Kroda have become one of my favorite bands. They are perfect in every way - beautifully melodic, epic, at times blistering...just amazingly powerful. After searching far and wide for folk black bands like them (coming across outfits like Temnozor, Nokturnal Mortum, Kampfar, Astrofaes, Drudkh and the like), I have come up empty, and have started to think that there is no folky BM quite like Kroda. So now I want to know if there exists the next best thing: bands that play the style of black metal found in Kroda's black-folk hybrid.

What I want is black metal that is melodic, and epic. Now, I should note that I have yet to come across a "melodic black metal" band that really floored me. Many overuse/misuse the keys; others try to be so dark that it sounds like a funeral procession. Not interested in either. And when I say "epic", I don't necessarily mean "epic black metal" - a lot of that stuff sounds too cheesy/fruity/movie-soundtrackish to my ears. Also don't want anything too repetitive (so not bands like, say, Walknut, even though they are quite good). And I don't want anything too dreamy, especially if aggression is sacrificed.

A few bands that are on the right track: Stormlord, Vinterland and Agrypnie (the last of which is probably the closest). Woods of Ypres is OK. Bands like Summoning don't turn the trick.

An example of exactly the sound I am after:

Beginning at :46 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4ueiLc ... re=related

Notice how that is fairly accessible; it's not a type of beauty that you have to hear 20 times in order to recognize it; it's easily digestable, but still deep and moving. That's the holy grail here.

Extra points if the bass is emphasized, and please no clean vocals.

Anyone know of some bands that fill the bill? (if yes, you will sure as fuck get a thanks from me in the "thanks to whoever recommended" thread.)

have you given Sunchariot a try?

Ive only heard the album "harvest" but i think they can hang with kroda, and im a huge kroda fan...simliar to krodas "cry to me river" album but unique in its own way

"Harvest" is much better simply because folk instruments are used much more subtly and less irritatingly. It's the band's only metal album, all the following ones are in the drone ambient vein. (Please note that it is actual drone ambient, and not the Sunn O)))-similar tripe)

I highly recommend giving Falkenbach's various albums, especially the second one a try. The first track on the third album may also be of particular interest.

Edit: No clean vocals, eh? Well scratch the first track on the third album. The rest of the songs will be hit n' miss I suppose due to that.

Nordreich sounds very close to this and if your looking for more aggression I would go with "Auf heimischen Pfaden". Although their album "Verschlungene Pfade" is also very good it's a bit slower.

i agree, "harvest" is better than "cry to me river"...id actually forgotten how good this album was...i almost bought one of their later albums until i realized that it was drone...shame sunchariot never put out anymore bm folk

Hah, I knew it was going to be that riff in the youtube link you posted! That riff you pointed out is probably one of my favourite riffs of all time. Now, Kroda is pretty unique (and recent), especially with Fimbulwinter, so not finding anything that would 100% match their style is probably a foregone conclusion. That said, here are albums in the pagan black metal style that focus on powerful and robust riffs foremost while maintaining a pagan sound. Not knowing how well-versed you are in black metal, I erred on the side of caution and included albums that might seem obvious.

Abigor - Verwustung, Orkblut
These guys were probably the masters of melody and intricate, meaningful guitar-playing before they cybered up their style and became dumb. Orkblut packs a three-hour epic into a 25 minute ep, it's ridiculous the amount of stuff they managed to cram into it without sounding manic. The earlier Verwustung is more standard, but no less classic.

Aeternus - Dark Sorcery, Beyond the Wandering Moon
Very heavy black/death/doom/folk hybrid that sounds like nothing else. The first mcd contains in my mind their best material, but their debut follows very closely behind. The album after this is still very good, but signalled the start of their regrettable slide into standard brutal death metal.

Belenos - Errances Oniriques, Notre Amour Eternel, Chemins Souffrance
Epic as hell French pagan metal, which is highly melodic without sounding the least bit fruity. Riffs everywhere! Manages to sound at different times triumphant, melancholic, sinister and aggressive, with each riff going for maximum impact. Not a bit of redundancy to be found.

Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age
Probably their most riff-tastic pagan metal album, with mystic, otherworldy progressions to bang your head to. Ultima Thulee, The Work which Transforms God and Memoria Vetusta II are recommended as well, but they don't fit this specific request very well.

Hel - Orloeg
One of the earlier German pagan metal bands, this is their debut album, that somehow is easier to find than their much more recent second one. Heavy, memorable riff-work, scene-setting acoustics and plenty of atmosphere.

Helheim - Jormundgand
Classic Norwegian black metal carrying on in the tradition of Enslaved's Frost and Eld, but I think Jormundgand actually manages to be better than those two. Freezing cold guitars, melodic Norse styled riff-work and grim as fuck. I like the follow-up Av Norren Aet as well, but it strays further into viking metal territory and loses some of the debut's charm.

Kampfar - Fra Underverdenen
I know you mentioned Kampfar, but have you heard this album in particular yet? They have never been quite as strong as on Fra Underverdenen and the Norse ep (included in the re-issue) and it has exactly the type of riffs you pointed out in your opening post.

Perished - Kark
Another lesser known, but still classic Norwegian pagan black metal band from before the jolly, drunk viking aesthetic started mucking things up. Folky yet grim, melodic yet heavy. Seid's nice as well, it's more polished, perhaps a bit heavier even, especially with the added death metal influence, but I like the debut a bit more.

Sacrilegium - Wicher
Mystic Polish black folk metal from the initial wave of pagan bands before the two major scenes in Poland started interacting with each other. Sacrilegium is from the other scene alongside North and Venedae and the like, giving it a different sound than typical Graveland-inspired bands. Kinda reminds me of early Behemoth, except with better riffs.

Skyforger - Kauja Pie Saules, Latvian Riflemen, Thunderforge, Semigalls' Warchant
These guys rule all! Their albums are like a fist of awesomeness slamming you in the face! Seriously, Skyforger have made some of the most kick-ass pagan metal I have ever heard. I cannot recommend these guys enough. Even when they moved away from pure black pagan metal, they lost none of their edge (though to be honest, I don't really hear the 'moved away from black metal' in their recent music, not that it really matters).

Taake - Nattestid, Bjoergvin, Doedskvad
Even though Taake gets pigeonheoled as classic Norwegian black metal, their main three albums contain such an astounding amount of folk-influence that you can justifiably call them black pagan metal. Epic as hell and some of the finest black metal to come out of Norway since the second wave.

Velimor, who actually did a split with Kroda.

I will second Taake, though they are not all that similar to Kroda. Excellent riff's & melody though. Very audible bass lines too.

Also you may want to try Nagelfar. Again not all that similar to Kroda, but excellent melodies & very strong songs.

Velimor is the best rec I can give similar to Kroda. I do have their other stuff besides the split & it's all excellent.

Well, their (or shall I say his?) drone ambient works are actually very good and distinct.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have begun to check them out.

BTW, I should say I have found precisely the type of band I was looking for - Dragobrath. They are pretty much exactly like Kroda, minus the overt folk elements. And that is because the band's main member is a member of Kroda. Seriously, all Kroda fans should check out this band.

Check out Fen, Vinterkrig and Falls of Rauros if you haven't tried them yet.

Edit: some clean vocals but not a lot.