--- title: "Viking Metal" type: "MusicGenre" url: "https://themetalnet.com/genre/viking-metal" parent: "Black Metal" bands: 136 era: "late 1980s" --- # Viking Metal **Viking Metal** is a metal sub-genre, formative in the late 1980s. TheMetalNet maps 136 bands and 482 albums under it. Viking metal wraps metal in Norse mythology, Viking history, and pagan revival, using epic, mid-paced anthems, folk melodies, and often chanted, choir-like vocals to conjure ancient Nordic atmosphere. Sweden’s Bathory pioneered it on Blood Fire Death and Hammerheart around 1988-1990, trading raw black metal for slow, majestic battle hymns, and Norway’s Enslaved carried the torch. It ranges from black-metal harshness to melodic, folk-tinged grandeur, often with acoustic passages and horns of war. Amon Amarth are its best-known modern act, though musically they are melodic death metal with Viking themes. ## Facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Genre | Viking Metal | | Level | Sub-genre | | Parent genre | Black Metal | | Formative era | late 1980s | | Bands | 136 | | Albums | 482 | | Formation span | 1966 to 2023 | ## Notable bands (top 60 by prominence) - [Bathory](https://themetalnet.com/band/bathory) (Sweden, 1983) - [Månegarm](https://themetalnet.com/band/manegarm) (Sweden, 1995) - [Vintersorg](https://themetalnet.com/band/vintersorg) (Sweden, 1994) - [Einherjer](https://themetalnet.com/band/einherjer) (Norway, 1993) - [Graveland](https://themetalnet.com/band/graveland) (Poland, 1991) - [Thyrfing](https://themetalnet.com/band/thyrfing) (Sweden, 1995) - [Folkearth](https://themetalnet.com/band/folkearth) (Worldwide, 2003) - [Wolfchant](https://themetalnet.com/band/wolfchant) (Germany, 2003) - [Butterfly Temple](https://themetalnet.com/band/butterfly-temple) (Russia, 1995) - [Forefather](https://themetalnet.com/band/forefather) (United Kingdom, 1997) - [Heidevolk](https://themetalnet.com/band/heidevolk) (Netherlands, 2002) - [Black Messiah](https://themetalnet.com/band/black-messiah) (Germany, 1994) - [XIV Dark Centuries](https://themetalnet.com/band/xiv-dark-centuries) (Germany, 1998) - [Ereb Altor](https://themetalnet.com/band/ereb-altor) (Sweden, 2003) - [Obscurity](https://themetalnet.com/band/obscurity) (Germany, 1997) - [Nomans Land](https://themetalnet.com/band/nomans-land) (1996) - [Himinbjorg](https://themetalnet.com/band/himinbjorg) (France, 1996) - [Gwydion](https://themetalnet.com/band/gwydion) (Portugal, 1995) - [Сварга](https://themetalnet.com/band/band-a20e84fc) (Russia, 1997) - [Myrkgrav](https://themetalnet.com/band/myrkgrav) (Norway, 2003) - [Nachtfalke](https://themetalnet.com/band/nachtfalke) (Germany, 1996) - [Thrudvangar](https://themetalnet.com/band/thrudvangar) (Germany, 1998) - [Невидь](https://themetalnet.com/band/band-eecdef6b) (2004) - [Heathen Foray](https://themetalnet.com/band/heathen-foray) (Austria, 2004) - [Quorthon](https://themetalnet.com/band/quorthon-bf348cda) (Sweden, 1966) - [Gernotshagen](https://themetalnet.com/band/gernotshagen) (2001) - [Riger](https://themetalnet.com/band/riger) (Germany, 1996) - [Theudho](https://themetalnet.com/band/theudho) (Belgium, 2002) - [Skálmöld](https://themetalnet.com/band/skalmold) (Iceland, 2009) - [Thundra](https://themetalnet.com/band/thundra) (Norway, 1998) - [Vanir](https://themetalnet.com/band/vanir) (Denmark, 2009) - [Isengard](https://themetalnet.com/band/isengard) (Norway, 1989) - [Elexorien](https://themetalnet.com/band/elexorien) (Netherlands, 2004) - [Folkodia](https://themetalnet.com/band/folkodia) (Worldwide, 2007) - [KromleK](https://themetalnet.com/band/kromlek) (Germany, 2004) - [Mistur](https://themetalnet.com/band/mistur) (Norway, 2003) - [Mithotyn](https://themetalnet.com/band/mithotyn) (Sweden, 1992) - [Nydvind](https://themetalnet.com/band/nydvind) (France, 2000) - [Svart](https://themetalnet.com/band/svart) (2007) - [Helfahrt](https://themetalnet.com/band/helfahrt) (Germany, 1999) - [Panychida](https://themetalnet.com/band/panychida) (Czechia, 2004) - [Чур](https://themetalnet.com/band/band-43d75ce5) (Ukraine, 2005) - [Dark Forest](https://themetalnet.com/band/dark-forest) (Canada, 2003) - [Fortíð](https://themetalnet.com/band/forti) (Iceland, 2002) - [Fimbultyr](https://themetalnet.com/band/fimbultyr) (Sweden, 2005) - [Frosttide](https://themetalnet.com/band/frosttide) (Finland, 2009) - [Grimner](https://themetalnet.com/band/grimner) (Sweden, 2008) - [Oakenshield](https://themetalnet.com/band/oakenshield) (United Kingdom, 2007) - [Thorondir](https://themetalnet.com/band/thorondir) (2007) - [Thronar](https://themetalnet.com/band/thronar) (Netherlands, 1998) - [Nordheim](https://themetalnet.com/band/nordheim) (Canada, 2009) - [Svafnir](https://themetalnet.com/band/svafnir) (Germany, 2004) - [Wolfmare](https://themetalnet.com/band/wolfmare) (Russia, 2007) - [Путь Солнца](https://themetalnet.com/band/band-4cbfd61f) (Russia, 2006) - [Bifröst](https://themetalnet.com/band/bifrost-388483f8) (Austria, 2005) - [Tarabas](https://themetalnet.com/band/tarabas) (Germany, 2003) - [Firtan](https://themetalnet.com/band/firtan) (Germany, 2010) - [Gjallarhorn](https://themetalnet.com/band/gjallarhorn-524ff4b5) (Italy, 2003) - [Storm](https://themetalnet.com/band/storm) (Norway, 1993) - [Crom](https://themetalnet.com/band/crom-85d106b6) (Germany) ## Where it is played - [Germany](https://themetalnet.com/country/de): 21 bands - [Sweden](https://themetalnet.com/country/se): 12 bands - [Norway](https://themetalnet.com/country/no): 11 bands - [Russia](https://themetalnet.com/country/ru): 9 bands - [Finland](https://themetalnet.com/country/fi): 6 bands - [Netherlands](https://themetalnet.com/country/nl): 6 bands - [Italy](https://themetalnet.com/country/it): 5 bands - [United Kingdom](https://themetalnet.com/country/gb): 4 bands ## Bands formed by decade | Decade | Bands formed | | --- | --- | | 1960s | 1 | | 1970s | 1 | | 1980s | 2 | | 1990s | 29 | | 2000s | 68 | | 2010s | 18 | | 2020s | 4 | --- Source: [TheMetalNet https://themetalnet.com/genre/viking-metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/viking-metal). Catalog data from MusicBrainz and Metal Archives. Full site index: https://themetalnet.com/llms.txt