Celtic metal is a subgenre of folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. The genre is a fusion of heavy metal and Celtic rock. The early pioneers of the genre were the Irish bands Cruachan, Primordial and Waylander. The genre has since expanded beyond Irish shores and is known to be performed today by bands from numerous other countries.
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup consists of founding member Karl Sanders, George Kollias (drums), Brian Kingsland and Dan Vadim Von. The band is known for their dedicated lyrical and musical style, which is inspired by Egyptology and works of H. P. Lovecraft. Since its formation, the band has released nine studio albums, two compilations, three extended plays, two demos, three singles, and five music videos. Their latest studio album, Vile Nilotic Rites, was released on November 1, 2019, through Nuclear Blast.
Candlemass is a Swedish epic doom metal band established in Upplands Väsby, a suburb of Stockholm in 1984 by bassist, songwriter and bandleader Leif Edling and drummer Matz Ekström. The band had a defining influence on doom metal, and the epic doom genre itself is named after their debut album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. Along with Pentagram, Saint Vitus and Trouble, Candlemass has been referred to as one of the "big four of doom metal".
Pagan metal is a genre of heavy metal music which fuses extreme metal with "the pre-Christian traditions of a specific culture or region" through thematic concept, rustic melodies, unusual instruments or archaic languages, usually referring to folk metal or black metal. The Norwegian band In the Woods... was one of the first bands commonly viewed as pagan metal. Metal Hammer author Marc Halupczok wrote that Primordial's song "To Enter Pagan" from the band's demo "Dark Romanticism" contributed to defining the genre.
Primordial are an Irish extreme metal band from Skerries, County Dublin. The band was formed in 1993 by bassist Pól MacAmhlaigh and guitarist Ciarán MacUiliam. Their sound blends black metal and doom metal with Celtic music.
Imrama is the debut studio album by Irish extreme metal band Primordial. It was originally released in 1995. In 2001, it was re-issued by Hammerheart Records with two bonus tracks. It was reissued again, this time by Metal Blade Records in 2009 as CD/DVD digipack in slipcase. It is a part of collector series of the first 4 albums reissues.
Spirit the Earth Aflame is the third studio album by Irish extreme metal band Primordial. It was originally released in 2000.
Slechtvalk is a Christian black metal band from the Netherlands, formed in 1999. Previously signed to Fear Dark Records and currently to Whirlwind Records, the group has released five albums, a split-CD with Kekal, a single and a DVD. Their second album, The War That Plagues the Lands, reached No. 2 at Lowland's Top 50 Metal Charts. Their third album, At the Dawn of War, coincided with the release of a live-DVD, Upon the Fields of Battle, a maxi single for "Thunder of War", and was named one of HM Magazine's "100 best Christian metal albums of all time". The band's fifth album, Where Wandering Shadows and Mists Collide, was released on December 20, 2016.
Zero Tolerance is an extreme music magazine, launched in September 2004 by Lisa Macey and Leon Macey and published by Obdurate Ltd. in the United Kingdom. Published bi-monthly, it can be found on newsstands in the UK, Europe and North America - and is available on newsstands in Australia and specialist retailers in New Zealand and Taiwan. The magazine features a covermount CD. The magazine's tagline is "Extreme Views on Extreme Music by Extreme People".
MetalDays is a heavy metal music festival held annually in Lake Velenje, Velenje, Slovenia. From 2004 till 2022 it was held in Sotočje, Tolmin, Slovenia. The festival has been more popular every year with more media coverage, and has seen bands like Megadeth, Slayer, Amon Amarth, Volbeat and Sabaton and many more play at the festival. In 2010 the tickets were limited to 12,000, but with the new location, the limit has been increased to 25,000. MetalDays is also known for its sustainability and ecology initiatives and has won a greener future award 5 years in a row.
Slania is the second studio album by Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. It is the first one to include Anna Murphy as part of the band. It was released on 15 February 2008 through Nuclear Blast.
Alestorm are a Scottish heavy metal band formed in Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result, they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. The group currently consists of lead vocalist/keytarist Christopher Bowes, bassist Gareth Murdock, drummer Peter Alcorn, keyboardist/harsh vocalist Elliot Vernon and guitarist Máté "Bobo" Bodor.
Heidevolk is a folk metal band from the Netherlands. The lyrical themes of their music are inspired by nature, the history of Gelderland, and Germanic mythology. Most of their lyrics are in Dutch; however, on their 2015 album, Velua, they have one original English song, "Vinland", and several English covers. Their 2018 album, Vuur van verzet, contains two English-language songs: "A Wolf in My Heart" and "The Alliance".
Eluveitie is a Swiss folk metal band from Winterthur, Zürich, founded in 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann. The project's first demo, Vên, was released in 2003. Vên was a studio project of Glanzmann's, but its success led to the recruitment of a full band. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit, in June 2006. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast. The group rose to fame following the release of their first major-label album, Slania, in February 2008. The album peaked at number 35 in the Swiss charts and number 72 in the German charts.
Thronar was a Dutch Viking metal/black metal band from the Netherlands. The band released a discography consisting of three demos, one split album, and two albums.
Antigama is a Polish grindcore band. The band formed in 2000. Antigama has released eight albums, four EPs, and several split records.
Redemption at the Puritan's Hand is the seventh studio album by Irish extreme metal band Primordial, recorded at Foel Studio, Wales, with producer Chris Fielding and released on April 26, 2011. The album charted in Finland (#23), Germany (#31), Sweden (#54) and Switzerland (#90).
Where Greater Men Have Fallen is the eighth studio album by Irish extreme metal band Primordial. The album was released on November 25, 2014, through Metal Blade Records. A music video for the track 'Babel's Tower' was released on November 24, 2014.
Exile Amongst the Ruins is the ninth studio album by Irish extreme metal band Primordial. The album was released on March 30, 2018 through Metal Blade Records. It is the last album with Michael O'Floinn as the group's second guitarist.
The Lone Furrow is the 16th studio album by the Luxembourgish music act Rome, released on 28 August 2020 by Trisol Music Group. It is in the neofolk genre and addresses themes of spiritual decay, with influence from writers such as Rudyard Kipling, Friedrich Nietzsche and George Orwell. The album features several guest vocalists from heavy metal bands and critics have said it may appeal to heavy metal fans. Critics said it was a return to the style of Rome's early records, which they described as "martial", while keeping some elements from the more recent albums.
