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Characteristics
Gothic metal is sometimes considered a loose genre in the way it sounds due to a lack of a centralised ideology in regards to this aspect. The genres is mainly defined by its composition of the music and its aesthetics, leaving individual bands to provide their own artistic interpretations of what to include and/or leave out. The only prerequisite characteristics of the music are the genres unique use of dual vocalists, keyboards and acoustic guitars.
Gothic metal tends to take influence from the doom metal, black metal, and death metal subgenres of Heavy metal for its composition, heavily synthesizing the styles of their melody and rhythm ideas in its guitar work, often causing the music to be aggressive and fast paced. Acoustic guitars are sometimes present in gothic metal, and in bands that use two guitars, one guitarist is often found playing a form of acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar is used in the same way as its electronic counterpart, and is normally found playing melodies of equal technicality. The bass guitar in gothic metal is usually played using lower tones akin to doom metal, often combined with the aggressive playing of black and death metal. The bass guitar is often the main contributor to the atmosphere in songs, though has also been seen as performing a duet with the keyboarding in this regard.
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Other gothic metal fusions
Within death metal and black metal this has included the non-defining use of dual vocalists, sub-romantic themes and the writing of concept albums mixed with the traditional sound of the genre. These genre fusions include bands such as Dark Lunacy, Cradle of Filth (later albums), and Eternal Tears of Sorrow.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_metal
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