Medieval Metal

Medieval metal is a branch of folk metal that fuses distorted guitars with the instruments and melodies of medieval music — bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, shawms, lutes, and frame drums. It emerged in mid-1990s Germany with bands like Subway to Sally, In Extremo, and Schandmaul, often singing in German and drawing on medieval poetry and folk song. The sound swings between rousing, dance-like anthems and heavier, dramatic passages. It is closely tied to Germany’s medieval-market and festival culture.