Viking Metal

Viking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, rooted principally in black metal and Nordic folk music, defined by its lyrical and thematic concentration on Norse mythology, pagan belief, and the Viking Age. Musically it favors epic, mid-paced compositions built from heavy riffing, anthemic clean-sung or chanted choruses set alongside harsh vocals, atmospheric keyboards, and melodies adapted from Scandinavian folk tradition. Originating in Sweden and Norway at the end of the 1980s, the style later extended into death and folk metal frameworks while retaining its defining subject matter and its association with pre-Christian Northern European heritage.