# 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 Led Zeppelin, 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 (1988) and Hammerheart (1990), 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 (1993) and Vikingligr Veldi (1994). 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.
| Band | Formed | Origin | |
| Adorned Brood | 1993 | Germany | Ingeborg Anna Baumgärtel of Adorned Brood, 2007 |
| Amon Amarth | 1992 | Sweden | Ted Lundström of Amon Amarth |
| Ancient Rites | 1988 | Belgium | |
| Ásmegin | 1998 | Norway | |
| Barbariön | 2007 | Australia | Barbariön, 2010 |
| Bathory | 1983 | Sweden | |
| Black Messiah | 1992 | Germany | Black Messiah, 2016 |
| Borknagar | 1995 | Norway | |
| Brothers of Metal | 2012 | Sweden | Brothers of Metal, 2022 |
| Burzum | 1988 | Norway | Varg Vikernes of Burzum |
| Claim the Throne | 2004 | Australia | Claim the Throne |
| Darkwoods My Betrothed | 1992 | Finland | |
| Destroy Destroy Destroy | 2003 | United States | |
| Doomsword | 1997 | Italy | |
| Drottnar | 1996 | Norway | Sven-Erik Lind of Drottnar |
| Einherjer | 1993 | Norway | Einherjer |
| Elexorien | 2004 | Netherlands | |
| Eluveitie | 2002 | Switzerland | Eluveitie, 2012 |
| Emperor | 1991 | Norway | |
| Ensiferum | 1995 | Finland | Ensiferum, 2016 |
| Enslaved | 1991 | Norway | Ivar Bjørnson of Enslaved |
| Equilibrium | 2001 | Germany | Jen Majura of Equilibrium |
| Falkenbach | 1989 | Germany | |
| Fejd | 2001 | Sweden | Fejd, 2013 |
| Finntroll | 1997 | Finland | Finntroll Rockharz 2016 |
| Finsterforst | 2004 | Germany | Finsterforst |
| Folkearth | 2003 | International | |
| Folkodia | 2007 | International | |
| Forefather | 1997 | England | |
| Glittertind | 2001 | Norway | Torbjørn Sandvik of Glittertind |
| Grand Magus | 1996 | Sweden | Janne Christoffersson of Grand Magus |
| Heidevolk | 2002 | Netherlands | Heidevolk |
| Heilung | 2014 | Germany, Denmark, Norway | Heilung |
| Hel | 1999 | Sweden | |
| Helheim | 1992 | Norway | Helheim |
| Holy Blood | 1999 | Ukraine | |
| Isengard | 1989 | Norway | Fenriz of Isengard, seen here in 2007 |
| Ithilien | 2005 | Belgium | Ithilien in 2016 |
| Kampfar | 1994 | Norway | Kampfar |
| King of Asgard | 2008 | Sweden | |
| Kivimetsän Druidi | 2002 | Finland | |
| Korpiklaani | 2003 | Finland | Tuomas Rounakari of Korpiklaani |
| Leaves' Eyes | 2003 | Germany Norway | Liv Kristine of Leaves' Eyes |
| Månegarm | 1995 | Sweden | Månegarm |
| Metsatöll | 1999 | Estonia | Lauri Õunapuu of Metsatöll |
| Mithotyn | 1993 | Sweden |
| Myrkgrav | 2003 | Norway | Lars Jensen of Myrkgrav |
| Moonsorrow | 1995 | Finland | Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow |
| Obscurity | 1997 | Germany | Agalaz of Obscurity |
| Primordial | 1987 | Ireland | Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill of Primordial |
| Satyricon | 1991 | Norway | Sigurd Wongraven "Satyr" of Satyricon, 2008 |
| Skálmöld | 2009 | Iceland | Björgvin Sigurðsson of Skálmöld |
| Skeletonwitch | 2003 | United States | Scott Hendrick of Skeletonwitch |
| Slechtvalk | 1999 | Netherlands | Slechtvalk |
| Solefald | 1995 | Norway | |
| Storm | 1994 | Norway | Kari Rueslåtten of Storm, seen here with The Sirens, 2015 |
| Svartsot | 2005 | Denmark | Svartsot |
| The Sword | 2003 | United States | J. D. Cronise of The Sword |
| Thyrfing | 1995 | Sweden | Thyrfing |
| Trollech | 1999 | Czech Republic | |
| Turisas | 1997 | Finland | Warlord Nygård of Turisas |
| Týr | 1998 | Faroe Islands | Heri Joensen of Týr |
| Ulver | 1993 | Norway | Kristoffer Rygg of Ulver, 2007 |
| Unleashed | 1989 | Sweden | Johnny Hedlund of Unleashed |
| Vardøger | 1994 | Norway | |
| Vintersorg | 1994 | Sweden | |
| Windir | 1994 | Norway | |
| Wintersun | 2003 | Finland | Wintersun |
| Wolfchant | 2003 | Germany | Gvern of Wolfchant |