Your favorite Viking band.

[hibernal_dream]

Mithotyn for me. I don't see Bathory as viking metal.

 

[My Arms, Your Purse]

don't see Bathory as viking metal.

 

[tokfan]

Allegiance

"Den Tid Komma Skall När Våra Hedniska Gudar Vaknar"

 

[Indrid Cold]

Mithotyn for me. I don't see Bathory as viking metal.

Why not? They're practically the origin.

 

[BreathingShadow]

einherjer- blot

 

[naboo]

Mithotyn for me. I don't see Bathory as viking metal.

Hahaha... what?

Bathory is the essence of viking metal!

 

[hibernal_dream]

It's black metal. So is Enslaved.
Viking metal to me is meant to be a more vigorous blend of Scandinavian folk and metal, with Viking themes obviously.

 

[My Arms, Your Purse]

ummmmmm have you even listened to Blood on Ice, Hammerheart and Blood Fire Death?












































































































Still impressed you managed to conclude that Bathory isn't viking metal. Takes a lot of effort to block out logic and reason like that.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Their later work is simply Heavy Metal with viking themed lyrics. I'm talking about the actual music here, where your claims of the viking element fall short.

 

[My Arms, Your Purse]

If I remember correctly the OP asked what our favourite viking metal band was, and you simply cannot argue whether or not Bathory is viking metal. Sure, it isn't metal with viking music in it. But it's metal with viking themes, which is exactly what viking metal is. Not to mention, Bathory simply pioneered the entire genre.

Viking metal is a term used in reference to heavy metal music with a dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the life and times of Northern and Central Europeans prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia.

- Source

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Myrkgrav is far better than Bathory.

And viking metal isn't about lyrics, otherwise Amon Amarth would be viking when they're clearly melodic death.

 

[Awake_In_Animosity]

Bathory
Enslaved
Moonsorrow
Windir

 

[Blind Guardian]

Their later work is simply Heavy Metal with viking themed lyrics. I'm talking about the actual music here, where your claims of the viking element fall short.

Well no one actually knows how viking music sounded to begin with

 

[Awake_In_Animosity]

Are there any traditional viking bands around?

 

[My Arms, Your Purse]

If you wanna find some real viking music your best bet wouldn't be metal forums (with mostly half-wits) on the interwebz.

 

[hibernal_dream]

If I remember correctly the OP asked what our favourite viking metal band was, and you simply cannot argue whether or not Bathory is viking metal. Sure, it isn't metal with viking music in it. But it's metal with viking themes, which is exactly what viking metal is. Not to mention, Bathory simply pioneered the entire genre.

- Source

If "Viking Metal" is just metal with viking themes, why not call it heavy metal? There were a lot of bands before Bathory that played metal and sung about the Vikings.

There are a whole heap of bands which call themselves Viking Metal and who add traditional scandinavian melodies to fast and vigorous music which is a basically metal with an array of death and black metal. I'd definitely agree that Mithotyn, Manegarm, Windir, Vintersorg and Tyr are some of these bands. I must confess, they do not have much in common with Bathory aside from lyrics. I have no idea who started it all off - probably Bathory but then if Bathory's music is the essence of Viking Metal then there is really no Viking Metal scene at all.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Viking metal IS characterized by lyrics. There are bands in folk, black, and death metal bands that, though completely different in sound, have been called Viking Metal. It's merely a sub-genre based entirely on a common lyrical theme.

 

[rayden_ad]

Windir.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Viking metal IS characterized by lyrics. There are bands in folk, black, and death metal bands that, though completely different in sound, have been called Viking Metal. It's merely a sub-genre based entirely on a common lyrical theme.

Nordland era Bathory, Einherjer, etc can not be clumped into the folk metal genre.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Viking metal IS characterized by lyrics. There are bands in folk, black, and death metal bands that, though completely different in sound, have been called Viking Metal. It's merely a sub-genre based entirely on a common lyrical theme.

So let's get this straight. If Bathory (before Quorthon's death) started playing a lethal mix of glam-metal, metalcore and progressive-stoner-sludge-metal yet still sung about the vikings, you'd still call it Viking Metal?