Vintersorg is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron. Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal genres; while the band is mostly rooted in extreme metal styles, particularly black metal and Viking/folk metal, it has also expanded into progressive metal and avant-garde metal. Lyrically, the band deals with topics on fantasy, mythology, nature, the cosmos, and metaphysics. Vintersorg means "Winter Sorrow," but the name was taken from The Legend of the Ice People series by Margit Sandemo, where the character Vintersorg is the son of a great pagan leader.
Falconer was a Swedish power metal band from Mjölby, formed in 1999 by the former guitarist of Mithotyn, Stefan Weinerhall. Falconer carry on many of the traditions set by Weinerhall's previous band and play a fusion style of power metal that utilizes folk instrumentation and melody to create a more medieval sound.
Haggard is a German symphonic metal band founded in 1989. The group combines classical music and early music with death doom metal.
Hedningarna is a Swedish, and for some years partly Finnish, folk music band that mixes electronics and rock with elements from old Scandinavian folk music. Their music features Yoik or juoiggus, a traditional Sami form of song.
Cruachan are an Irish folk metal band from Dublin that have been active since the 1990s. They have been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal. They are recognised as one of the founders of the genre of folk metal. With a specific focus on Celtic music and the use of Celtic mythology in their lyrics, Cruachan's style of folk metal is known as Celtic metal. The band named themselves after the archaeological site of Rathcroghan in Ireland also known as Cruachan.
Empiricism is the fifth studio album by Norwegian metal band Borknagar. It is their first studio album to feature Vintersorg frontman Andreas Hedlund on vocals and Jan Erik "Tyr" Tiwaz on bass. It was also the last album to feature Jens F. Ryland on guitar until his return to the band in 2010.
Unleashed is a Swedish death metal band that was formed in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund in Stockholm. Common lyrical themes found in the band's music include Viking culture, recollection of a pre-Christian world, and Norse folklore. A number of their recent songs also contain references to J. R. R. Tolkien. Unleashed is considered one of the "big four" of Swedish death metal.
Hedningarna is the eponymous debut album by the Swedish band Hedningarna. It was released in 1989, when Hedningarna was still a group with three members. Unlike the other albums, the debut does not include amplified instruments and rhythm loops and is played entirely with acoustic instrumentation.
Visions from the Spiral Generator is the fourth full-length album by Swedish progressive/folk metal band Vintersorg. It was released on 24 June 2002. This album saw a drastic shift in style in the band that was foreshadowed on the band's prior album, Cosmic Genesis. The lyrics continued to be mixed between English and Swedish, and the music continued to be even more progressive and technical, moving farther away from the band's original folk influences.
Andreas Hedlund, better known by his stage names Vintersorg and Mr. V, is a Swedish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has played in several heavy metal bands.
Origin is the seventh studio album by Norwegian metal band Borknagar. Origin explores the band's more progressive and traditional elements and is primarily an acoustic effort.
Till fjälls is the first full-length album by Swedish folk metal band Vintersorg. Stylistically this continued in the same musical vein as the previous album, Hedniskhjärtad, with black metal-style riffs, harsh vocals and blast beats interspersed with folk melodies, acoustics, and atmospherics.
Cronian is a progressive/avant-garde metal band from Norway and Sweden founded in 2004 by Øystein Brun and Andreas Hedlund, also known as Vintersorg. The band's music is heavily symphonic and programmed, combining melodic singing and harsh vocals, all aiming to create a very cold and cinematic feeling.
Terra is the debut full-length album by Norwegian/Swedish progressive metal band Cronian. The album was sporadically recorded through 2004 and 2005, with the two members of the band separated by their countries most of the time. The album was released in Europe on March 27, 2006, and on April 18, 2006 in North America.
Jordpuls is the seventh full-length album by Swedish folk metal band Vintersorg. As with the previous album Solens rötter, the lyrics are all in Swedish. This is the first of a planned four-album concept series based on the elements.
Urd is the ninth studio album by Norwegian metal band Borknagar. Released on March 26, 2012, it is the first album to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs and Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund sharing lead vocals. It is also the final album with drummer David Kinkade, who joined Soulfly after recording sessions were completed and subsequently retired from music.
Orkan ("Hurricane") is the eighth full-length album by Swedish folk metal band Vintersorg. As with the previous two albums, the lyrics are all in Swedish. This is the second of a planned four-album concept series based on the elements, the first being Jordpuls.
Wuthering Heights is a Danish heavy metal band with a somewhat eclectic musical style which falls in somewhere between progressive, folk and power metal. The band is considered a Danish entity, although a number of Swedish musicians are associated with it.
Naturbål is the ninth full-length album by Swedish folk metal band Vintersorg. As with the previous three albums, the lyrics are all in Swedish. This is the third of a planned four-album concept series based on the elements, the previous two being Jordpuls and Orkan.
Winter Thrice is the tenth studio album by Norwegian metal band Borknagar. This is the only album to feature drummer Baard Kolstad and the last to feature longtime members Vintersorg and Jens F. Ryland.
