Gothic metal (or
goth metal) is a subgenre of
heavy metal and
gothic rock that combines the heaviness of
heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of
gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. The genre originated during the early 1990s in
Europe originally as an outgrowth of death-doom, a fusion of
death metal and
doom metal. Lyrics are generally dark and introspective with inspiration from
gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.