Vaellus is a doom/gothic metal band from Tampere, Finland, formed in 2025. They blend doom metal's crushing weight with gothic metal's dark atmospheric beauty.

Vale of Tears is a gothic/melodic death metal band from Karcag, Hungary, formed in 2023. They evolved from gothic/death metal origins toward a more melodic death metal sound.

Valkiria is a one-man project created by Valkus in Italy in 1996, evolving from early black metal to epic gothic metal. Across an extensive discography — from 1997's "The Narrow Bed" through 2024's "Embrace the End" — the project has maintained nearly three decades of consistent output.

Silves-based Vanquish crafts gothic metal from Portugal's sun-drenched Algarve coast, creating a striking contrast between their dark, melancholic sound and their Mediterranean surroundings. Their compositions layer atmospheric keyboards over heavy guitar work with emotional, dual vocal approaches.

Varon is a gothic/death metal band from Osterhofen, Germany, formed in 2016. They merge gothic metal's dark romantic atmospherics with death metal's heaviness and growled vocals.

Veil of Mist is a symphonic/gothic/progressive metal band from Reims, France, formed in 2016. They weave symphonic orchestration, gothic atmospherics, and progressive structures into an elaborate metal tapestry.

Veladura Grisea is a progressive gothic metal band from Alicante, Spain, formed in 2025. They blend gothic metal's dark romanticism with progressive structures and atmospheric depth.

Kirov's Velaverante creates lush symphonic metal infused with gothic elements, layering orchestral arrangements over heavy guitar foundations. Their ambitious compositions pair dramatic keyboard work with emotional vocal performances in the tradition of European symphonic metal.

Velian is a melodic gothic/death metal band from Sofia, Bulgaria, formed in 2016 by five veterans of the Bulgarian metal scene from acts like Wartime, Fanagoria, and PhyX. Their discography — including the EP "Fireflies," full-lengths "Godless," "Spectacle of Tragedy," and 2026's "Embers" — addresses destructive materialism and societal decay through richly layered gothic-tinged death metal.