While heavy metal and classical music may seem to be thousands of miles apart musically, a closer listen will reveal that the two share much in common. Heavy metal music is defined by ear shattering volume, virtuosic displays of technical skill, the interplay of dynamics and productions of epic proportions… all of which are similarly found in the classical canon.
Classical themes and melodies are commonly cited in the heavy metal genre: the world of classical music has provided and continues to provide a wealth of inspiration for metal musicians. Here are just 11 examples of the finest classically inspired heavy metal ever committed to tape…
‘Black Sabbath’ (1970) – Black Sabbath
The British godfathers of heavy metal carved the genre into stone, with one of the most iconic and influential guitar riffs of all time – which itself is based on Gustav Holst’s ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’ from his The Planets orchestral suite.
Holst’s use of the sinister and dark sounding tritone Diabolus in Musica (devil in music), proved to be the catalyst to the group defining its sound. This in turn confirms without a shadow of doubt, that Holst had already set in stone the building blocks for what became heavy metal 50 years later.
‘Am I Evil?’ (1980) – Diamond Head
Holst is again referenced in ‘Am I Evil?’ by English heavy metal outfit Diamond Head. The group’s desire to create a song that would be heavier and faster than before, led them to turn to not only their metal forefathers Black Sabbath, but to Holst as well for their inspiration. The song begins with the pounding beat of drums and guitars before segueing into yet again, ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’, further certifying Holst’s integral role in the development of heavy metal.
‘Am I Evil?’ would also sow the seeds in birthing a rash of sub-genres such as thrash metal. And just like the eight-minute long ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’, ‘Am I Evil?’, also clocks in similarly at just under eight minutes.
‘Metal Heart’ (1985) – Accept
Coming from the land that gave the world some of the world’s greatest composers, German heavy metal outfit Accept, also paid homage to their classical forefathers with the title track to their 1985 album Metal Heart, which itself is based around the melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Marche slave in B-flat minor and Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’ (Bagatelle No. 25). And in a nice acknowledgement to their classical brethren, the group proudly credit the two composers on the album’s credits too by writing; ‘Metal Heart is inspired by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ludwig van Beethoven’.
‘Play With Me’ (1989) – Extreme
Funk-metallers Extreme may be more well known for their acoustic ballad ‘More Than Words’, but the group’s guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s playing was informed by a swathe of classical music influences. This is showcased in all its glory on the group’s song ‘Play With Me’, which kicks off with a frenetic six-string take on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart‘s ‘Rondo Alla Turca’ from his Piano Sonata No. 11.
It’s short and sweet – only five seconds long – but states its point solidly, capturing the freewheeling spirit of Mozart who amongst the metal fraternity is considered to be the first rock star. The song was also given a run in the movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
‘The Divine Wings of Tragedy’ (1996) – Symphony X
American prog-metal purveyors Symphony X have regularly incorporated classical pieces into their music. This is largely due to the group’s primary songsmith and guitarist Michael Romeo. Introduced to the works of the classical masters at a young age, these became his musical textbook while he was learning his instrument.
One track that particularly showcases this influence is the epic 20-minute title track to the group’s 1996 album, The Divine Wings of Tragedy which plunders Holst’s ‘Mars, Bringer of War’ and JS Bach’s Mass in B minor throughout.
‘Will The Sun Rise’ (1996) – Stratovarius
Finnish power metal group Stratovarius are another band hugely influenced by classical music, particularly with composers from the Baroque era, as exemplified on ‘Will the Sun Rise?’ Sounding like a speeding train out of control, it shifts gear midway, and goes into full-blown, frenzied classical mode, as guitar and keyboard duel away on JS Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor.
‘Red Light in My Eyes’, Pts 1 & 2 (1997) – Children of Bodom
Also hailing from Finland, Children of Bodom are more on the melodic death metal end of the musical scale. On this particular track, they mine the catalogues of both Bach and Mozart. Split into two parts, it comes off their 1997 debut album, Something Wild.
At the start of Part 1, it makes use of Bach’s Invention No. 13 in A minor, while Part 2 begins with a guitar intro taken from Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, before arriving at the 0:27 minute mark, where the keyboard part elicits Mozart’s ‘Confutatis’ sequence from his Requiem.
‘The Wizard’s Last Rhymes’ (2001) – Rhapsody
Italian symphonic metal group Rhapsody (now renamed Rhapsody of Fire) is heavily influenced by the greats of classical music, running the gamut from Vivaldi to Paganini and beyond. They even had famed Hammer horror actor Christopher Lee appear on their 2004 album, Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret.
I’m choosing the track, ‘The Wizard’s Last Rhymes’, the majestic closing number to their 2001 album Rain of a Thousand Flames which quotes the melody from Antonín Dvořák‘s Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World’.
‘Forever’ (2001) – Kamelot
American symphonic power metal group Kamelot also dig deep into the classical music catalogue. Their song ‘Forever’ from their 2001 album Karma takes the inspiration for its main melody from ‘Solveig’s Song’, from Edvard Grieg‘s Peer Gynt.
‘Air’ (2002) – Yngwie J Malmsteen
Hearing the sounds of Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, while in his early teens, led Swedish heavy metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen to marry his love of all things classical to his guitar-driven heavy metal. Or for want of a better word; neo-classical metal.
One of Malmsteen’s constant musical references is JS Bach, with whom Malmsteen is so enamoured with that in a 2019 interview with UK’s Total Rock Radio he stated, ‘To me, Bach is like, the closest thing to God.’ He showcases his immense love for Bach on 2002’s ‘Air’, a blazing metalized cover of Bach’s ‘Air on the G String’ (from his Orchestral Suite No. 3)
‘Lacrymosa’ (2006) – Evanescence
Amy Lee, lead vocalist with Goth metal merchants Evanescence, first become smitten with Mozart’s music at the age of nine, after watching the 1984 film adaption of Mozart’s life, Amadeus. This led to Lee developing a lifelong appreciation of all that classical music had to offer.
This was highlighted on her group’s 2006 song ‘Lacrymosa’ where she pays homage to Mozart by assimilating the ‘Lacrimosa’ segment from Mozart’s Requiem into the song – one of Lee’s personal favourite pieces. Lee and co. later reworked the song for their 2017 album, Synthesis, where it was given an orchestral makeover, with the parent album topping the US Billboard Classical Albums chart. And with Evanescence’s much younger demographic, it also helped introduce the name of Mozart to a whole new generation of music lovers.