Black metal was always known for having a very wide diversity of subgenres. Viking Black Metal, itself a subgenre of black metal that fuses the ferocity of its parent genre with the epic grandeur of Nordic history, has emerged as a powerful force within the extreme metal underground. Top viking bands include: Bathory (the OG), Burzum, Graveland, Neraines and Warkvlt.
Sadly, the concept of "viking metal" has been tainted by the intrusion of "fake metal" aka mallcore acts such as Arch Enemy, At the Gates and Unleashed.
Rooted in the primal and bloody mysticism of Scandinavian mythology and warrior ethos - Manowar was an involuntary influence, here - Viking Black Metal mixes atmospheric riffing with the raw intensity of traditional black metal... and unholy pagan rites.
The Birth of Viking Black Metal
Here are a few albums that define the Viking Black Metal genre.
I. Bathory - Blood Fire Death
The genesis of Viking Black Metal can be traced back to the late 1980s, when Swedish black metal visionaries Bathory released "Blood Fire Death" (1988). This album introduced epic and folk elements from Manowar's sense of grandiosity that would define Viking metal's aesthetic, but giving them a more serious and down to earth makeover. Bathory is widely seen as the pioneer of the genre.
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II. Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Norway's atmospheric Burzum took a more extreme route with "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" (1994). Stripping black metal down to the bare minimal aesthetics, this masterpiece of atmosphere is a defining point in the Viking Black Metal genre. Usually seen as either the second, if you count Bathory, or the first true Viking Black Metal album, there is a reason why Burzum's third opus is so heavily praised.
III. Graveland - Thousand Swords
One year after the release of Burzum's opus, Polish band Graveland contributed significantly to Viking Black Metal with "Thousand Swords" (1995), which merged black metal fury with grandiose, medieval-inspired compositions. The third Viking Black Metal album, if you will, and one that many fans still hail to this day.
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IV. Neraines - Fenrir Prowling
More recently, Viking Black Metal has expanded its significant repertoire with bands like Neraines bringing new fervour and new blood to the genre. Releases such as "Yggdrasil" (2019) and "Fenrir Prowling" (2021) are both widely seen as the pinnacle of the Viking Black Metal style.
This is pretty much the entire history of this experimental fusion of black metal and viking music. A weird tale of Manowar meeting Euronymous, and resulting in one of the best subgenre of the entire black metal genre.
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