I was listening to this Queensryche song one time (I can't remember the exact name of the track), and the intro had this sort of choir that reminds me of Gregorian chants. Which gets me wondering, are there any more examples in metal music? It can be either authentic style Gregorian/Old Roman/Mozarabic chant, or ir can be something that resembles one.

Oh, you'll want to check out Arð, "Monastic Northumbrian doom". He did that thing with the chants quite well.

The Dutch band Orphanage had a lot of choir parts in their music as well. It was an interesting mix what with all of the polyrhythms going on. I only know their first two albums, which are well worth your time.

Rotting Christ have some songs, such as Lex Talionis and Ad Noctis.

Seconding Ard, I thought his album from last year was brilliant.

Apocalypse Orchestra also has some solid chanting type vocals and nails the aesthetic.

First Prayer by Deathspell omega

World Coming Down by Type O Negative (specifically, the title track).

Batuskha?

Center of Eternity by Ozzy is a good one.

Non metal - but Enigma (Sadeness) is an excellent electronic dancey song with a lot of Gregorian chanting.

You might like Epta Astera and Hesychast.

https://eptaastera.bandcamp.com/album/feste-burg
https://hesychast.bandcamp.com/album/ageless

Batushka do orthodox chants, not gregorian

Well excuse me! Sorry / typical American ignoramus here.

Great thread.

https://youtu.be/_BwUjLC5VRQ
This song by Timeghoul. I wish they'd put out more in this vein.

Griftegård's "Solemn Sacred Severe" album is very monastic is feel throughout, especially the track "Noah's Hands" which is basically a church hymn
https://youtu.be/CBaZNOF-HXs

There's a couple of brief moments in Cathedral's "Serpent Eve" that have choir-sounding keyboards that give the impression of chanting. It's very subtle, but so effective at creating that monastic atmosphere.
https://youtu.be/Fa4CL4pm4s4
(0:57 - 1:23, and 2:28 - 2.50)

And the intro of Solitude Aeturnus "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" is very chant-like. Again, very brief.
https://youtu.be/d72j6GEgaJc




Great to see Enigma get some love. They get a lot of flack for being "new age", but they're actually quite dark, especially that 1st album. I bought it when it first came out, and I can genuinely say it was a huge influence on my later taste for dark/gothic/medieval music.


Other non-metal acts you could try:

Arcana "Cantar De Procella"
https://youtu.be/BS5m3D8R1GY

Raison d'Etre
https://youtu.be/pve1nE_jbf4

I'm not sure if the vocals in First Prayer could be considered Gregorian chants... nonetheless, Carnal Malefactor from the same album is a better example, and it is an actual song instead of just an introduction/filler track.

This song never fails to give me the chills. And even tho I don't consider it an intro track, it forever ruined all intro tracks for me. I dunno what it is about this composition, but it's just transcendental...

Original composition, in case anyone cares.



In this particular case the interludes on Si monumentum are waaaaay better than the actual songs.

Are Tristania and Sirenia and their copycats too banal?
Also, even though it's dark ambient and not metal, I can't help but second Raison d'Etre. Probably the best use of choirs/chants I've ever heard. I'm almost obsessed with their song called Katharos which features Greek chanting.

In Absence of Light is another great song

Thank you for this.

They are, the sample is just reversed

The guitars are reversed at the end, the sampler is not as far as I know.