10 Viral Metal Bands That Didn't Stay Popular

Symphonic music and heavy metal are no strangers to each other at all. Some of metal’s biggest names have enhanced their sound with symphonic swells and stringed daliances, from Cradle of Filth, to Metallica, to Devin Townsend, to Dimmu Borgir, and beyond. Arguably though, no one has ever quite blended chamber music and heavy metal quite like Apocalyptica.

The Metallica-loving Finns first burst onto the scene with their collection of covers in the mid-'90s, gaining attention for their exclusively-cello sound. One person in particular who got drawn into the allure of Apocalyptica’s sound was famed Slayer/Fantômas drummer Dave Lombardo, who began collaborating with the group for their 2003 album Reflections.

This in turn sparked the idea to add a permanent drummer, which eventually came in the form of Mikko Sirén, and together, the group forged the path for themselves, collaborating with some of rock and metal's biggest names at the time in Corey Taylor, Till Lindemann, Ville Vaio and Adam Gontier among others.

The four-piece has slowed right down in the past decade, releasing three albums since 2010 and opting to revert back to a fully instrumental sound for their 2020 album Cell-0. They have also play the role of featured guest themselves, popping their heads in for the likes of Simone Simons, Sabaton and Darude.