List of Viking metal bands
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This is a list of Viking metal bands. Viking metal is a style of heavy metal music with origins in black metal and Nordic folk music, characterized by a lyrical and thematic focus on Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age. Viking metal is quite diverse as a musical style, to the point where some consider it more a cross-genre term than genre, but it is typically manifested as black metal with influences from Nordic folk music. Common traits include a slow-paced and heavy riffing style, anthemic choruses, use of both clean and harsh vocals, a reliance on folk instrumentation, and often the use of keyboards for atmospheric effect.
Viking metal emerged during the late-1980s through the mid-1990s as a rejection of Satanism and the occult, instead embracing the Vikings and paganism as the leaders of opposition to Christianity. It is similar, in lyrics, sound, and thematic imagery, to pagan metal, but pagan metal has a broader mythological focus and uses folk instrumentation more extensively. Most Viking metal bands originate from the Nordic countries, and nearly all bands claim that their members descend, directly or indirectly, from Vikings.
Though artists such as Led Zeppelin, Yngwie Malmsteen, Heavy Load, and Manowar have previously dealt with Viking themes, Bathory from Sweden is generally credited with pioneering the style with its albums Blood Fire Death (1988) and Hammerheart (1990), which launched a renewed interest in the Viking Age among heavy metal musicians. Enslaved, from Norway, followed up on this burgeoning Viking trend with Hordanes Land (1993) and Vikingligr Veldi (1994). Burzum, Emperor, Einherjer, and Helheim, among others, helped further develop the genre in the early through mid-1990s. Through the work of artists such as the German project Falkenbach, Viking metal soon spread from the Nordic countries to other nations with Viking history or an even broader Germanic heritage, and has since influenced musicians across the globe. The death metal bands Unleashed and Amon Amarth, which emerged in the early 1990s, also adopted Viking themes, broadening the style from its primarily black metal origin.
Band | Formed | Origin | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adorned Brood | 1993 | Germany | [1] | ![]() |
Amon Amarth | 1992 | Sweden | [2][3][4] | ![]() |
Ancient Rites | 1988 | Belgium | [5] | |
Antestor | 1990 | Norway | [6] | ![]() |
Ásmegin | 1998 | Norway | [7][8] | |
Barbariön | 2007 | Australia | [9] | ![]() |
Bathory | 1983 | Sweden | [10] | |
Black Messiah | 1992 | Germany | [1] | ![]() |
Borknagar | 1995 | Norway | [11][12] | |
Brothers of Metal | 2012 | Sweden | ![]() | |
Burzum | 1988 | Norway | [13] | ![]() |
Claim the Throne | 2004 | Australia | [14] | ![]() |
Darkwoods My Betrothed | 1992 | Finland | [15] | |
Destroy Destroy Destroy | 2003 | United States | [16] | |
Doomsword | 1997 | Italy | [17] | |
Drottnar | 1996 | Norway | [18][19] | ![]() |
Einherjer | 1993 | Norway | [3] | |
Elexorien | 2004 | Netherlands | [20] | |
Eluveitie | 2002 | Switzerland | [21] | ![]() |
Emperor | 1991 | Norway | [22] | |
Ensiferum | 1995 | Finland | [23] | ![]() |
Enslaved | 1991 | Norway | [3][24] | ![]() |
Equilibrium | 2001 | Germany | [25] | |
Falkenbach | 1989 | Germany | [26] | |
Fejd | 2001 | Sweden | [27] | ![]() |
Finntroll | 1997 | Finland | ![]() | |
Finsterforst | 2004 | Germany | [28] | ![]() |
Folkearth | 2003 | International | [29] | |
Folkodia | 2007 | International | [30] | |
Forefather | 1997 | England | [31] | |
Glittertind | 2001 | Norway | [32] | ![]() |
Grand Magus | 1996 | Sweden | [33] | ![]() |
Heidevolk | 2002 | Netherlands | [34] | ![]() |
Hel | 1999 | Sweden | [35] | |
Helheim | 1992 | Norway | [36] | ![]() |
Holy Blood | 1999 | Ukraine | [37] | |
Isengard | 1989 | Norway | [38] | ![]() |
Ithilien | 2005 | Belgium | [39] | ![]() |
Kampfar | 1994 | Norway | [40] | |
King of Asgard | 2008 | Sweden | [41] | |
Kivimetsän Druidi | 2002 | Finland | [42] | |
Korpiklaani | 2003 | Finland | [40] | ![]() |
Leaves' Eyes | 2003 | Germany Norway | [43] | ![]() |
Månegarm | 1995 | Sweden | [44] | ![]() |
Metsatöll | 1999 | Estonia | [45] | ![]() |
Mithotyn | 1993 | Sweden | [46] | |
Myrkgrav | 2003 | Norway | [47] | ![]() |
Moonsorrow | 1995 | Finland | [48][49] | ![]() |
Obscurity | 1997 | Germany | [50] | ![]() |
Primordial | 1987 | Ireland | [51] | ![]() |
Satyricon | 1991 | Norway | [38] | ![]() |
Skálmöld | 2009 | Iceland | [52] | ![]() |
Skeletonwitch | 2003 | United States | [53] | ![]() |
Slechtvalk | 1999 | Netherlands | [37][54] | |
Solefald | 1995 | Norway | [55] | |
Storm | 1994 | Norway | [56] | ![]() |
Svartsot | 2005 | Denmark | [57] | ![]() |
The Sword | 2003 | United States | [58] | |
Thyrfing | 1995 | Sweden | [59][60][61] | ![]() |
Trollech | 1999 | Czech Republic | [62] | |
Turisas | 1997 | Finland | [63] | |
Týr | 1998 | Faroe Islands | [64][65] | |
Ulver | 1993 | Norway | [38] | ![]() |
Unleashed | 1989 | Sweden | [2][3][66] | ![]() |
Vardøger | 1994 | Norway | [67] | |
Vintersorg | 1994 | Sweden | [68] | |
Windir | 1994 | Norway | [69] | |
Wintersun | 2003 | Finland | [70] | ![]() |
Wolfchant | 2003 | Germany | [71] | ![]() |
See also
References
- Freeborn, Robert (June 2010). Anderson, Rick (ed.). "A Selective Discography of Scandinavian Heavy Metal Music". Sound Recording Reviews. 66 (4): 840–850.
- Hoad, Catherine (2013). Wilson, Oli; Attfield, Sarah (eds.). "'Hold the Heathen Hammer High' - Viking Metal from the Local to the Global". Shifting Sounds: Musical Flow - A Collection of Papers from the 2012 IASPM Australia/New Zealand Conference. Dunedin: International Association for the Study of Popular Music: 62–70. ISBN 9780975774793.
- Kahn-Harris, Keith (2007). Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge. Oxford: Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84520-399-3.
- Weinstein, Deena (2014). Weston, Donna; Bennett, Andy (eds.). "Pagan Metal". Pop Pagans: Paganism and Popular Music. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781317546658.
Notes
- ^ a b Manea, Irina-Maria (16 April 2015). "Primal Roots: Ancestry and Race in Extreme Music Discourses". Proceedings of IAC-SSaH 2015: International Academic Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities in Prague 2015. Czech Institute of Academic Education: 187–188. ISBN 978-80-905791-2-5.
- ^ a b Kahn-Harris 2007, pp. 106
- ^ a b c d von Helden, Imke (2010). Rosemary Hill and Karl Spracklen (ed.). "Scandinavian Metal Attack: The Power of Northern Europe in Extreme Metal" (PDF). Inter-Disciplinary Press: 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Bowar, Chad. "Amon Amarth interview". About.com. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ^ Steiff (February 2015). "Review - Ancient Rites - Laguz" (PDF). Metal Only.de (in German). Wolfgang Steiner. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Drummer Svein Sander of Antestor in an interview with Art for the Ears webzine, 1998, Art for the Ears
- ^ Matthijssens, Vera (April–May 2015). "Asmegin - Arv". Lords of Metal (157). Horst Vonberg. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ Van Horn, Jr., Ray. "Asmegin - 'Arv'". About.com. IAC. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ Staff Writer (6 March 2015). "Hear Why This Viking Metal Band Should Have Gone To Eurovision". The Music. Street Press Australia. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Blood Fire Death review". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ^ Weinstein, pg. 60.
- ^ Freeborn 2010, pg. 846.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Burzum". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ Giffin, Brian (2002). Encyclopaedia of Australian Heavy Metal. Bendigo: Moonlight Publications. p. 2051. ISBN 978-0-9943206-1-2.
- ^ Harris, Craig. "Darkwoods My Betrothed". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
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- ^ Sadeghi, Nima (August 2013). "Folkodia - The Fall Of The Magog". Lords of Metal (138). Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Forefather". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Schmidt, Nadine (19 November 2013). "Glittertind - Djevelsvart". Metal.de (in German). Versus:Media UG. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Prato, Greg. "Iron Will". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Zed, Natalie. "Heidevolk - Batavi Review". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ "Hel". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
- ^ Hoad 2013, pg. 63.
- ^ a b Beck, Chris. "The Patriot review". HM. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2009. "Compared to their first two albums, The Patriot is slightly heavier and has a stronger Viking metal influence a la Slechtvalk."
- ^ a b c Dare, Tom (28 December 2014). "There's more to folk metal than warpaint and the hurdy gurdy". Metal Hammer. Teamrock. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ METALGLORY, Tomektor. "METALGLORY Magazine - Reviews - From Ashes To The Frozen Land CD Review Rezension". www.metalglory.de. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ a b Bowar, Chad. "Kvass review". About.com. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ^ "King of Asgard Songs, Albums, Reviews & Bio". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Hoad 2013, pg. 64.
- ^ Freeman, Phil. "Njord". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
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- ^ Polese, Abel; Morris, Jeremy; Pawłusz, Emilia; Seliverstova, Oleksandra (2017). Identity and Nation Building in Everyday Post-Socialist Life. Routledge. ISBN 9781351735438.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Falconer". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ^ Kalis, Quentin (2 April 2007). "Myrkgrav - _Trollskau, Skromt Og Kolabrenning_". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Bowar, Chad. "Moonsorrow - Viides Luku: Hävitetty review". About.com. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ "Moonsorrow". About.com. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ Observer (24 December 2010). "Obscurity - Tenkterra". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Palmerston, Sean (26 January 2008). "Primordial - To The Nameless Dead". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Zed, Natalie. "Skalmold - Baldur Review". About.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Skeletonwitch". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Van Pelt, Doug (August 2010). "Top 100 Christian metal albums of all time" (PDF). HM Magazine: 25. ISSN 1066-6923.
- ^ Taylor, Laura Wiebe (27 February 2007). "Solefald - Black for Death: An Icelandic Odyssey Part II". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Storm". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
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- ^ Jonsson, Johannes (n.d.). "Christian Metal reviews, V". Metal for Jesus!. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
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- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Windir". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ^ "Hagyományőrzés skandináv módra: viking metal Budapesten". Passzio.hu (in Hungarian). Rock Klub. November 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "A Pagan Storm". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2012.