How to Write Symphonic Black Metal Songs

You want your riffs to stab like frost. You want choirs to cry like collapsing cathedrals. You want shrieks that sound like the sky collapsing and strings that punch like lightning. Symphonic black metal sits where raw aggression meets orchestral cinema. It is dramatic, theatrical, bleak, and often beautiful. This guide takes you from a scribble of guitar noise to a finished cinematic anthem that still sounds like it was born in a garage and raised by a choir.

This is for millennial and Gen Z artists who want to write black metal songs with orchestral depth. We are going to cover history and vibe, core musical elements, riffs and chord patterns, scales and harmony, orchestration, choir writing, vocal techniques, lyric craft, arrangement maps, production and mixing tips, live performance realities, and finishing moves that make a song feel finished. Every term and acronym will be explained, and you will get drills and real life examples that make the whole process fast and brutal.

What Is Symphonic Black Metal

Symphonic black metal is a subgenre that blends the raw textures and speed of black metal with orchestral elements. Instead of cold bleakness alone the songs often have cinematic layers such as string sections, brass, woodwind colors, and choirs. The combination creates contrast. The vocals stay aggressive and shrill while the instruments add sweeping emotion.

Black metal started in the 1980s and became codified in the early 1990s with fast tremolo picking, blast beat drums, lo fi production in some scenes, and lyrical themes that included nature, nihilism, myth, and anti religion. Symphonic bands added keyboards and later full orchestral arrangements to expand the sonic palette. Think raw energy meets movie soundtrack.

Core Elements of a Symphonic Black Metal Song

• Tremolo picked riffs played with open string or power chord shapes.
• Blast beat drum patterns that create a wall of sound. A blast beat is a rapid alternating hit pattern that typically involves the bass drum snare and cymbals played very fast.
• Aggressive vocals using shrieks screams and sometimes clean singing for contrast. We will explain technique and safety for your throat.
• Orchestral layers such as strings brass and choir that provide mood and scale.
• Atmospheric textures like pads soundscapes choir hits and reversed piano.
• Dark melodic minor scales and modes such as harmonic minor Phrygian and Locrian to create tension.
• Arrangement contrast that shifts from intimate to enormous so dynamics matter more than tempo every time.

Decide Your Aesthetic Promise

Before you write a single bar, write one sentence that states the emotional promise of the song. This becomes your compass. Say it like a brutal movie tagline.

Examples

• The forest swallows the last torchlight and the choir counts our sins.
• We watch an empire burn while brass sings like angels at war.
• I turn my throat into a bell and call the storm back down.

Turn that sentence into a short title. Titles in black metal often use mythic nouns or vivid images. Keep it singable and dark.

Choose a Structure That Lets Orchestration Breathe

Black metal loves long tracks. Still the song needs shape. Use clear architecture so the orchestral elements feel earned. Here are three structures that work.

Structure A: Intro → Riff Theme → Verse → Chorus → Orchestral Interlude → Verse → Bridge → Finale

Classic song shape for a five to seven minute epic. The intro sets the atmosphere. The orchestral interlude can be a moment for a leitmotif to become obvious.

Structure B: Overture → Riff Suite → Development → Climax → Coda

This borrows from classical forms. The overture introduces motifs. Development manipulates those motifs. Great for concept songs and long tracks.

Structure C: Intro Theme → Verse → Blast Beat Section → Choir Driven Middle → Chant Finale

Use this when you want abrupt brutality mixed with cinematic payoff. The chant finale can be a repeated phrase sung by choir or gang vocals for live impact.

Scales Modes and Harmony That Sound Black and Symphonic

Symphonic black metal often uses minor centered material with altered intervals. Here are practical options to write dark melodies and chords.

• Natural minor is the basic minor scale. Its intervals give a sad or somber mood.
• Harmonic minor raises the seventh scale degree. It has a spooky augmented second that sounds ancient and exotic.
• Phrygian has a flattened second. It gives a Spanish or Middle Eastern flavor that is instantly ominous.
• Locrian is dissonant with a flattened fifth. Use it for unsettling passages rather than full songs.
• Diminished and whole tone fragments add instability for transitions and crescendos.

A practical tip

Write a motif in harmonic minor around a root note. Duplicate it up a fifth or down a fourth and change one note to create tension. That small voice leading makes riffs feel connected across sections.

Riff Writing: From Tremolo to Chordal Assault

Riffs are the heartbeat. In symphonic black metal you will switch between tremolo picked single note lines and chordal blasts. Here is a workflow to write riffs fast.

1. Choose a tonal center. Pick a key like E minor or C minor. Lower keys give more weight on guitar and bass.
2. Create a two bar motif with tremolo picking. Keep the rhythm interesting by mixing straight eighths with dotted notes. The human ear loves syncopation in small doses.
3. Make a second motif that contrasts. If the first one is thin and high, make the second one thicker and lower.
4. Connect the motifs with a transitional run such as a chromatic slide or a diminished sequence.
5. Repeat and vary. Add an orchestral counter motif to the second repeat to build depth.

Example riff idea

Start with E on the open low string. Tremolo pick a melodic line up to G and B then slide down chromatically to D. On the repeat add a low power chord under the melody on the second bar for weight.

Drums and Blast Beats

Drum work is crucial. The blast beat creates that sense of relentless motion that black metal needs. Blast beat is a drum pattern where snare and kick alternate very fast often with cymbal hits on each stroke. There are varieties of blast beats and you should know three forms.

• Standard blast where kick and snare alternate on 16th or 32nd notes with a steady cymbal pattern on each stroke.
• Two stroke blast that uses a double bass pattern on the kick and snare on the off beats for a rolling feel.
• Floor tom driven blasts used for tribal or slower parts to make the drums sound huge and organic.

Programming realistic blast beats requires dynamic variation. If you use MIDI drums with a virtual instrument keep the snare velocity varied. Real drummers do not hit the same force each hit and this variance makes programmed drums feel alive.

Orchestration That Complements Brutality

Orchestration is where you can go from being another metal band to sounding cinematic. Think in layers. Orchestration does not mean every instrument plays loudly at once. It means assigning roles and letting textures breathe.

Three orchestral roles

• Support strings or low brass that follow the guitar root to add weight.
• Color woodwinds or high strings that add mood and countermelody.
• Impact choir stabs brass hits and timpani for punctuation at dramatic moments.

Practical orchestration tips

• Write a string ostinato that repeats under a tremolo riff. Keep it simple to avoid masking the guitar.
• Use low brass and cellos to double the low guitar an octave lower for thickness.
• Give the choir simple harmonic clusters rather than dense runs when the band is loud. Dense choral writing competes with distorted guitars.
• Reserve full orchestra and choir for climaxes. Small arrangements in verses make the chorus feel huge.

Choir Writing for Maximum Drama

Choirs can rescue a weak chorus and make a strong chorus immortal. You do not need to write full four part SATB harmony all the time. Sometimes a single sustained chord with close voicing is enough. SATB stands for soprano alto tenor bass. These are voice ranges used to arrange traditional choral parts.

How to write a choir part

1. Choose the harmony. Use simple triads or add a minor second for tension at the verse top.
2. Decide texture. A close cluster will sound dissonant and cold. A wide spread will feel open and cinematic.
3. Draft a chant phrase for the choir to repeat. Repetition builds a ritual feel useful for live singalongs.
4. Mix the choir slightly behind the main vocal in the mix. The choir should support not steal unless you want a choral lead moment.

Vocal Technique and Health

Black metal vocals are often shrieks and screams. These are extreme vocal techniques. Do not attempt them without basic training. Damaging your voice is easy. Protect it like you protect an amp that cost more than rent.

Basics for harsh vocals

• Warm up with gentle hums lip rolls and light chest voice exercises.
• Use breath support from your diaphragm rather than forcing air from the throat.
• Learn false cord and fry techniques from a trained coach. False cord uses the false vocal folds to create distortion. Fry voice is a low creaky tone used for depth.
• Hydration and rest matter. Drink water. Avoid alcohol and smoke before sessions.

Practical vocal styles

• Shriek high pitched thin piercing screams used for mania.
• Growl low guttural tones for gravitas.
• Clean singing placed sparingly for contrast especially in choruses or bridges.

Real life scenario

You are recording vocals at 1am after practice. Your throat feels tired. Do not push the shrieks. Record a cleaner aggressive take and add a texture layer later with distortion in the mix. This keeps your pipes intact and gives more options at mix time.

Lyric Writing and Themes

Black metal lyrics tend to be poetic and mythic. Symphonic black metal often leans into epic stories nature and existential dread. There is room for personal themes too. Keep language evocative and avoid cliché phrases unless you put a twist on them.

Lyric craft tips

• Use concrete images such as frost on an altar or crows on a ruined bell tower.
• Employ archaic diction sparingly to sound mythic. Words like abyss and altar are fine but do not overuse them.
• Include a repeating line or chant as the hook. Repetition in metal is memory glue.
• Consider writing in a slightly archaic grammatical style for narrative songs such as replacing contractions with the full form to increase gravity.

Example chorus idea

Raise the ash to the sky and the choir will tremble. We call the soft blue storm and let the empire crumble. Keep it short and chantable.

Arrangement Maps You Can Steal

Symphonic Epic Map

• 0 00 to 0 30 second overture with sustained strings and ominous choir syllables
• 0 30 to 1 30 minute riff theme tremolo guitars enter and blast beat holds back
• 1 30 to 2 15 verse with sparse strings and low brass support
• 2 15 to 3 00 chorus choir stabs full drums and anthemic riff
• 3 00 to 4 00 middle orchestral development a piano or solo violin lead
• 4 00 to 5 00 climax with choir brass and double tracked shrieks
• 5 00 to 6 00 coda fading with atmospheric textures and a last choir hit

Short and Brutal Map

• Intro 0 00 to 0 20 atmospheric pad and single motif
• Riff assault 0 20 to 1 20 full blast beat and tight riff
• Bridge 1 20 to 1 45 half time with low choir
• Final chorus 1 45 to 2 45 full orchestra and gang chants
• Outro 2 45 to 3 10 sample or spoken word fade

Production Tips That Preserve Rawness and Power

The production challenge is to keep the aggression and make room for orchestra. You do not need a huge budget. You need smart decisions.

Recording guitars

• Record a tight rhythm sound. Use a focused amp or amp sim and tight mic technique. If you double track guitars record at least two takes and slightly vary the timing for width.
• Consider recording a clean DI bass trace for re amp later. This allows tonal control without rerecording the player.

Mixing orchestra with distorted guitars

• Give each element its own frequency slot. Use EQ to carve space. For example cut some midrange from the orchestra where guitars sit and boost upper mids for strings to make them cut through.
• Use reverb to push some orchestral elements far back while keeping percussion and choir slightly forward. This creates depth without mud.
• Sidechain is a mixing technique where one track influences another such as compressing orchestra slightly when the kick drums hit to keep low end clear. Sidechain stands for routing a signal to control compression and volume automation.

Using virtual instruments

Most symphonic bands use software orchestras inside a computer. You will use a DAW which stands for digital audio workstation and is the program where you record and arrange. Examples are Reaper Pro Tools Ableton Live Logic Pro and FL Studio. DAW choice is personal. Learn one well.

Orchestral libraries

• Use large sample libraries like Kontakt orchestras or purpose built cinematic packs. Kontakt is a popular sampler plugin. Many libraries require a sample engine such as Native Instruments Kontakt. VST stands for virtual studio technology and is the format for many instrument plugins.
• Layer a small set of realistic strings with a synthetic pad to add body without eating CPU. CPU stands for central processing unit and refers to your computer chip. Orchestral libraries are heavy on CPU so you must manage resources.

Finishing Moves That Make a Song Feel Done

1. Lock your motif. Ensure your main motif appears in at least three different textures across the song.
2. Balance loud sections with quiet ones. The quiet sections make the loud parts hit harder.
3. Check vocal placement. Lead vocals need to be clear and slightly forward unless you want them buried for effect.
4. Master arrangement economy. Delete any layer that exists only because you can add it. If it does not add narrative or energy, remove it.
5. Test the song in a few environments. Listen on headphones car speakers and a cheap bluetooth speaker. If the choir disappears in the cheap speaker you need to rework frequency balance for the low mid range.

Songwriting Exercises for Symphonic Black Metal

Motif Ladder

Write one two bar motif. Repeat it in three different textures. First as tremolo guitar second as a string ostinato and third as a choir chant. Each repetition should add one new note or rhythmic twist.

Half Time Swap

Write a full speed blast beat section then write a half time version of the same motif with low choir and timpani. This teaches how power changes with tempo and arrangement.

Vocal Layering Drill

Record one aggressive take and one clean sung take of the chorus. Stack three aggressive takes and one clean high melody. Mix them with aggressive takes at lower volume to create texture without drowning the clean line.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Over arranging. Fix by removing elements that do not support the motif. Less is often more if the arrangement has clarity.
• Choir too loud. Fix by automating choir volume to swell at key moments rather than play constant full blast.
• Vocals buried. Fix by carving space with subtractive EQ and sidechain the choir to the vocal bus so the human voice reads clearly.
• Riffs that repeat without development. Fix by introducing counter melody or changing harmony on repeat to create motion.
• Mix too clean. Fix by adding slight saturation distortion or tape emulation on master bus to glue elements and preserve aggression.

Playing Live: Reality Check

Symphonic elements are the hardest part to reproduce live. You have options that scale with budget.

• Keyboards played by a live musician who triggers samplers and pads.
• Backing tracks with orchestral parts. Make sure to use a click track for the drummer. A click track is a metronome feed fed to the drummer and sometimes other players so timing is locked to the backing track.
• Reduce orchestration to essential lines for live shows and let tracks handle the rest.
• Hire a small string quartet for special shows. Even two violins and a cello can transform a live set.

Real life tip

You are practicing in a tiny venue. The bass and distorted guitars will mask much of the orchestra. Prioritize choir and lead melody lines so the audience still perceives the cinematic element even in muddy live mixes.

Legal and Copyright Basics

If you use orchestral samples and libraries you must follow the license. Some free libraries require attribution. Commercial libraries allow performance and release but read the end user license agreement also called EULA. A small mistake here can cost money later.

Songwriting split

Decide splits early. If a band member writes riffs and another arranges orchestra decide percent splits before releasing. Songwriting credits matter for royalties and publishing. Publishing is the system that collects money when your song is played on radio streaming or TV. Register your song with a local performing rights organization to collect those royalties.

Workflow Checklist for Writing Your Next Symphonic Black Metal Song

1. Write one sentence emotional promise and a matching title.
2. Draft two bar guitar motif and a contrasting motif.
3. Pick scale or mode and craft a three note hook in that scale.
4. Program drums with dynamic variation and at least two blast beat patterns.
5. Add a string ostinato and a low brass double under the main riff.
6. Write a chantable choir hook for the chorus and place it on strong beats.
7. Record vocal guide using protected technique or a comfortable aggressive take.
8. Balance mix elements carve frequency slots and automate choir and orchestra for drama.
9. Test the arrangement in a cheap speaker and on headphones. Make adjustments.
10. Register song and finalize artwork and metadata for release.

Examples and Before After Lines

Before: The night is dark and I feel alone.

After: The moon slits the chapel glass and my voice replies like a jagged bell.

Before: We are going to destroy the city.

After: We set the city to sleep in slow ember and sing like priests as it burns.

FAQ

What is the fastest way to make a song feel cinematic

Introduce an orchestral motif early and reuse it in different textures. Have the motif appear as a tremolo line guitar then as strings then as choir. Repetition with variation creates cinematic cohesion quickly.

Do I need a real orchestra to make authentic symphonic black metal

No. High quality sample libraries can sound convincing. The trick is arrangement and mix. Use realistic articulations and humanize MIDI with velocity and timing variation. If you can afford a few real string players for certain parts you will add authenticity but it is not required.

How do I keep my harsh vocals from ruining my voice

Warm up properly use breath support and work with a vocal coach who knows extreme technique. Do not practice shrieks for hours straight. Record in short comfortable bursts and rest your voice. Hydration and sleep matter a lot.

Which scales make songs feel more ominous

Harmonic minor Phrygian and Locrian deliver dread. Use harmonic minor for exotic tension and Phrygian for flat second color. Mix scales in development sections for surprise.

How can I make the choir sit under the guitars without being lost

Carve space with EQ automate choir volume and use reverb to place it slightly behind the guitars. Also consider doubling the choir with a midrange pad so the harmonics cut through distorted guitar timbre.

Is it better to write orchestration first or guitars first

Either works. Many writers start with guitar and add orchestration later. Others write an orchestral theme first and build the metal part around it. Try both. The important part is that motifs link sections together.

How do I program realistic drums for blast sections

Use multiple snare samples and vary velocities. Add slight timing humanization and ghost notes. For kicks vary sample selection and tune the snare to sit with the guitars. Use room ambience to glue the kit together.

How long should a symphonic black metal song be

Anywhere from three minutes to twelve minutes depending on ambition. Long songs allow more development but require strong motifs and tension arcs. If you cannot sustain ideas for eight minutes then make a concise three to five minute statement.

Action Plan You Can Do Today

1. Write one sentence that captures the song feeling. Turn it into a title.
2. Make a two bar guitar motif in harmonic minor. Tremolo pick it and record a minute of takes.
3. Program a blast beat pattern and a half time variation. Loop both for comparison.
4. Open your DAW and place a string ostinato under the riff. Keep it simple and repeat it across the chorus.
5. Write a three word chant for the chorus and record it with at least three takes for stacking.
6. Mix quickly and test in headphones and a cheap speaker. Adjust the orchestra and choir levels until the hook reads on both systems.
7. Register the song with a performing rights organization and plan one live solution such as keyboards or backing tracks.