dunno about Fusions, just bands who borrow from all over the place and vary from song to song (like Hollenthon)

Skyforger's last two albums may be an answer: they are based more on solid classic heavy/thrash riffs with the just the right amount of folk instruments to spice it up

Not sure it exists, but I'd really like to hear Folk Metal renditions of Zelda songs. I've already heard bands like Powerglove do some great video game covers, but I think it would be cool to hear folk metal bands do some Zelda songs, particularly the more wind instrument and violin driven pieces. So if you know of any cool covers like that of Zelda (or any other interesting video game covers) songs of the folk metal origin, please share!

Any good instrumental, acoustic folk bands recs?

Take this song for reference

Windir might be just what you're looking for... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0WexR6sCqs

^Do you know Neun Welten?

I didn't but I liked it heaps, please keep the recs comming!

Windir is a great place to start. Maybe also Falkenbach or Moonsorrow will be more to your tastes.

very folky, very death, no peppy polka troll stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5vwUcTxw7o

slavic folk black, kinda atmospheric/progressive/etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQbXaJ4nogE

folk black, kinda epic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQzP0U7dBA8

borderline orchestral folk moments, and a lot of death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCyZNaEiEk

?brutal? death and folk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DK8d_GUczg

viking metal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgU-h5QD_6I

and if you don't like this, just go ahead and kill yourself now (long song, give it at least 2 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi49Xo0MzhA

Hello everyone,

Lately I've been getting into Black Metal infused with Viking/Folk/Pagan styles yet I haven't found that many bands. I'd like to know if you could recommend me stuff in the vein of Graveland, Vintersorg, Kampfar, Enslaved (but not that prog) and similar ones.

Im looking for a specific parts of folk metal that have the sort of uplifting/anthemic/choral sort of feeling to it. Im not looking for WE GOT DRUNK LETS JUST DRINK AND DANCE or anything like that. Here are some examples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMPiFaW ... I_GxOEH1qQ
the part at 1:47

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Nxnwi ... I_GxOEH1qQ
0:28


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8SuJlQVVPM
the riff at 2:07 where it gets higher pitched and sounds almost like a classical music moment

@0:57

Wew, that Winterthroned song is fantastic, gonna check these guys out, thanks!

Give me the cheesiest, riffiest Slavic folk metal you have guys. Stuff in vein of early Dub Buk (especially them), Nokturnal Mortum, early Stribog is more than welcome. I don't want clean female vocals, though. I just don't like them in folk metal, full stop.

Are you familiar with the Ukranian band Kroda? Their first album is overloaded with epic riffs and they are one of the few bands that use pipes in a non-retarded way
Their album Fimbulvinter is also really good

Are there any modern/new or up and coming viking metal bands that are kind of breaking into the mainstream of the genre? Not because they sound like everyone else per say. I haven't really kept up much the last few years. I could be wrong, but I feel like if you aren't one of the big guys then you're a complete unknown essentially. So this leads to a topic that I would be interested to hear some opinions about, besides just recommending me some bands. Has the genre in general hit a creative wall? Is there a platform or even interest for new young musicians to take a crack at viking metal?

when you use the term 'viking metal' which bands are you thinking of?

Complete this list with Myrkgrav and Finsterforst's ''Rastlos'' and you're set for life.

no list is complete without Månegarm

you are looking for Apocalypse Orchestra

Looking for songs with parts like this.
Where there's a calming folky section of the song. Another example.
2:29
1:27

Preferably upbeat sections.

Greetings. I am seeking mid-tempo, dark-, epic-sounding folk metal with significant black and/or melodic death metal elements. Something with a similar atmosphere to that of Arkona’s Liki bessmertnykh bogov. Thank you.

I feel like if you know Arkona you might already know of Nokturnal Mortum and Temnozor, but here you go anyways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUSHiJJr2xg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4wIau_zJkY

Newer Chthonic's a little sugary, but still check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heF_NPJbv8Y If you think that could work but needs to be darker, try Bloody Tyrant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU8gv1wKML4

Thank you for the recommendations!

I am familiar with the first two, but I prefer to avoid NSBM.

Regarding the latter two, I am actually very familiar with them, but it is great to have some Taiwanese representation!

Yeah, I completely understand with the controversy behind the first two. Taiwan has a surprising amount of talent though.

So I noticed this got re-sticked, so I thought I would ask a pretty basic question:

I've gotten into the first two Viking Bathory albums a lot. Took a while to get into because they de-emphasize the riffage a lot compared to other metal genres, but I've come to like the vocal-centric style with all the acoustic/choral accessories and epic, sprawling songwriting. In the "is this a real genre" thread, someone asked for the definition of Viking metal, and someone replied "80s trad/power metal mixed with early black/thrash metal", I think. Now, this is almost true for Hammerheart and Twilight; there is obviously a ton of Manowar or Heavy Load influence. However, I don't think that definition entirely covers it, because I don't hear much black metal in those albums at all. Maybe Hammerheart has an intense guitar tone that would fit a black/thrash album, but musically the riffs and presentation are an entirely different thing from black metal.

So what I'm looking for are viking metal albums that continue the path of influence by classic/epic metal bands. From what I know, most of the first viking metal bands were as much black metal as viking: Enslaved, Falkenbach, Graveland, etc. So what became of the 80s metal influence? I suppose just a general timeline of the development of viking metal would be helpful, to understand which bands were influenced by Viking Bathory other than those 3 I mentioned.

All I can think of that fits might be Einherjer, which I remember not having much black metal influence but also not being super great in the first place. And also Atlantean kodex has a ton of Bathory influence, molded into a doom metal perspective.

It seems that Sons of Crom would be fitting. Legitimately epic, doomy, folky atmosphere with just enough black metal influence to give it that edge.

https://sonsofcrom.bandcamp.com/album/conqueror

Yeah that's exactly what I'm talking about! So did no bands really play this style in the 90s?

If anything, I'd describe Primordial as epic/dramatic/melancholic, rather than depressive.

I'm looking for a specific Slavic Pagan metal band. They are a blend of black thrash and pagan metal with slavic lyrics. Vocals are both harsh and clean and they use a drumcomputer. I totally forgot their name and want to know. (I'm not sure, both I thought they were a duo, could be wrong though).

Pretty sure you mean Skyforger.

From the same wave of early Ukrainian black metal, have you tried (early) Lucifugum? In particular:
Нахристихрящях (On the Sortilage of Christianity)
На крючья да в клочья! (On Hooks to Pieces!)
But... avoid their recent releases at all cost!




If this is really slavic lyrics, then I doubt this is Skyforger. Latvian is not slavic.

Could this be Slavogorje? Slavic, fast pagan (could potentially fit your description of black trash pagan), clean ritual vocals, and harsh. I'm not sure they use a drum computer, or are a duo though.

What are the best pagan bands from Germany? the blacker they sound the better. thank you.

Aaskereia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXbsLuPNN7E
Morrigan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgNN5USLy7Y
Creature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxxNYMZ-HG0

all of that stuff is perfect. I especially liked the creature and morrigan tracks. thank you.

Got some relaxing song suggestions for a casual Saturday night?

Are there any bands that have lyrics about Mordovinian culture and/or incorporate Mordvin folk music? Either Moksha or Erzya works. Thank you.

Early Falkenbach

I hope I'm not making a double post, but Zhab (Жабъ) from Saratov, Russia, does some nice "swamp folk" metal that's as Slavic as it gets.







Bonus points for a rare skill, sounding the same way live and in a studio.

I need some 'serious' medieval-esque folk metal, similar to Slough Feg. I mean, not a typical stuff about drunken brawls in tavern, but something that would remind me of European medieval/renaissance-era solemn court music. Folk instruments are optional, or even not needed, I'd rather prefer such elements being incorporated deeply in melody itself and executed with traditional rock music instruments, just like Slough Feg did, again.

Broadly speaking, something reminiscent of these examples:





Or you can think of debut Gryphon album to get the idea as well: