The doom metal background of early pioneers like Anathema, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride has been taken up by groups like Artrosis, Ava Inferi and Draconian. Gothic metal is a varied genre with bands pursuing many different directions, from 'slow and crushing variations' to 'orchestral and bombastic'. Allmusic defines the genre as a fusion of 'the bleak, icy atmospherics of goth rock with the loud guitars and aggression of heavy metal' and further notes that 'true goth metal is always directly influenced by goth rockВ - ethereal synths and spooky textures are just as important as guitar riffs, if not more so'.

Gothic metal has also sometimes been viewed as 'a combination of the darkness and melancholy of goth rock with heavy metal'.

The adjective 'dark' is commonly used to describe gothic music in general while other terms that are less frequently used include deep, romantic, passionate and intense. The music of gothic metal is generally characterised by its dark atmospheres. In the US, however, only a few bands such as Type O Negative and Evanescence have found some degree of commercial success. In the 21st century, gothic metal has moved towards the mainstream in Europe, particularly in Finland where groups such as Entwine, HIM, Lullacry and Poisonblack have released hit singles or chart-topping albums. By the end of the decade, a symphonic metal variant of gothic metal had been developed by Tristania, Within Temptation and Nightwish also integrated elements of gothic metal into their well-known mix of symphonic metal and power metal. During the mid-1990s, Moonspell, Theatres des Vampires, Rotting Christ and Cradle of Filth brought the gothic approach to black metal. Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy developed the 'beauty and the beast' aesthetic of combining aggressive male vocals with clean female vocals, a contrast that had been adopted by groups before them, but not as a regular trademark several bands have employed the technique since. Other pioneers from the first half of the 1990s include Type O Negative from the United States, Tiamat and Katatonia from Sweden, and the Gathering from the Netherlands.

Pioneers of gothic metal include Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, all from the north of England. Lyrics are generally dark and introspective with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences. The genre originated during the early 1990s in the United Kingdom originally as an outgrowth of death-doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock.

French gothic metal