Viking metal

Viking metal is a cross-genre reference usually used to describe the lyrical and thematic elements of bands rather than the music itself. The bands that are associated with viking metal cover a broad range of musical genres and influences,

Viking metal is a cross-genre reference usually used to describe the lyrical and thematic elements of bands rather than the music itself. The bands that are 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.

The origin of Viking Metal can be traced to the Swedish metal band Bathory, with the release of their fourth album in 1988, entitled Blood Fire Death. The album blended the aesthetics of black metal, with an atmosphere rich in imagery of war and Norse mythology. Quorthon (The mastermind of Bathory) explains some of the philosophy behind the musical and lyrical changes from black metal to viking metal in Bathory for the official website .