European Rock...

so recently I've been listening to a lot of European Rock, something that is not as outlandish as one might think. The particulars of my listening splurge would be under the category of symphonic rock, the fusion of a symphony orchestra and a rock group. The idea is absurd, in fact many see the two as opposite sides of the musical spectrum. I have found however that the music contains many similar elements of opera, particularly that of Richard Wagner. The lyrics are more often than not based off of folk tales, as is the case with opera of the Romantic period. In terms of orchestration, Nightwish employs a full symphony orchestra, along with a core band of 4 or 5 members. The orchestra supports harmonically, texturally, and dramatically to the "lead players". What I enjoy most about Nightwish, and symphonic rock in general, is their use of dissonance for the sake of adding color, rather than purely function. This is a topic I will probably get into at a later time.
In closing, I would encourage people to listen to symphonic rock. You don't have to be afraid of turning into a hair thrashing, head banging fan. Just give some of it a try because there is something that can be learned and enjoyed about the style.
Bands: Nightwish, Epica, Symphony x(not a purely symphonic rock, but they have elements)