10 Best Viking Metal Bands Of All Time
8. Thyrfing
Get used to Swedish death metal mingling with the Viking world. Formed in 1995, Thyrfing took their name from the legendary, magical sword of the same name in Norse Mythology. The group's unique sound stems from a fusion of medieval melodies, melodic death metal and experimental vocal work from original frontman Thomas Väänänen.
The July 2002 release, Vansinnesvisor (meaning Songs of Madness in English), elevated the group's reputation considerably. Its diverse sound and increased maturity compared to previous works impressed listeners and cemented their position in the Viking metal scene. Unlike many of the groups on this list, they elected to keep most of the lyrics in Swedish. Albums since have continued these trends with the group focusing on Norse mythology and Nordic history.
The group has survived a multitude of line-up changes including the 2007 departures of Väänänen and guitarist Henrik Svegsjö. The group continued with founding member and frontman of Naglfar, Jens Rydén taking over vocal responsibilities. Their last release, De Ödeslösa hit the stands in October 2013 leaving many listeners wondering if that's it for the Nordic favourites.