IoMP 120: From Nightwish to Fleshgod Apocalypse: Best of Symphonic Metal
Symphonic metal is proof that metal has always been dramatic—someone just finally gave it violins.
In this Best Of: Symphonic Metal episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin & Tom explore one of metal’s most theatrical, emotional, and misunderstood subgenres.
From Nightwish’s genre-defining legacy, to Epica’s death metal backbone, Fleshgod Apocalypse’s full-orchestra insanity, and the blurry crossover with gothic, power, and extreme metal, this episode breaks down what symphonic metal actually is—and why it works.
Along the way, the guys touch on orchestras vs. samples, Finnish metal supremacy, awkward band breakups, Christopher Lee’s metal albums (yes, really), Viking operas, Roman epics, and why Wikipedia thinks everything with a string section counts as symphonic metal.
Whether you love symphonic metal, tolerate it, or still think it’s “metal in a fancy suit,” this episode makes one thing clear—symphonic metal isn’t a novelty. It’s an essential part of metal’s evolution, whether anyone asked for it or not.
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