Scardust - Souls

Female-fronted symphonic metal is long associated with certain particular styles of metal, most commonly gothic, alternative or power metal. It's far rarer to hear this approach within a progressive metal framework, but Scardust are unapologetically prog on Souls, with complex structures, crunchy djent chugs, and dazzling virtuosic instrumentation. As it turns out, having dramatic choirs and orchestrations added to a modern prog-metal style such as this works out very nicely, although it helps a lot to have a vocalist as powerful and charismatic as Noa Gruman tying everything together; even with guests as notable as Ross Jennings (Haken) bolstering the ranks, it is her performance that really elevates Souls to the next level.