Sirenia was founded in Stavanger, Norway in 2001 by Morten Veland, shortly after his departure from Tristania, a band he had co-founded. Veland brought an early batch of compositions with him and used them to build the debut album At Sixes and Sevens, establishing the band's template of gothic metal layered with symphonic orchestration, soprano vocals, choral arrangements, and Veland's own death growls. The band has released twelve studio albums over more than two decades, with Veland handling nearly all instrumental duties throughout. Sirenia remain one of the most consistent acts in European symphonic gothic metal.

Skjorta have been blending symphonic, doom, and gothic metal from Weil am Rhein on the Swiss-French-German tri-border since 2001. Their two-decade career at this cultural crossroads has produced music that draws from three national metal traditions simultaneously.

Skydancer craft doom and gothic metal from the Estonian university city of Tartu, combining crushing heaviness with dark romantic atmospheres. Active since 2012, they bring ethereal grace to the Baltic doom scene.

Sleeping Gods craft doom, death, and gothic metal from Kassel, weaving dark romantic atmospheres through crushing heaviness and deep growls. Their Hessian base provides a fitting backdrop for music that explores the space between slumber and divinity.

Vaxjo's Sleeping Majesty merge symphonic death, black, and gothic metal from the Smaland capital since 2018. Their dormant-royalty name channels the slumbering grandeur of unconscious sovereignty into ornate, multi-genre compositions.

Smerte (Danish/Norwegian for "Pain") forge blackened gothic metal from Helsinki, blending the dark romanticism of gothic metal with black metal's atmospheric intensity. Formed in 2022, they bring Scandinavian-named anguish to the Finnish capital.

Solar Spine blend progressive rock, gothic/death metal, and doom from the gemstone-cutting town of Idar-Oberstein in the Hunsruck mountains. Active since 2008, their genre-spanning approach creates a multi-faceted sound that reflects the geological diversity of their surroundings.

Son of Sorrow craft gothic metal and rock from the Andalusian sherry town of Jerez de la Frontera, weaving dark romantic themes through heavy compositions. Active since 2017, they bring flamenco-country melancholy to gothic metal.

Song of Anhubis deliver symphonic gothic metal from the Basque town of Mungia, layering orchestral grandeur over dark themes inspired by Egyptian mythology. Active since 2016, they bring Basque-Egyptian mysticism to the Spanish symphonic scene.