[wrathzombie]

Maybe its just me, but I love Pig Squeals and I love Drummer vocalists
..  

 

[ferday]

   
Then stay away from Nightwish--you probably already know that!
 
If you like good, but non-operatic female vocals, The Gathering was a really amazing slightly proggy and nearly always interesting band....not praticularly heavy...but really good in their prime. Creative, symphonic and classy are words that sometimes describes Gathering. The voclaist, Anneke (sp?)  doens't sing in Nightwish Opera Mode. They went through a few changes over the Years.
 
Mandylion and Nightime Birds are considered goth metal classics. But, I wouldn't even limit them to goth-that word gives me the creeps and makes me think of androgynous teenagers with black nails. 
 
How to Measure a Plannet and  If/The/Else are five star rock/metal albums in my book. In fact, in my library, I rate those two albums as essential heavy rock music-classic to me that defy catagories.
 
They are not crushing DM, tho! Think more recent Katatonia or something w/ female vocals.
 
And, if you haven't heard Beyond the Veil by Tristania...even if you just stream it....it's worth a listen.
 
One man's two cents on female vocals in heavy music. But, hey I've been diggin on the first three Heart albums....I can be pretty old school!

 
 
Juscifer....overlooked female vocals, and she can growl with the best at times!

 

[suicidal_orange]

Thanks markm1, but I came looking for "band + orchestra" - vocals are optional

 
Tristiana is too operatic for me and the mention of Katatonia makes me think they'll be depressing, but I'll give the goths a go.  I'd take proggy over crushing DM most days...

 

[Kirnupiima]

I'm loving the new Karnivool album right now. I can pretty much sing Sound Awake while listening but this certainly is a more difficult as an album. Not much to hold on to at first.
 
The bass, oh gods the bass sounds so good again! So lovely they mixed it so loud again. Where is the vinyl master huh?
 
And here you go: The new Oranssi Pazuzu album in full available on metalhammer.
 
http://goo.gl/kLE912

 

[keepitsimple]

   
Big Nokturnal Mortum fan here

 I particularly enjoy Ukrainian and Slavic BM in general.  Drudkh is a must listen as well:
 

Yes i intend to get all of Nokturnal Mortums discography.what other bands do you recommend.

 

[markm1]

   
 
Juscifer....overlooked female vocals, and she can growl with the best at times!

 
Right on-I loved their 2008 release--the long French title I'm too lazy to look up that's all about the French Revolution.  Have you heard their current release? Just curious....

 

[ferday]

Right on-I loved their 2008 release--the long French title I'm too lazy to look up that's all about the French Revolution.  Have you heard their current release? Just curious....

Yup I have it, it's a bit of a departure...much heavier overall with mostly growls and very little clean singing. I like it but not as much as some of their other stuff

 

[markm1]

  Thanks markm1, but I came looking for "band + orchestra" - vocals are optional

 
Tristiana is too operatic for me and the mention of Katatonia makes me think they'll be depressing, but I'll give the goths a go.  I'd take proggy over crushing DM most days...

 
OK- That's a harder order....So metallica with strings kind of thing.
 
Gathering may not what you're looking for, but those are really good albums. Maybe not as orchestrated as what you want, but not opera at all-just good female vocals. And, not depressing like Katatonia (although I'm a big K fan). Gathering-If_Then_Else in particular is terrific. I think progressive and symphonic are fair to describe, maybe a little alternative rock as well. It's not a real heavy album. But, it's in the metal genre. However, not w/ full blown orchestra.
 
for whatever reason a lot of these symphonic metal acts go for the opera or DM. I think Therion started that trend. I also have Therion's Gothic Kabbalah which is less operatic, but also less symphonic. I'd give that a thumbs up.
 
I'm guessing your not interested in symphonic black metal, like Dumbo burger, er, I mean Dimmu borgir....etc. However, there is an artist-Angtora who is kind of interesting. 2005 release-Angtora-God Has a Plan for Us All. No-it's not Christian metal. Angtora is a project of Sarah Jezebel Deva who was a go to female singer that a bunch of extreme metal bands used on their albums...she sang a lot for COF and has a strong voice. Angtora is symphonic metal.
 
Tiamet's Wild Honey is a classic in symphonic metal, but also not full blown orchestra.
 
For a full blown orchestra I really like Virgin Black - Requiem - Mezzo Forte (2007). But, that is opera for sure. So much so that they actually hired a full blown orchestra and professional opera singers. But, it's pretty damn cool. ....and I say that as someone that NEVER, NEVER, NEVER listens to straight opera.....I promise you that
 
It's pretty much classical music with doom, but is pretty "depressing" as well
!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV_VYJ0CYo4
 
 
Wow-I guess I listen to a lot of depressing music

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

  Yes i intend to get all of Nokturnal Mortums discography.what other bands do you recommend.

Nokturnal Mortum? Isn't that some filthy Nazi Black metal?

 

[keepitsimple]

^its the music mate.i could not care less about their political views or their lyrics.not interested.just the music.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

  ^its the music mate.i could not care less about their political views or their lyrics.not interested.just the music.

Just knowing what they might be singing about kills it completely for me.
And buying anything from these bands/supporting them?
Not in a million years.

At least everybody here is sane enough not to post crap like this here in this thread.

 

[markm1]

  Just knowing what they might be singing about kills it completely for me.
And buying anything from these bands/supporting them?
Not in a million years.

At least everybody here is sane enough not to post crap like this here in this thread.

 
It's a little dicey with Black Metal-a genre most of us here probably enjoy and espouses hatred, nihilism. To me-generalized disgust with humanity is fine. Disgust with religion...I'm OK with that.
 
If I know a band generalizes to specific groups of people-say...oh, I don't now...anyone who isn't WHITE...I believe we call that white supremacy....then I call Bull **** and I'm out.

 

[Origin89]

I guess it's just how far you want to take the hatred. If you can hate on a religion then why is it such a big step to hate on a race? I don't do either, I'm just saying - hate is hate. I think there comes a point when any type of hatred is intolerable because it all stems from ignorance.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Metal is going to have everything in it I think. All the aspects of human nature. Maybe not so many sweet love songs, but it is about togetherness and brotherhood as well as forms of hate. I love the rebel aspects the.most. The nonconformity with the norm. It's also very much middle class working music.

 

[keepitsimple]

Im sorry if i have offended anyone here

.
Its always been just about the music for me guys.Im a very peacful person.