List of Viking metal bands
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Viking metal bands. Viking metal
is a melodic strain of heavy metal
with a tempo ranging from mid-pace to fast, often accompanied with keyboard melodies and acoustic instrumentation.
Viking metal
Viking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
is a melodic strain of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
with a tempo ranging from mid-pace to fast, often accompanied with keyboard melodies and acoustic instrumentation.
| Band | Formed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amon Amarth Amon Amarth Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström... |
1992 | |
| Ancient Rites Ancient Rites Ancient Rites is a Flemish black metal band formed in 1988. Initially, the line- up consisted of guitar players Johan and Phillip, drummer Stefan, and Gunther Theys on bass and vocals. In 1990 the Dark Ritual demo was released in the underground scene, getting worldwide attention just as black... |
1988 | |
| Ásmegin Ásmegin Ásmegin is a Norwegian folk/viking metal band formed in 1998. The name comes from Old Norse and means "by the might of the gods". Ásmegin's lyrics are written in Norwegian as well as some in Old Norse and older Norwegian... |
1998 | |
| Bathory Bathory (band) Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and viking metal. Quorthon remained the main songwriter and member of Bathory for more than two decades. Bathory was permanently ended after Quorthon's death in 2004... |
1983 | |
| Borknagar Borknagar Borknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements... |
1995 | |
| Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy Destroy is an American heavy metal band formed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in late February 2003. With a line-up of Brian Kemp , Jeremiah Scott , and Andrew Hall , they began writing songs; Soon thereafter, Destroy Destroy Destroy completed their outfit with Way Barrier , Adam... |
2003 | |
| Drottnar Drottnar Drottnar is a Christian extreme metal band from Fredrikstad, Norway. They formed in 1996. Drottnar has played at notable festivals such as Sweden's Endtime Fest, Norway's Nordic Fest, Switzerland's Elements of Rock, Finland's Immortal Metal Fest and United Kingdom's Destruction Fest and they... |
1996 | |
| Einherjer Einherjer Einherjer is a Viking metal band from Haugesund, Norway, founded in 1993. Some of the band's albums are heavily folk influenced, while others have a more traditional black metal sound. Their lyrics retell Norse legends, and each of their albums has its own theme... |
1993 | |
| Elexorien Elexorien Elexorien was a Power metal/Viking metal band from Groningen, Netherlands.-Musical characteristics:Elexorien plays a mixture of power and viking metal with growls and classically trained female vocals, also taking influences from folk, black and death metal. The term "Epic Battle metal" is how the... |
2004 | |
| Ensiferum Ensiferum Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical... |
1995 | |
| Enslaved Enslaved (band) Enslaved is a progressive black metal band formed in June 1991 in Sveio, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen, Norway.-History:Enslaved was formed in June 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson when they were 13 and 17 years old, respectively. The band name was inspired by an Immortal demo... |
1991 | |
| Equilibrium Equilibrium (band) Equilibrium is a Folk metal band from Germany. The band's music combines elements of folk and symphonic metal with various instruments including electric guitars, strings and flutes. Their riffs reflect traditional Germanic melodies.... |
2003 | |
| Falkenbach Falkenbach Falkenbach is a Viking metal group from Germany that is currently signed to Prophecy Productions. The name means "Falconbrook" in German. The one permanent member is Vratyas Vakyas.-History:... |
1989 | |
| Folkearth Folkearth Folkearth is an international music project created in 2003 by musicians playing folk and viking metal. The name symbolizes musicians from all over the world playing folk music... |
2003 | |
| Forefather Forefather Forefather are a folk metal band from Surrey, England.-History:The Forefather project was born in September 1997 in Surrey, England by founding members and brothers Athelstan and Wulfstan... |
1997 | |
| Glittertind Glittertind (band) Glittertind is a Norwegian folk metal and viking metal project which started in 2001.The band consist of Torbjørn Sandvik, Geirmund Simonsen and various guest musicians.... |
2001 | |
| Godkiller Godkiller Godkiller is a one-man industrial black metal band from Monaco featuring Duke Satanäel, started in 1994. The band is signed to Wounded Love Records... |
1994 | |
| Heidevolk Heidevolk Heidevolk is a folk/viking metal band from the Netherlands. The lyrical themes of their music are inspired by nature, the history of Gelderland, and the history of Germanic mythology. All of their lyrics are in their native language, Dutch... |
2002 | |
| Helheim | 1992 | |
| Holy Blood | 1999 | |
| I I (band) I is a Norwegian heavy metal supergroup formed in 2006 in Norway. I contains members from various black metal bands; Immortal , Gorgoroth , and Enslaved... |
2006 | |
| Kampfar Kampfar Kampfar is a black metal band from Fredrikstad, Norway. According to their singer, Dolk, their name is an ancient Norse battle cry which means Odin or Wotan.-History:... |
1994 | |
| Månegarm Månegarm Månegarm is a Swedish Viking/black metal band from Norrtälje. The band's name comes from Mánagarmr, a wolf in Norse mythology.-History:The band started from the ideas of Svenne Rosendal, Jonas Almquist, and Pierre Wilhelmsson in 1995. After securing another guitarist in Mårten Matsson and a drummer... |
1995 | |
| Mithotyn Mithotyn Mithotyn was a folk metal/black metal band from Mjölby, Sweden.-History:Formed in 1992 as a blackened death metal act under the name Cerberus by founding members; Christian "Christer" Schütz, Stefan Weinerhall who stayed with the band to the end, and Johan who left shortly afterward. After one... |
1993 | |
| Moonsorrow Moonsorrow Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound... |
1995 | |
| Storm | 1994 | |
| Slechtvalk Slechtvalk Slechtvalk is an extreme metal band from The Netherlands, formed in 1999. Previously signed to Fear Dark Record and currently to Whirlwind Records, the group has released four albums, a split-CD with Kekal, a single and a DVD... |
1999 | |
| Svartsot Svartsot Svartsot is a Danish folk metal band formed in 2005 in Randers. Svartsot blend death and black metal with contemporary metal-styles and Nordic folk music.-History:On December 17, 2008, Michael Lundquist Andersen, Niels Thøgersen, Claus B... |
2005 | |
| Thyrfing Thyrfing Thyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the royal sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology.-History:Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren , Jocke Kristensson , Peter Löf and Kimmy Sjölund... |
1995 | |
| Turisas Turisas Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war.... |
1997 | |
| Týr Týr (band) Týr, , is a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands. Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around old Nordic lore, mythology, and history, taking their name from a Norse god of war. They signed a worldwide deal with Austria's Napalm Records in early 2006, while signed to the Faroese record... |
1998 | |
| Unleashed Unleashed (band) Unleashed is a Swedish death metal band that was formed in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund. Viking culture, recollection of a pre-Christian world, and Norse folklore are common themes found in the band's songs. A number of their recent songs also contain references to J. R. R. Tolkien.-Biography:Unleashed... |
1989 | |
| Windir Windir Windir was a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway. The band combined black metal with folk music and mythology. The band was formed in 1994 and released its debut album in 1997... |
1994 |
See also
- Viking metalViking metalViking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
- List of folk metal bands
- List of heavy metal bands
- Heavy metal subgenresHeavy metal subgenresA number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits...