Recommend me some Viking metal.

Moderator note: The person who started this thread has since been banned, so it's very unlikely that she'll see your recommendations. You're still welcome to chat about Viking metal here, though.

OR: Help Anne Beeche become even more Anne Beecheish than she is now.

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Somebody introduced me to Enslaved not too long ago, he showed me havenless, which I enjoyed for the opening and closing segments of glorious song in Norwegian, but the rest didn't appeal to me that much. I checked out the other songs this band has to offer but they didn't appeal to me either.

As for my other exposure to Viking metal a long time ago back when I was 13, I somehow came across this one Einsiferum song "Dragonheads" and enjoyed it. I still love it now that I hear it again, however it appears my taste in grotesque singing has long since waned.

Here is where I started, so now you guys can help me finish by recommending me some good representatives.

edited 26th Jun '12 5:31:19 PM by MetaFour

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

"Viking metal" is a meaningless label.

If you just want metal about vikings, I'll have to ask why.

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

I don't know shit about genres and labels and such.

I guess what I'm actually looking for is folk metal in any of the Nordic styles?

-shrug-

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Try this.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!

That's the most reasonable definition of what "Viking metal" means that I've seen. It's what I mean when I use the term, anyway.

It's a genre I'm not hugely familiar with, myself. The only thing I can suggest is...see if the vocals in this Ensiferum song appeal to you more? They've had two different vocalists, the guy on Dragonheads being the second, and imo their stuff with the original guy (the first two albums) was their better stuff anyway. Still harsh vocals, though. I don't know of any Viking metal bands that don't use them, but I've only really listened to a few.

edited 3rd Sep '11 3:03:38 PM by Nyktos

I guess it is.

Hmm, I think I like Ensiferum's vocals best when they sing in unison.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Now we're talking.

• Solefald: Highly progressive black metal with Viking themes... on some albums (their last three, for example).
• Amorphis (last four albums): Simple folk metal with great production, and lyrics based directly on The Kalevala. Very melodic, and their singer is amazing.
• Kiuas: Fast, riff-heavy, and with pagan themes- musically, though, they're a bit more removed from folk metal.
• Korpiklaani: One of the original folk-metal bands. Rootsy, rustic, and booze-fueled.
• Turisas: "Battle metal"- lots of rousing songs about Vikings kicking ass. Also, tons of keyboards and folk instruments.

Also worth noting, there's some good stuff from Germany (ie Equilibrium, Saltatio Mortis, Wolfchant) with a similar sound, but more lyrics about German legends than vikings.

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

I'm not worried about the lyrics, just the sound.

Thanks, I'll look into this!

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

For fucks sake guys, Bathory should have been the first reply.

If you're only down with clean singing go for Hammerheart, Twilight of the Gods, Blood on Ice, and Nordland. Twilight is probably the best of those imo.

edited 3rd Sep '11 9:57:17 PM by xexyzl

Amon Amarth: They aren't Viking metal by definition, but all their songs are about Vikings and Norse mythology. I'm fond of them, saw them live a couple years ago. Good show, was in 7 different mosh pits. Took a heavy blow to the head during one of those pits. Good times.

Albums by them I'd recommend are With Oden on Our Side, Surtur Rising, Versus the World, and Twilight of the Thunder God.

edited 3rd Sep '11 10:16:49 PM by MarkVonLewis

last.fm

@Mark Von Lewis: She just said she didn't care about the lyrics, though. Amon Amarth are great, but they're not folk metal.

edited 4th Sep '11 9:24:38 AM by Nyktos

I guess it is.

Ah, my bad, missed that part. Disregard my above post then.

For folk metal I'd recommend Turisas, Svartsot and Korpiklaani. Also you might want to check out Týr. They don't use any folk instruments, and play more general heavy metal, but the tunes and songs have a strong nordic/viking feel to it, and in a way much of it is just nordic folk played on heavy metal instruments.

This guy knows what's going down. Turisas and Tyr are both really unique bands, and I love the pair of them.

Because I choose to.

Tyr is really progressive, too. They know what they're doing. (Also, they're the only band I know to come from the Faroe Islands.)

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

Oh yeah, Turisas are great. I dunno how I forgot them before. They don't use harsh vocals all the time either.

I guess it is.

Isn't Korpiklaani too Finnish to qualify as Viking? Perhaps a couple others too. But, ah, nevermind. And I agree Bathory should have been first, that's pretty much the Genre Launch.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"

Finland, you confuse me.

...

Go hang out with your Uralic brethren.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

They still make good folk metal, but if you look specifically for Germanics, then your options find some limits.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"

There's enough overlap, musically, between Scandinavian and Finnish folk music that Viking metal and Finnish folk/pagan metal sound about the same.

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

I listened to something by Turisas, it's great.

It's just that what confuses me about the Finnish is that they're very different from the Indo-European folks and yet they're very similar due to proximity.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.

Probably just their historical spirit of independence.

There are snakes in the grass, so we'd better go hunting!

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

/me casts Raise Thread Corpse

Thank me later.