List of Viking metal bands


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 Amon Amarth, 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 and Hammerheart, 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 and Vikingligr Veldi. 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.

List of bands

BandFormedOriginNotes
Adorned Brood1993Germany
Amon Amarth1992Sweden
Ancient Rites1988Belgium
Ásmegin1998Norway
Barbariön2007Australia
Bathory1983Sweden
Black Messiah1992Germany
Borknagar1995Norway
Brothers of Metal2012Sweden
Burzum1988Norway
Claim the Throne2004Australia
Darkwoods My Betrothed1992Finland
Destroy Destroy Destroy2003United States
Doomsword1997Italy
Drottnar1996Norway
Einherjer1993Norway
Elexorien2004Netherlands
Eluveitie2002Switzerland
Emperor1991Norway
Ensiferum1995Finland
Enslaved1991Norway
Equilibrium2001Germany
Falkenbach1989Germany
Fejd2001Sweden
Finsterforst2004Germany
Folkearth2003International
Folkodia2007International
Forefather1997England
Glittertind2001Norway
Grand Magus1996Sweden
Heidevolk2002Netherlands
Heilung2014Germany, Denmark, Norway
Hel1999Sweden
Helheim1992Norway
Holy Blood1999Ukraine
In Battle1995Sweden
Isengard1989Norway
Ithilien2005Belgium
Kampfar1994Norway
King of Asgard2008Sweden
Kivimetsän Druidi2002Finland
Korpiklaani2003Finland
Leaves' Eyes2003Germany
Norway
Lex Talion2010Argentina
Månegarm1995Sweden
Metsatöll1999Estonia
Mithotyn1993Sweden-
Morgarten2005Switzerland
Myrkgrav2003Norway
Moonsorrow1995Finland
Obscurity1997Germany
Primordial1987Ireland
Satyricon1991Norway
Skálmöld2009Iceland
Skeletonwitch2003United States
Slechtvalk1999Netherlands
Solefald1995Norway
Storm1994Norway
Sólstafir1995Iceland
Svartsot2005Denmark
The Sword2003United States
Thronar1998Netherlands
Thyrfing1995Sweden
Trollech1999Czech Republic
Turisas1997Finland
Twin Obscenity1990Norway
Týr1998Faroe Islands
Ulver1993Norway
Unleashed1989Sweden
Vardøger1994Norway
Varg2005Germany
Vintersorg1994Sweden
Windir1994Norway
Wintersun2003Finland
Wolfchant2003Germany