Isn't it funny how our musical taste shifts over the years? 

I recently realized, that I currently really am digging bands again like Nightwish, Epica, Eluveitie or Blackbriar, so I'm seeking to expand my horizon in this genre.

They mustn't even necessarily be very progressive (but its ofcourse a plus) and I like clear vocals (the occasional growls are cool too) and the symphonic or folky kinda metal is preferred (if there is a band with more electronic influences would be cool to know too).

If you have any band in that genre you could recommend, I'd be very happy! 

Thanks!

Edit:

Oh and if you like female vocals, you HAVE to check out this absolute masterpiece by russian band The Slot:

Daria has one of the most incredible voices out there!

Aesma Daeva should expand your horizon, I think, symphonic with medieval and electronic influences.  

Xanthocroid:  https://xanthochroid.bandcamp.com/album/of-erthe-and-axen-act-i-2017" rel="nofollow - https://xanthochroid.bandcamp.com/album/of-erthe-and-axen-act-i-2017

In the second album, the female voice appears only sparsely and not in the heaviest parts. Listen to track 2 and 5, for example. 

great choice 

I also recommend The Gathering. 

My fave album of Aesma Daeva's is The Eros of Frigid Beauty. 

Well, you and I could probably recommend 80 - 100 bands between us, but I think the two we've gone for should tick most of the boxes.... 

https://avainferiofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-silhouette" rel="nofollow - https://avainferiofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-silhouette

Thanks. I've deleted Serenity from my list. I was possibly confusing them with Sirenia. 

Within Temptation - Mother Earth.

The Gathering: Mandylion and Nighttime Birds.

Theatre Of Tragedy: Aegis.

Ephemeral Sun: Broken Door (USA).

Headline (France) (progressive metal).

On Thorns I Lay: Pure Narcotic (Romania).

More in the gothic metal style, Lacuna Coil (Italy).

Pretty good. 

https://lightfieldreverie.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://lightfieldreverie.bandcamp.com/

https://remina.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://remina.bandcamp.com/

Thanks! I will listen to them. 

I will try to say a few words about each of your recommendations:

Aesma Dana - a bit too avant garde for my taste, but definately quality stuff!

Xandria - a bit bland maybe but I like that they have an anti-new world order hymn in "you will never be our god"

Lana Lane - a little too little metal for me..

Acolyte - absolutely blown away!! Very prog and so refreshing!! The song Entropy in particular is just crazy good. 

Xanthochroid - Oh my god I'm melting!! (song 2+5) Holy crap!! (pretty much the rest of the album) 

...both bands are incredible!

Edenbridge - enjoyed it!

The Gathering - Have several of their albums.

Ava Inferi - Great stuff (+amazing voice)! 

@PsychedelicPaul: I might come back to your list, for now its too long for me to dive into xD thx tho!

Within Temptation - Mother Earth was one of my favourite songs way back then but I never really got into them.

@PhideauxFan: Again, I'll need more time for that list, but thanks! 

Draconian - my dear edefakiel, we seem to have a very similar taste! I know Draconian, they are amazing! Under a Godless Veil is an absolute masterpiece in my book. 

Heike Langhans - She's great! I like her project ISON, didnt know about the other two.

Lacrimas Profunder - Very nice!! Got me into the mood!

So far Acolyte, Xanthochroid, Ava Inferi and Lacrimas Profundere take the cake. Will definately check out more of them. All 4 are bands I am very happy to have found - thanks to you guys! <3

If you enjoyed my recommendations, I suggest you to take a look at some of the threads I made. You may find something you like, and I hope you can add something I may find interesting:

https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129918&PN=1" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129918&PN=1

Aesma Daeva. I'm glad to hear that, and maybe later on when you want to expand your horizon even more. 

I wasn't sure what to make of Aesma Daeva at first either, as they sound like no other Symphonic Metal band I know of, but that's part of what makes them avant-garde. They even re-do Mozart! 

So, there might be more avantgardish music you like than you think, while I now even better understand why I couldn't find another Symphonic Metal band I could like. 

This is a scary topic for me ... music defined by it being make or female.

I would prefer that "metal" be able to be identified by itself, and not for having a woman at the microphone or not. This whole thing should be about the music itself, not a woman at the lead!

Again, PA posts that are not about the music itself ... none of the posts really discusses the qualities of the music itself, with one exception or two ... it makes me feel that some folks don't know how to make it interesting other than a woman shaking it all on the microphone. Scary idea for me ... and reminds me of Iggy Pop in his early days ... you call that music?

For me, Symphonic Metal is ALL about having a woman at the lead! 

Nothing scary about the topic. And it is about the music. The thread creator wants to listen to metal bands with female singers, nothing wrong with that. I enjoy a lot of female fronted bands, a lot of skill and talent in those singers/vocalists. 

Also this is a recommendation thread, so no discussion about quality is necessary. The OP will just tell us what he liked and what he did not. That's all. 

Why must the woman shake it all? Requesting a female fronted band to me is similar to requesting a band with violins or or piano or what have you ... the distinct tonal qualities of a female voice can be an ingredient one desires in their listening, with it having nothing to do with 'shaking it all on the microphone'  which honestly that you went there says more about you than anyone else in this topic.

great choice, an excellent, quite unique band. 

Well, painting black is nothing new for Mosh. 

Hi,

Poor choice of words on my part ... not meant to sound sexist or bad, or whatever idea some folks come up with, including "darkness" ... when metal has been one area where "dark" has been a strong part of its motto for a long time. 

I am a great "fan" of women at the front of a lot of music, and have always given them the consideration they deserve, so someone picking on a stupid idea about women at the front of bands ... about me ... just tells you that they don't give a poop about me ... they think one sentence is what I am about, when all it is showing is their lack of intelligence and fan'ism ...

I didn't trash the music, or the women ... and some folks are defending an idea that doesn't exist. I have metal in my collection and don't dislike it ... I simply FIND THAT AN EXCUSE FOR A WOMAN at the front, does not make the band better, or worse, for their work, and I would prefer that the topic deal with the MUSIC ITSELF ... not the fact that a woman sings in it at all!

I think you have misunderstood the topic. 

And you do sound sexist I'm afraid. 

What does 'the music itself' mean in this regard then? I really don't grasp how the singer of a band is not a part of that. 

It strikes me that you have a definition of 'THE MUSIC ITSELF' that not everyone in the forum agrees with, policing topics that don't match your definition is a less productive use of your time than just not going into topics that do not interest you.

Now you've got me arguing on the internet ... instead of talking about some great music with female vocalists, which is the point of this topic.

Some I like that are a bit 'older' now are the two albums Luca Turilli (of Rhapsody) released in 2006 -

Luca Turilli - The Infinite Wonder of Creation

Luca Turilli's Dreamquestion - Visions

Both have rich symphonic music with great female singers. Cheesey, as Luca ever is, but great stuff. Been listening to them since they came out, almost 17 years now...

Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation)

Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge)

Melissa Ferlaak (Aesma Daeva)

Floor Jansen (After Forever & Nightwish)

Liv Kristine (Leaves' Eyes)

Helena Iren Michaelsen (Imperia)

Lisa Middelhauve (Xandria)

Simone Simons (Epica)

Tarja Turunen (Nightwish)

Charlotte Wessels (Delain)

Asphodel - singer of Pin-Up Went Down (their album, 2unlimited, is amazing) and Ooooooooo, can range from cartoony to gorgeous operatic to more pop-oriented singing. Avant grade sounds for sure.

And Ricinn - her solo stuff is great, she also sings in Corpo Mente (look up Orte on Youtube), Oxxo Xoox, and Igorrr, in all she is amazing.

 

Don't take too hard the dispute, Mind_Drive, they're rather rare.

Mind Drive must be rare, as I've never heard of them, although I've heard of the Yessong of the same name. 

 

Well, Paul, I'm not sure what you had in Mind. 

 No worries, you guys have taken good care of it, thanks!

So I'll continue with my feedback:

@edefakiel: I love that Wintersun album! (even saw him play it live!), sadly I dont have anything comparable except maybe Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness. But it might count more as "simply a concept album" - not necessarily greater than life in scope.

Madder Mortem: saw them once opening for Soen and enjoyed it, but not quite what I am looking for.

Messa: interesting, but lacks the "symphony" for me

Luca Turilli: have most of his albums including rhapsody of fire! great fanatsy metal! :)

Ricinn: ... I mean, Igorrr and Öxxö Xööx are from another universe entirely, and Corpo Mente is definately interesting stuff but a bit too "alien" for me ;)

@Psychedelic Paul
Yes, I rarely post here, but I have to say I enjoy it when I do :)
.. and you are correct, the Yes song was, what inspired my name.

Okay, now I better understand that post of yours, Paul. 

My username was inspired by Neil Young's Psychedelic Pill album. 

Ok guys, I think I know what I like most about female fronted metal:

- Bombastic and voluminous symphonic instrumentation

- Catchy choruses with epic melodies

- Powerful angelic voices that scream right into my soul

Since I'm quite a bit more enamoured of the divine feminine, than the divine masculine, it's mostly the girl's voices that give me that tingling sensation  

(that being said, Einar from Leprous is probably still one of my favourite singers of all time, but I guess he has a pretty angelic voice, too)

For anyone who is interested and because its fun to compile favourite music, here are some examples that stand out to me:

Seriously guys, you have to listen to the chorus of this one, Daria has probably the most epic and powerful voice in rock period! Bonus points for singing in russian.

I'm addicted to this melody!

Probably the most lascivious voice of them all, a true Siren!

But in the future,  Mind_Drive, it would be good to think about whether it's most appropriate to start a thread in a Prog lounge,

or in the General Music Discussions section. 

https://scardust.bandcamp.com/album/strangers" rel="nofollow - Scardust:

https://empresslegion.bandcamp.com/music" rel="nofollow - Empress (Philadelphia):

Edit:
Ah, you're looking for symphonic, folksy, bombastic Epica-like metal that is progressive with electronic influences.

Try this one:

https://ignea.bandcamp.com/?search_page_id=2383202423&logged_out_menubar=true" rel="nofollow - Ignea:

https://unredog.bandcamp.com/track/thoughts-that-should-not-have-been" rel="nofollow - unREDog is an up-and-coming "avantgardustrial, as she calls it - it's just industrial metal  with some avant-garde influence lol - project from Israel, if you really want a LOT of electronic influences. Debut tbd. This is actually a side project for Adi Bitran, front woman for https://pitchblackrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wolfs-cry" rel="nofollow - Orpheus Blade . May as well embed a video here, but I don't think this is quite for what you are looking:

There's also https://stormboundband.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - StormbounD , who basically epitomize everything you've described:

But personally, I think the production job on the album is awful and really just a hard listen, so it's a hard recommendation for me, but hey I think you'll love it, if you can get past the poor production job.

I add two bands from France (progressive metal/rock):

-Akin,

-The Last Embrace.

Here's two more from France...

Here's another rather obscure UK-based female-fronted melodic symphonic metal band that I used to listen to back in those days who only cut one album "The Dark Awakening" before seemingly disappearing off the scene altogether in 2012:

They came out of hiatus in the spring of 2016 however, and began looking for a new vocalist. It took quite a while to fill the role though, with the band suffering several false starts along the way, but finally in October 2019 they discovered Tauni Baxter. A 'Reawakening Tour' was planned for 2020, but after completing just one gig at The Three Hats, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne UK on 15th February 2020, Covid came along and forced the band back into hibernation again until the late spring of 2021. A new single called 'After Echoes' was finally released in November 2021, and it has been said that material for a new album is being recorded at Karl Groom's Thin Ice studios.

All the band's existing material can be heard on  https://music.youtube.com/channel/UChNWLzfjPhwJUCbTodAGnXw" rel="nofollow - YouTube Music  and  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0fzJuzQKr5F2D8jivsrh2O" rel="nofollow - Spotify .

https://tanithnyc.bandcamp.com/album/in-another-time" rel="nofollow - https://tanithnyc.bandcamp.com/album/in-another-time

Messa has been mentioned three times already, I think everyone got it. 

4th times the charm. 

recently added to PA, you can review their albums if you wish. 

 Thanks!

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3070" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3070

Most of the band went on to form Haken. Prior to To-Mera, Julie Kiss was in a Hungarian band called Without Face. Structurally simpler, their second album Astronomicon is nevertheless a hidden gem.