10 Best Viking Metal Bands Of All Time
6. Kampfar
When a band name is derived from a battle cry for the legendary Odin, it almost goes without saying they belong to the Viking metal scene. Norway's Kampfar have successfully crafted a wild cocktail of folk metal, black metal, Viking culture and history to give us some of the hardest-hitting music out there.
The majority of the group's lyrics have been written and performed in Norwegian. Regardless of knowing the language or not, their sinister atmosphere and emphasis on the historic impact of Viking heritage and spirit blasts through into the subconscious.
Formed in 1994, Kampfar released several EPs and 2 full-length albums before going on a lengthy hiatus. Upon returning in 2003, they gradually built up their name and reputation, solidifying a rock solid fanbase with the 2006 release of Kvass (named after the popular Eastern European beverage). The group have since gone to the famous Abyss Studio in Sweden for most of their recordings and are still going strong today. The 2019 release of Ofidians Manifest shows no signs of the group slowing down or losing their vicious edge.