Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren (guitar), Jocke Kristensson (drums), Peter Löf (keyboard) and Kimmy Sjölund (bass guitar). Northern mythology and the Viking age was an interest of all the members. After two demo tapes that gained a lot of positive response in the underground scene, Thyrfing signed to the Dutch record label Hammerheart Records in 1997. In Stockholm's Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, their debut album was recorded, showing a much more varied songwriting. The album was then released in March 1998. For their second album, this time recorded in the Abyss Studios, their music took on a more symphonic approach. For future live performances, Henke Svegsjö from Winds was recruited on guitar. Once again with Tommy Tägtgren, Urkraft was recorded and released in August 2000. During that same year, the band also held two mini-tours with Primordial and Shadowbreed throughout The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
In the autumn of 2001, the band entered Dug-Out Studio with producer Daniel Bergstrand to record Vansinnesvisor (English: Songs of Madness). The album was released in July the following year
To support the album, Thyrfing played two gigs during the winter (for Freedom Call and Dismember) in Stockholm, and did a small headliner tour in Benelux with Cruachan and Shadowbreed.
2003 followed with further live-promotion, such as the Generation Armageddon Festivals (including Ancient Rites, Septic Flesh, Primordial, Blood Red Throne and Skyfire), a 12-day European tour throughout Europe, and performances on the main festival stages of 2000 Decibel in Sweden and Wacken Open Air in Germany.
Thyrfing entered EMI studios on 18 April 2005 to record their new album, Farsotstider ("Times of Plague"), which was released on 21 November 2005.
On 13 March 2007, the band posted a message on the official Thyrfing site declaring that Thomas Väänänen (vocals) and Henrik Svegsjö (guitars) had decided to leave the band due to lack of motivation. Instead of Thomas, founder and ex-vocalist of Naglfar, Jens Rydén, is currently handling the vocals. The band also decided to continue with one guitarist.
In October 2008, Thyrfing released their album Hels vite. Their latest album, Vanagandr was released 27 August, 2021.
Otyg are a folk metal band from Sweden, featuring Andreas Hedlund, the frontman for Vintersorg.
Moonsorrow is a Finnish pagan metal band formed in Helsinki in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal". They have distanced themselves from other folk metal bands, emphasising that their music is pagan and spiritual and is challenging for its listeners, rather than happy or danceable. The band members have varying levels of pagan belief but they draw on pagan spirituality for lyrics and inspiration.
Catamenia was a Finnish black metal band founded in 1995 by Riku Hopeakoski and Mika Tönning in Oulu. They have been signed to Massacre Records since their first full-length release Halls of Frozen North in 1998. As of 2010, they have released nine albums, one EP, and one DVD. They are known for frequent usage of wolves in their album art, but the band is named after a kind of bird. Catamenia also means "menstruation", which the band did not know until a fan pointed it out to them after the release of their debut album.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Shape of Despair is a funeral doom metal band from Finland.
Blind Illusion is an American progressive thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1978 by lead guitarist and main songwriter Mark Biedermann, the band has had several lineup changes, with Biedermann being the only constant member. Blind Illusion is also notable for featuring Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde, both later of Primus, who performed bass and guitar respectively on their 1988 debut album The Sane Asylum.
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 with Celtic music.
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.
Kaipa is a Swedish progressive rock band.
Grand Belial's Key (GBK) is a black metal band founded in Oakton, Virginia, in 1992 by guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy and vocalist Lord Vlad Luciferian. Lord Vlad Luciferian was later ejected from the group due to internal differences. To date the band has released four full-length albums.
Panzerchrist is a Danish blackened death metal band formed in 1993 by Michael Enevoldsen and celebrated Danish artist Lasse Hoile.
Apostasy is a Swedish black metal band formed in 2000.
The Duskfall is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Luleå, formed in 1999. The band released four full-length studio albums and, shortly afterwards, split in 2008; however, they reformed in 2014.
Nosound is an Italian alternative rock band started in 2002 by Giancarlo Erra. The group plays music in several different genres, including alternative rock, post rock, electronic, and ambient. All their early recordings were composed, performed, produced, engineered, and released by Erra, who subsequently formed Nosound in 2006.
Hels vite is the sixth studio album by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing. It is the first album with new singer Jens Rydén, founding member of Naglfar.
Helltrain is a Swedish death 'n' roll band formed in Luleå in 2002 by Pierre Törnkvist, Oscar Karlsson and Patrik Törnkvist. The current line-up consists of Pierre Törnkvist (vocals), Patrik Törnkvist, Mikael Sandorf (guitars), Markus Parkkila (bass) and Fredrik Andersson (drums). Mikael and Mats joined Helltrain after their original band, The Duskfall disbanded in 2008. Helltrain has released one EP and three studio albums. Two singles were released in 2018. A new single ("Mischief") was released in 2023.
The Murder of My Sweet is a Swedish metal band, based in Stockholm and founded in 2007.
A Raccoons Lunch was a compilation by Joe 90 of demos from the band's inception, unreleased masters and songs recorded for movies.
Naglfar is a Swedish melodic black metal band formed in 1992. The group was formed by Jens Rydén and Kristoffer Olivius, originally under the name Uninterred.
Wuthering Heights is a Danish-Swedish heavy metal band with a somewhat eclectic musical style which falls in somewhere between progressive metal, "folk music-into-heavy metal" and power metal, along with "a mixture of Neoclassical Metal, Melodic Speed Metal and various progressive elements."
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