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Folk metal is a diverse collection of music, encompassing a wide variety of different styles and approaches. As the name suggests, the one common ground between folk metal bands is a shared interest in fusing heavy metal music with elements of folk music.

Skyclad's debut album The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth is frequently considered the first folk metal album.

In 1990, the pioneering British band Skyclad was formed. Skyclad began as a thrash metal band with folk influences, most notably on the track "The Widdershins Jig" from their debut album, The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth. The band added a violinist to their ranks in 1991 and has since recorded their subsequent albums with a heavy emphasis on folk melodies delivered from the fiddle, keyboards and to a lesser extent, the guitars. The diverse influence on Skyclad's music include such bands as New Model Army, Tenpole Tudor, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy and Led Zeppelin.

The year 1990 also saw the release of the landmark album Hammerheart by Swedish outfit Bathory, an influential band that had already played a significant role in developing black metal in the early 1980s. An album from 1988, Blood Fire Death, had already signaled a change of direction but it was with Hammerheart that the metal world was formally introduced to the concept of viking metal, an approach closely related and often overlapping with folk metal.

The early 1990s saw the formation of a number of significant bands, most notably the Viking metal bands Enslaved in 1991 and Einherjer in 1993, as well as folk metallers Cruachan in 1992 and Waylander in 1993. The enigmatic Norwegian band In The Woods... had also formed in 1992, originally performing Viking metal before adopting a unique avant-garde approach from 1996. The Irish band Primordial began moving towards the direction of folk metal after originating as early as 1987 with a melodic black metal style. Mägo de Oz was another band that had formed in the late 1980s although it would not be until 1994 that their their debut album was released. A hybrid between folk metal and power metal, Mägo de Oz has found fame elusive outside their home country of Spain.

Bathory's 'Hammerheart' is often considered to be one of the seminal albums in the development of folk metal

With the second wave of folk metal and Viking metal bands emerging in the second half of the 1990s, the two distinct genres began to merge. Bands such as Finntroll fused a path that blended the folk melodies and instrumentation of Skyclad and Cruachan with the darker, synths-oriented approach of Bathory and Enslaved. Folk metal from other parts of the world began to emerge in this period as well, with the Brazilians Tuatha de Danann being perhaps the most well-known. Ulver brought wider attention to the use of acoustic folk instrumentation with their second album Kveldssanger in 1996 while Empyrium, Mael Mórdha and Agalloch brought folk elements to the realm of doom metal. Shaman, a band that formed in 1993, introduced a specific form of folk singing named yoiking to a metal audience with their debut album Idja, released in 1999.

In the years since, folk metal has increased in popularity with an ever larger number of bands and fans. Many websites catering to heavy metal now devote a section to folk and Viking metal. Significantly, a number of bands have turned towards real live instrumentation instead of replicating folk sounds and melodies on synths. While Skyclad and Cruchan have long included a band member devoted to one or more folk instruments, the Swiss ensemble Eluveitie and the Finnish band Shaman turned Korpiklaani have gone further in including more than one member devoted to folk instruments. Korpiklaani includes an accordionist and a violinist in addition to the guitarists and drummer while four out of the eight members of Eluveitie perform on such instruments as Bagpipes, Flutes, Pipes, bodhrán, Hurdygurdy and Violin.

Folk metal bands can come across as vastly different from one another. They arrive at the genre from different backgrounds and sources. Consequently, they adopt different styles and idioms, resulting in an extremely varied collection. The differences apply to both the metal base of the music as well as the folk elements.

The range of metal styles in folk metal include black metal, thrash metal, power metal and doom metal. Some bands adopt a particular metal genre almost exclusively. Elvenking, for instance, utilized a power metal idiom while Windir had a black metal approach. Other bands blend more than one metal genre together with folk music, such as the symphonic doom metal path of Empyrium that eventually gave way into a neofolk direction. Other bands, such as Cruachan, blend different styles seamlessly and are generally referred to as just folk metal.

As most folk metal bands are from Europe, the most common folk music used is European. A Celtic style can be found in such Irish bands as Cruachan, Primordial, Geasa, Waylander and Mael Mórdha as well as bands outside Ireland, including Eluveitie and Tuatha de Danann. Scandinavian folk styles are represented by such bands as Finntroll, Týr, Korpiklaani and Trollfest. Beyond that, one can find many other styles of folk music as pursued by bands from the respective country or ethnic group. This includes Moravian (Silent Stream of Godless Elegy), Latvian (Skyforger), Lithuanian (Obtest), Estonian (Metsatöll), Belarusian (Znich), Hungarian (Dalriada), Russian (Butterfly Temple, Arkona), Middle-Eastern (Melechesh, Orphaned Land) and even Native American (Guahaihoque, Tezkatlipoka). Names such as Celtic metal and Oriental metal (referring to the Middle-Eastern bands) have been used in reference to these particular styles of folk metal while other neologisms such as Native American metal or tribal metal can be commonly found as well.

Folk metal bands not only differ in their choice of metal style or folk style but also in the manner in which they bring the two elements together. A band can choose to play a folk melody on a folk instrument, the electric guitar or both. Folk melodies can be found over a metal rhythm or metal riffs can be found over folk rhythms. The folk melody can be original or traditional. At times, folk metal bands would perform arrangements or cover versions of an entire traditional folk song. The famous Irish song Spancill Hill has been covered by both Geasa and Cruachan. Bands could also cover songs or compositions from other genres and arrange them in a folk metal style. The famous Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian has been covered by at least two different folk metal bands, namely Skyclad and Butterfly Temple.

The wide variety of styles in folk metal means that one can find complex, progressive compositions alongside more simple song formats. Rousing chorus for fans to sing along with are not uncommon. Dance rhythms such as the Jig and the Polka can also be found.

The degree in which one can find folk elements in the music also varies from one band to another. Some perform mostly metal with folk music brought in only occasionally while others emphasize the folk element as an integral and constant part of their music. Many bands in heavy metal have brought in a little ethnic flavor to a particular song or feature an acoustic folk interlude or epilogue. A more substantive use of folk music would generally be required for a band to be considered as folk metal. This label can be quite misleading, however, as not all folk metal bands actually use genuine folk music. Many bands simply give an ethnic flavor to their music, comparable to the style of Dead Can Dance and other world fusion music.

Common lyrical themes in folk metal include a celebration of nature, an identification with medieval culture and neo-pagan beliefs as well as a hostility towards organized religion, particularly Christianity. The common occurrence of pagan lyrics have led some to use the term pagan metal in place of folk metal even though not all bands with pagan lyrics perform in a folk metal style, or indeed do all folk metal bands contain a pagan element.

Lyrics are often sung in the native language of the band members rather than English. Another common lyrical choice is a hedonistic celebration of drinking alcohol, most evident in such bands as Korpiklaani and Finntroll. A humorous lyrical obsession with trolls have led to such bands as Finntroll and Trollfest being tagged with the term troll metal. On the more serious side, bands such as Cruachan and Skyforger have set historical events pertaining to their particular culture into narration. Lyrics from mythology and contemporary fantasy are also frequently found, with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings being a particular popular subject matter amongst both folk and non-folk metal bands alike. Skyclad remains unique in folk metal for maintaining a strong left-libertarian political stance in their lyrics.

Folk metal bands are sometimes mistaken for harboring National Socialism sympathies, partly because of a common ground in using Romantic Nationalist lyrics and partly because of the use of pagan symbols that are often misconstrued as neo-nazi symbols.[1]. This has compelled a number of bands to publicly and explicitly disavow fascism and Nazism, including Wolfsangel[2], Summoning[3] and Skyforger[4]. That said, some folk metal bands, such as Kroda and Temnozor, actually are sympathetic to National Socialism.

This popular variation of folk metal uses the melodies and/or instrumentation of Celtic folk music which was pioneered by Cruachan in 1992. The large number of bands pursuing a Celtic metal direction include Amorphis (The Karelian Isthmus), Bran Barr, Cruachan, Geasa, Waylander, Primordial, Mael Mórdha, Eluveitie, Aes Dana, Tuatha de Danann, The Lord Weird Slough Feg and Mago de Oz

Main article: Oriental metal

This subgenre of folk metal uses the ethnic flavors of the Middle-East, including traditional folk elements from the Arabic, Jewish and Turkish cultures. Notable bands include Orphaned Land, Melechesh, Mezarkabul, and Salem.

Main article: Viking metal

Grand, bombastic rhythms with hymns and chants glorify and celebrate (or teach) medieval Scandinavian culture and folklore. Viking metal is darker and more epic than folk metal. The two came about beside each other, but kept apart before 1995 when many blended the two, and combined folk melodies and instrumentation with Viking rhythm and lyrics. The overlap between Viking metal and folk metal is strongest in Scandinavia, for example Moonsorrow, Turisas, Korpiklaani and Ensiferum. Many viking metal and folk metal bands share neither of the other's traits. The overlap means fans of one genre are fans of the other. Many websites and communities over the internet uphold both styles; see the links at the bottom.

Main article: Mittelalter-Rock

Stylistically, a blend of folk rock and hard rock, Mittelalter-Rock or medieval rock is a neo-medieval style of music most commonly found in Germany. Typical instrumentation includes bagpipes, the shawm, the hurdy-gurdy and harp alongside guitars, drums, and electronica. As it is possible for Mittelalter-Rock musicians to perform metal riffs and rhythms on the guitars and drums, a relationship has developed between folk metal and Mittelalter-Rock to the extent that many fans of one genre tend to be fans of the other, as evident again by the external links below. Bands that have crossed over from Mittelalter-Rock into folk metal includes In Extremo, Subway to Sally, Saltatio Mortis, Morgenstern and Tanzwut, a side project of Corvus Corax.

Main article: Neo-folk

A modern re-interpretation of folk music with elements of industrial and experimental music, neo-folk shares with folk metal a common interest in heathen and neo-pagan lyrics. While neo-folk bands have not crossed over to folk metal, a number of folk metal bands have crossed over to neo-folk either partially or wholly, most notably Empyrium and Agalloch. Neo-folk bands with notable metal influence include Tenhi and Valkyrend Varieté.

Main article: List of folk metal bands

• Gathering Of Clans Folk Metal Encyclopedia
• Trolleve - Viking, Folk, & Pagan Metal Community
• Folk, Viking, Pagan, Medieval (In German)
• Viking Blood
• Nords
• Spirit Folk Forum