My favourite artists

Mercyful Fate

Genius band from Danmark. They play beautiful, while little satanic, songs, with a unique sound. And you must also add the beautiful King Diamond's voice here...
Recommendations: all, especially Melissa, Don't Break The Oath, The Beginning and Time

King Diamond

And here is King himself, along with his second band. Similar sound and genial lyrics.
Recommendations: all, especially Fatal Portrail, "Them" and Abigail

The Gathering

Great Dutch band playing, say, Gothic metal. Plus beautiful voice of Anneke van Giersbergen.
Recommendations: Mandylion, Nighttime Birds, Always

Vanessa-Mae

Good music is not only metal. Vanessa-Mae beautifully plays violin and is really worth listening.
Recommendations: all, especially The Violin Player

Emperor

Believed to be the best black metal band by many people.
Recommendations: all, especially Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk and In The Nightside Eclipse

Burzum

Another norwegian black metal classic.
Recommendations: all, especially Hvis lyset tar oss and Filosofem

Anna Maria Jopek

Magnificent artist mixing popular music with jazz. Great voice.
Recommendations: all

Tori Amos

Another non-metal artist on this list. Tori beautifully sings and plays piano in a rock manner. My recommendation.
Recommendations: all, especially Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink

Mylène Farmer

One of the best known french vocalists.
Recommendations: Anamorphosée, L'autre..., Innamoramento

The Corrs

Irish family band playing popular music with some pieces of folk.
Recommendations: Forgiven, Not Forgotten

Mortiis

Norwegian musician playing dark ambient music.
Recommendations: Crypt Of The Wizard, The Stargate

Lacuna Coil

Great metal-gothic band from Italy.
Recommendations: Lacuna Coil, In A Reverie

Tower

Great polish band playing gothic metal.
Recommendations: all, especially The Swan Princess

Obituary

One of the best death metal bands of the world. And, of course, the vocalist, John Tardy, has the most deathly voice of the world.
Recommendations: all, especially Cause Of Death

Julita & Paula

Another example to prove that modern violin music can be excellent. Julita and Paula play classical music in new (often very heavy!) versions. My recommendation.
Recommendations: Julita & Paula

Stille Volk

French band playing a mixture of heavy alternative rock with folk music.
Recommendations: all

Vader

The best Polish band, plaing death metal. Vader is one of the very few Polish bands known (and popular!) outside Poland.
Recommendations: all, especially De Profundis

Macabre

So called murder metal - twisted rock'n'roll-metal-grindcore songs about serial killers.
Recommendations: Sinister Slaughter

Linda Brava

Or really Linda Lampenius - one more, this time Finnish, violinist.
Recommendations: Linda Lampenius (very hard to get, though)

Voivod

Techno-thrash from Canada. Nice music, interesting lyrics.
Recommendations: Nothingface, Dimension Hatröss

Secret Garden

Beautiful music inspired by, amongst others, norwegian and irish folk.
Recommendations: Songs From A Secret Garden

Kreator

Nice thrash from Germany. Especially old LPs are worth listening.
Recommendations: Extreme Aggression, Coma of Souls

The Great Kat

Magnificent guitalist and violinist, playing her own kind of speed-metal.
Recommendations: Beethoven On Speed