Viking metal

Viking metal is a subgenre o hivy metal characterised bi its gallopin pace, keybuird-rich anthemic soond, bleakness an dramatic emphasis on Norse meethology, Norse paganism, an the Viking Age. In maist cases the viking-themed metal consists o ony combination o black an fowk metal.

Characteristics
Viking metal is "noisy, chaotic, an aften augmentit bi sorraeful keybuird melodies." Like fowk metal baunds, Viking metal acts "generally utilize some acoustic an ither unuisual instruments in addition tae the traditional metal instruments."

History
The genre o Viking metal wis pioneered bi the Swadish baund Bathory. Their first album Bathory wis released in 1984 an is "regardit bi mony as the first black metal record." The baund's fowert album Blood Fire Death wis released in 1988 an includes twa early examples o Viking metal – the sangs "A Fine Day to Die" an "Blood Fire Death". Eduardo Rivadavia o Allmusic describes this as "possibly the first true example" o Viking metal. It wis follaeed in 1990 wi the release o Hammerheart, a landmark album that "formally introduced" tae the metal warld the "archetypical Viking metal album." Bi then the baund haed completely depairtit frae "the Satanic mould" an wis "squarely in Viking meethology." The Viking metal muisic o Bathory wis characterised bi Wagnerian "lengthy epics, ostentatious arrangements, chorused vocals, an ambient keybuirds."

The year 1991 saw the formation of the Norse group Enslaved. Their debut album Vikingligr Veldi arrived in 1994 wi "mony melodies being borraeed frae ethnic Scandinavian fowk muisic tae lend additional authenticity tae the vicious, fast-paced black metal." Inspired bi Bathory, Enslaved set oot tae "create Viking metal devotit tae retellin Norawa's legends an traditions o auld." Their seicont album Frost, an aa frae 1994, wis "an important release for the extreme muisic subgenre o Viking metal." Wi "Viking themes, razor sharp guitars, blastbeat drums, an an ear for orchestration resultin in complex structures, bountiful harmonies an time chynges," Enslaved haes syne been acclaimed as "probably the foremaist exponents" o the genre.

See an aa
Leet o Viking metal baunds
Viking rock

References

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Category:Hivy metal subgenres
Category:Norse meethology in popular cultur