The Profound World of Folk Metal: A Summary of Recommended Popular Bands
When you hear the term “folk metal,” what kind of music comes to mind?
Some of you might think, “Metal is intense, guitar-driven music—but what does ‘folk’ have to do with it?” and scratch your heads.
To put it simply, folk metal is a genre where metal music incorporates traditional instruments and blends in folky elements.
There are closely related subgenres like Viking metal and pagan metal, and in Japan, bands categorized as Viking metal tend to be better known.
In this article, we introduce well-known bands in folk metal, including Viking metal.
If you’re interested, please check it out!
- [For Beginners] A Collection of Iconic and Popular Songs Showcasing the Appeal of Viking Metal
- [Overwhelming Kusamero] A collection of classic Kusametal songs
- [2026] Complex and Bizarre! A Curated List of Recommended Avant-Garde Metal Bands
- Not just aggressive! Famous bands of deeply nuanced melodic death metal
- [2026] Start with this track! A roundup of classic industrial metal songs
- Holy Land of Heavy Metal: Recommended Finnish Artists. Notable Singers and Bands.
- [Forest Fairies] What Is Forest Metal? Recommended Bands Introduction
- [For Beginners] The Epic World of Symphonic Metal: A Collection of Popular and Classic Songs
- The Profound World of Western Gothic Metal: Best and Popular Songs [2026]
- A Japanese heavy metal band. A popular band in the Japanese metal scene.
- Foreign folk music. Classic folk masterpieces and recommended popular songs.
- [Extreme Music] A roundup of recommended extreme metal bands
- Recommended Finnish bands. Popular bands from overseas.
The Profound World of Folk Metal: Recommended Popular Bands (11–20)
Thinking AllowedSkyclad
Skyclad is a British heavy metal band.
They are regarded as pioneering figures in folk metal and hold a legendary status.
Since forming in 1990, they have consistently been at the heart of the UK music scene.
Their songs rarely feature overly intense melodies, making them accessible even for newcomers to folk metal.
In particular, “Thinking Allowed” is highly recommended, as it strikes an excellent balance between gentle and aggressive parts.
If it piques your interest, I hope you’ll go on to check out their well-known tracks from each era.
Journey to the EndWindir
While presenting a characteristically Norwegian brand of black metal, Windir boldly incorporated elements of Nordic folk music, crafting a unique sound grounded in a worldview themed around folklore and mythology.
Formed in 1994 around vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Valfar, they released their debut, Sóknardalr, in 1997.
Even at that stage, they stood out with melodious, melancholic, folk-inflected melodies woven into ferocious, noisy black metal, as well as lyrics sung in a western Norwegian dialect.
With each successive release the band’s prowess grew, and their sonic universe reached a peak with their landmark third album, 1184, in 2001, which featured English lyrics.
Heroic guitar riffs, majestic synth tones, and traditional, emotive flourishes throughout—if you’re curious about the band, this is the album to start with.
Though they were a superb group brimming with potential, tragedy struck in 2004 when central figure Valfar passed away suddenly, leading to the band’s dissolution.
Not Unlike the WavesAgalloch
One of the famous folk metal bands based in the United States is Agalloch.
From their formation in 1995, they created songs with strong black metal elements.
However, once the 2000s began, they drastically revamped their style.
They eliminated the black metal elements and shifted to a style in which instrumental interludes make up most of the songs.
Some might think there are too many interludes.
But these long interludes actually make the choruses—where the metal elements intensify—stand out even more.
Suden TuntiMOONSORROW
If you’re looking for a band with a distinctive worldview, I recommend Moonsorrow.
They are a Finnish folk metal band whose work centers on themes of faith and religion, unfolding a unique world unlike anything else.
Among their releases, the one that most fully showcases this worldview is Suden Tunti, released in 2001.
When listening for the first time, I think watching the story-style music video alongside it will deepen your understanding.
KüüMetsatöll
Metsatöll, hailing from Estonia—a name that means “the land of the east”—plays folk metal rooted in a worldview built on lyrics in their native tongue and themes drawn from ancient Estonian legends and folklore.
They are highly popular in their home country; in 2014 they were even nominated for the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research’s Language Act Performance Award, and their achievements in bringing Estonian culture to wider recognition have been praised by the President.
They’re a group whose activity and recognition transcend the typical bounds of a heavy metal band.
Even on their 2004 debut album, Hiiekoda, they were delivering a folk metal/Viking metal sound that fused the aggression of heavy metal with instruments like fiddle and flute.
After moving to the renowned Finland-based Spinefarm Records, their sound was further fortified, achieving a uniquely their-own world where massive heavy metal and pastoral elements are beautifully integrated.
They’re a folk metal band I especially want people who don’t even know where Estonia is to hear!