Artists like Epica

Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead vocalist Tarja Turunen. The lineup grew with drummer Jukka Nevalainen and bassist Sami Vänskä. In 2001, Vänskä was replaced by Marko Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist role previously filled by Holopainen or guest singers. Nightwish has been successful in Finland since the release of their debut album, Angels Fall First (1997), and were later recognized internationally through the release of their albums Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000) and Century Child (2002).

Xandria is a German symphonic metal band founded by Marco Heubaum in 1994. Originally a project, Heubaum later restarted the project as a band in 1999, and has gone through various lineup changes. The German vocalist Lisa Middelhauve joined for the debut album, co-writing both music and lyrics for the band until her departure in 2008. Middelhauve reunited briefly with the band in 2010 following the departure of the band's second vocalist Kerstin Bischof, but left again shortly after. Manuela Kraller joined the band as the new vocalist in 2010.

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have also been classified under other genres, with critics praising the band's experimentation and musical versatility. By 2016, the band had sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.

Delain is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by keyboardist Martijn Westerholt. After his departure from Within Temptation in 2001, Westerholt formed Delain the following year, intending for the band to be solely a project, but stopped after the release of one demo. In 2005, Westerholt restarted Delain alongside singer Charlotte Wessels, and released the debut studio album, Lucidity, in September 2006. The band began to perform publicly following the positive reception the album received.

After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences. Originally formed as a death metal band in 1995 by Mark Jansen and Sander Gommans under the name Apocalypse, they later shifted their sound towards symphonic metal with the introduction of Floor Jansen to the band.

Sirenia is a Norwegian gothic metal band from Stavanger, founded in 2001 by Morten Veland.

ReVamp was a Dutch progressive metal band formed by singer Floor Jansen after her previous band After Forever disbanded in 2009.

Leaves' Eyes is a symphonic metal band based in Germany, formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine and Alexander Krull (Atrocity). Kristine departed in 2016 and was succeeded by Elina Siirala. The band has released nine studio albums, a live album and DVD as well several singles and EPs.

Visions of Atlantis is an Austrian symphonic metal band formed in Bruck an der Mur, Styria, in 2000. Inspiration came both from successful Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish and from the myth of Atlantis, as well as a pirate theme in recent albums.

Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album Silverthorn as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist.

Blackbriar is a Dutch alternative metal band from Assen. They have released three albums, four EPs, six singles, twelve official music videos, one official lyric video and four acoustic live videos.

Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. Its name, meaning "Beast" in Greek, was inspired by the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion. Originally a death metal band, Therion adjusted its musical style by adding orchestral elements, including choirs, classical musicians, and even a full orchestra at their concert performances. As a result, they are considered pioneers of the symphonic metal genre.

Tristania was a Norwegian gothic metal band formed in 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson. Tristania's music is usually classified as gothic metal. Their songs largely dealt with dark and sentimental topics, including depression, sadness, suicide, love, absence, and anger.

Dark Sarah is a Finnish symphonic metal band formed by Heidi Parviainen after her departure from Amberian Dawn in 2012. Their style has been described as "cinematic metal".

Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept albums. The name is a blend of the words Avalon and fantasia ('fantasy') and describes "a world beyond human imagination".

Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup consists of drummer Tommy Portimo, lead singer Tony Kakko, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, guitarist Elias Viljanen and bassist Pasi Kauppinen. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists.

Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is currently composed of three classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso. Originally a classical-style Metallica tribute band, the band eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars and bass. They have sold over four million albums to date.