Viking metal

Viking metal is a term used in reference to heavy metal music with a dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the life and times of Northern and Central Europeans prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia. It is still debated whether or not Viking metal can be considered a stand alone "genre", or merely an ideological off-shoot of other genres, as the influence of style being played varies among artists. Bands associated with Viking metal cover a broad range of musical genres and influences, such as folk metal, thrash metal, death metal, black metal and power metal. Viking metal may be traced to its references to Nordic gods and warfare. The first group to use an early version of Viking metal was Led Zeppelin with songs like "Immigrant Song" and "No Quarter" with references to famous Vikings and Viking gods; but the first album to be dominated by such an ideology can be traced to the Swedish black metal band Bathory, with the release of their fourth album in 1988, Blood Fire Death. The album blended the aesthetics of black metal with an atmosphere of war and Norse mythology. Quorthon (the leader of Bathory) explains some of the philosophy behind the musical and lyrical changes from black metal to Viking metal in Bathory on the official website.^[1] Bathory would continue on to innovate the genre further with their next release in 1990, titled Hammerheart. The album further explored the romantic elements of the previous album, and experimented with Scandinavian folk instruments and musical form. Along with Skyclad's The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth, Hammerheart helped form the metal subgenre folk metal. The album is regarded by many as an important and influential release in Viking metal's history.

Style and themes

Common among Viking metal is a reverence for pagan Germanic, or specifically Viking, culture with a rejection of contemporary Christianity and disdain for the Christianisation of Northern Europe in favor of a pre-Christian, Pagan society. Thus, most Viking metal bands are derived from Danish, Norwegian and Swedish black metal groups, and are native Scandinavians and Germans, often associating themselves with pagan and Ásatrú beliefs. The music is often highly romanticized and epic in composition and sound, reflecting Norse mythology itself, and creates an atmosphere rich both in Germanic heroic and metal music tradition. While some bands sing in English to reach a wider audience, many write lyrics in their own native languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish or Icelandic) or archaic versions thereof.

Troll metal

"Troll metal" is a term coined by fans of bands with lyrical themes revolving around trolls. Although not a real genre it makes classification more specific. Some bands, notably Finntroll, have shifted the focus of their music from the heroic humans or Gods of Norse mythology towards the creatures of more recent Scandinavian peasant folklore, most notably trolls. Like Viking metal, it often contains anti-Christian themes, with the trolls and monsters being a representation of the pre-Christian pagans of Northern Europe. These lyrics are seldom entirely serious, though, as they are as much anti-human as they are anti-Christian, and could even be seen as tongue-in-cheek, parodying the radical anti-Christianity of certain black metal bands.

Confusion with Nazism and far-right extremism

Some viking metal fanbases, such as the online viking metal broadcasting channel Valhala Radio, have experienced actions from anti-Nazi groups. Valhalla Radio has been forced to put up a disclaimer on their site that clarifies that neither they nor viking metal is linked to Nazism or racism.

List of notable Viking metal bands

• Amon Amarth (Melodic death metal)
• Ásmegin
• Bathory (Blood Fire Death and thereafter, excluding Requiem and Octagon)
• Black Messiah
• Borknagar
• Doomsword (influenced Doom metal)
• Drottnar (early)
• Einherjer
• Ensiferum
• Enslaved (Black metal)
• Equilibrium
• Falkenbach
• Finntroll
• Folkearth (Folk/Viking metal)
• Forefather (Viking/Black metal)
• Frostmoon
• Glittertind
• Graveland (later albums, formerly raw black metal)
• Helheim
• Helrunar
• Heorot
• Kampfar
• Korpiklaani (folk metal)
• Månegarm
• Manowar
• Mithotyn
• Moonsorrow
• Nachtfalke
• Otyg
• Rebellion
• Slechtvalk
• Sólstafir
• Stormwarrior
• Suidakra
• Thyrfing
• Trollfest (Folk/Viking metal)
• Turisas
• Týr
• Unleashed
• Vanaheim
• Vintersorg (the albums - Hedniskhjärtad, Till Fjälls, Ödemarkens Son and newest Solens Rötter)
• Windir
• Runic (folk/viking metal)

References

• Viking metal (idea) by Chelman, may 2003
• Interview with Bathory frontman Quorthon