What is the best symphonic metal album of all time?

Symphonic metal blends heavy guitar work with orchestral arrangements and operatic vocals, producing some of heavy music's most dramatic and cinematic records. Vote for the best symphonic metal album of all time.

Once

Nightwish's 2004 album featuring a full orchestra and choir alongside Tarja Turunen's soaring classical soprano vocals.

1/12

Dark Passion Play

Nightwish's 2007 album with new vocalist Anette Olzon, featuring the epic 'The Poet and the Pendulum'.

2/12

The Silent Force

Within Temptation's 2004 breakthrough album that brought symphonic metal to mass audiences with huge orchestral arrangements.

3/12

Oceanborn

Nightwish's 1998 debut that established the symphonic metal genre with operatic vocals and keyboard-driven fantasy themes.

4/12

Design Your Universe

Epica's 2009 album featuring intricate arrangements, philosophical lyrics, and the interplay of soprano and growled vocals.

5/12

Theli

Therion's 1996 landmark album that pioneered symphonic metal by incorporating classical choirs and orchestras into extreme metal.

6/12

Death Cult Armageddon

Dimmu Borgir's 2003 symphonic black metal album featuring the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in a theatrical extreme metal epic.

7/12

Fallen

Evanescence's 2003 debut that brought gothic symphonic metal to global mainstream success with 'Bring Me to Life'.

8/12

Mother Earth

Within Temptation's 2000 album that defined their atmospheric symphonic sound with lush orchestration and Sharon's powerful vocals.

9/12

Comalies

Lacuna Coil's 2002 gothic metal breakthrough featuring the contrast between male and female vocal interplay.

10/12

Imaginaerum

Nightwish's 2011 concept album inspired by a surreal fairy tale, featuring Floor Jansen as a guest vocalist.

11/12

Human :II: Nature.

Nightwish's 2020 ambitious double album exploring human nature versus wilderness with cinematic orchestration.

12/12