Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles. It also sometimes features soft instrumentation influenced by folk rock.
Pohjola, sometimes just Pohja, is a location in Finnish mythology. It is one of the two main polarities in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, along with Kalevala or Väinölä.
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.
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.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Agalloch is an American extreme metal band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm, they released five full-length albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums and one live video album. They announced their disbandment in May 2016, but reunited in 2023.
Týr is a Faroese folk metal band. They have been characterised as one of "the islands' two most successful metal bands". Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around Viking lore, mythology, and history, taking their name from Týr, the god of war in Norse religion.
Kiuas are a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo, Finland. Their music includes influences from power metal, folk metal and different styles of extreme metal. Influences from progressive metal can also be heard in some songs.
Tämä ikuinen talvi is the fourth demo album of the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow, released in the very beginning of 1999 by Meat Hook Productions. It was re-released on 28 August 2001 on CD by Sagittarius Productions, with significantly remastered music and vocals. Some vocal tracks were redone with different lyrics.
V: Hävitetty is the fifth full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on 10 January 2007 through Spinefarm Records. As a joke by the band, the name "Homosika" was released as the working title for "Viides Luku - Hävitetty".
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.
Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electronica, world music and indie rock.
Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places) is the title of a live / compilation CD/DVD by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released on 11 March 2009.
Tamas Wells is an Australian singer-songwriter and academic based in Melbourne, Australia. Wells first came to attention in his home country in 2002 with airplay of a three-track demo, Cigarettes, a Tie and a Free Magazine, recorded with three friends. They followed this up with an EP, Stitch in Time, the same year. The band took off in 2004 when they were spotted by record producer Tim Whitten and invited to record their debut album, A Mark on the Pane, with Popboomerang Records. Beginning that year, they performed five national tours.
Claim the Throne are a melodic death band with strong folk metal influence, from Perth, Western Australia. In 2008 they released their debut album Only the Brave Return that also included a matching fantasy novel written by the band members.
Amalie Bruun is a Danish musician, actress and model. She is the leader of the one-person black metal project Myrkur and the former lead singer of the indie pop band Ex Cops, which was active from 2011 to 2014. Bruun's identity as Myrkur was initially anonymous.
Chon is an American progressive rock and math rock band from Oceanside, California. Their music is largely instrumental with only a few songs containing vocal performances. The band consists of Mario Camarena (guitar), Erick Hansel (guitar), Esiah Camarena (bass) and Nathan Camarena (drums).
Metsä (Forest) is the first officially released demo cassette by finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow in 1997. Originally 215 copies of the demo were released, all of which were sold out.
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