Goth Metal or Symphonic Metal?

Goth Metal or Symphonic Metal.  What's the difference?  Take a goth metal band, add a string section and voila!  There is of course more to it than that but it's interesting that the biggest names in symphonic metal at one time identified as goth metal.

It's hard to tell the difference  Symphonic metal came out of the late 90s when several bands from Scandinavia started applying their classical music training to their dark/goth metal sensibilities.  Most prominent of these is the Finnish band  Nightwish and their former front woman, Tarja Turunen who bears a striking resemblance to Morticia Adams

Within Temptation is one of my favorite bands of all time and their latest album, The Unforgiving, is a masterpiece.  A concept album supported by films and comic books.  It starts with Mother Maiden, a powerful necromancer who  has the ability to raise the spirits and bodies of the dead.  She selects people who died after making a mistake that resulted in the death of another.  These wraiths are given the chance to redeem themselves and gain entrance to heaven by fighting evil in this world.  Nothing dark or goth about this concept.  The fabulous Sharon den Adel says so (I really do think she's fabulous).  Neither are the clothes she designs for herself, like that black crocodile skin 

corset she wears on stage.

Last year Epica guitarist   Mark Jansen said in an interview that Epica was a goth band.  Lead singer and co-founder Simone Simons says no, they are a symphonic metal band.