Best Folk Metal Bands
The Top Ten
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal." Absolutely amazing! They have such huge variation in each of their songs, with melodic instrumentals and powerful vocals. Definitely one of my favourite bands of all time.
Just an amazing blend of various styles including Folk Metal and Melodeath with some of the best riffs of any Folk Metal band.
Guardians of fate, warriors without war, heroes in dream, kings of Finland, and the best band ever
They are the quintessential Folk Metal Band. Without them, the genre would fall apart.
Sometimes band ratings depend on how mainstream the band is,and nobody can ever deny Eluvietie's popularity throughout the world. I'm a huge lover of this band and genre from Bangladesh
They're simply amazing! The songs are so beautiful, just listen to songs like "inis mona"!
Folk music + heavy metal + dragon & valkyrie' vocal
What could have been better? M/
Good band if you like bagpipes and stuff they are just for you. Nice music composition.
Korpiklaani is my first choice without thinking here! Was deeply surprised not to see them in top 3. I'm sure they will climb higher. They are a most fine representation of Folk Metal, not too extreme as Ensiferum is for that matter, and very uplifting! And the lyrics very much match the mood the music creates! Korpiklaani is Folk Metal!
It's impossible of being on a bad mood when listening Korpiklaani.
Their songs are simply wonderful, seems that they were born with their instruments in the hand. They are just the best. I am a big folk metal fan, and they are my favourite.
Awesome band, all around... where does one even begin to describe perfection... every time I listen to their albums I wanna go get some mead and drink 'till I pass out. their Albums are a must have for any Folk Metal enthusiast. 10/10
Korpiklaani is the group that defined the term folk metal without them we will don't have folk metal
Wintersun is a metal band from Helsinki, Finland and was originally created by guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, songwriter and vocalist Jari Mäenpää as a side project to folk metal band Ensiferum for whom he was lead singer and guitarist. Wintersun is more Symphonic or Melodeath than Folk Metal, but does count. Debut album always had a viking vibe to it, and Time I has obvious folk influences, like the oriental Japanese themes in the intros and scattered throughout the main songs.
Not my favorite though in terms of Folk Metal, Ensiferum and Eluveitie beat it. Just thought I should explain WHY people call it Folk Metal.
Symphonic folk metal. Everything they do is literally gold. Jari and his team makes wonderful music. Sons of winter and stars, fly into the sky, dark of the sun. Still waiting for the new album, though.
I wouldn't really call them Folk Metal, more on the lines of Avant-garde Power Metal, or Symphonic Power Metal; great band none-the-less and definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.
Insane savage symphonic folk and melodeath beauty. Check out Sons of winter and stars. Truly deserve top position.
Týr is a Faroese heavy metal band. Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around Viking lore, mythology, and history, taking their name from the Norse god of law and justice. Tyr are one of the greatest metal bands, let alonean absolutley excellent folk metal band. The beutifully crafted and incredibly intricate instrumentation from the guitarist coupled with an amazing drummer and enrapturing vocal delivery from Heri make this band an absolute pleasure to listen to time and time again.
I wish they would come to Georgia in The States. Every time I want to see them preform live, they are no where near me. I guess you could say it makes me shed a "Tyr".
My first folk/metal band ever. I love the songs they sing. I just can imagine that I am on a viking ship/boat in the way of a great journey. that's it
I love them
This Tyr it's my favorite folk metal band of all time I love everything
Alestorm is a heavy metal band originally from Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterized by a pirate theme, and as a result they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. This band took me to metal universe, it is amazing, if you like metal, you'll like Alestorm for sure!
Listening Alestorm is amazing when you're with some metal friends at home and you wants to heat up everybody!
This band got me into folk metal. However I am not surprised that they are so far down on the list as they are highly underrated
Each album has a unique style. you can tell which they came off of just by the sound of the guitar
Amazing pirate sound that I never found in any band before
Equilibrium is a German folk metal band. The band's music combines elements of folk music, power metal, black metal and symphonic metal with various other influences. If it weren't for these guys, I wouldn't have discovered folk metal in the first place.
This band have song that one of the best music ever created, and that is "MANA".
How I got into Folk metal in the first place
They don't play Folk Metal. They play Pagan Metal.
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. It may not be the most technical of the bands out there, but it is certainly top-of-the-class folk metal! Catchy, folky melodies mixed with black metal and everything else possible.
They should be in the top 5 I think. they rock, I can make Party when they are playing, I almost lose my mind!
This is the best folk metal band
Should be much higher
Turisas is a Finnish metal band from Hämeenlinna. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström, and named after an ancient Finnish God of war. Turisas is just...amazing. The music itself varies like crazy & the stories are great! #1 Folk Metal band in my honest opinion.
Turisas number 1. Ensiferum is also really great, but Turisas wins! (but I'm not sure if Turisas is actually folk metal... )
Listen to the Battle Metal and Varangian Way albums and tell me Turisas is not number 1. The orchestration in songs like Rex Regi Rebellis, As Torhches Rise, To Holmgard and Beyond, and Miklagard Overture is just breathtaking, and Nygard's voice is surely one of the best in metal today
A kickass combination of folk, viking and symphonic metals with all their upsides.
Windir was a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway. The band combined black metal with folk music and mythology. People don't know what real folk is anymore these days
I mean, I voted for Ensiferum so I guess I'm not one to talk, but despite being #11, IT FEELS SO LOW ON THE LIST. WHY?!
The Contenders
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. That band is really awesome! It caught my attention from only 1 song for them, my 2nd favourite folk metal band after Eluveite
They are GODS. Simply the best band on this list.
Magnificent, big, deep, heroic, beautiful
These guys should be WAY higher than 10th...
Very melodic, yet powerful music. One of those bands, you will fall in love with, espacially when listening to their album "valdr galga". Just like me.
Agalloch was an American black/folk metal band from Portland, Oregon. They were formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm. They released five studios albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums, and one live video before disbanding in May 2016. Incredibly folky winter like atmospheric black metal! I love it
Wow 😳
I can't understand another...
This band deserve to be one of the best bands in this genre 😐😐😐 please vote!
They are amazing. They have a unique sound that has elements of folk metal, power metal, and symphonic metal with Celtic and some neoclassical influences (bringing in the violin as one of the many instruments played in their music). In their new album, Ira Dei, there is even some electronic music in their songs, like folk/power/symphonic metal with SYNTHS (pure genius, fight me)! I also love the vocals and they have two singers, one male and one female (they are both amazing and the female has to be one of my favorite female singers EVER). I love their music and their song Ira Dei in the new album of the same name is just a masterpiece. I added it to the list of Best Songs of 2019 and I want it higher. That’s how amazing it is. They are one of my current favorite bands too and by far the best examples of folk metal, and one of my two favorite bands from Spanish-speaking countries (they’re from Spain and their lyrics are in Spanish; the other is Stravaganzza). Sorry that this ...more
Please, the guys are as old as Skyclad and they made Folk Metal popular in America (continent). They deserve a higher place because of the topics and musical composition they introduce in each album though...
Easily the best folk metal bands, and easily the best spanish band of all time. Only reason its not in the top 3 its cause its not famous outside of spanish speaking countries.
Simply the best folk metal band out there.
Dalriada is a folk metal band from Sopron, Hungary that was formed in 1998 as Echo of Dalriada, but shortened their name to Dalriada in late 2006. Their third studio album Kikelet and all subsequent albums were successful in the top ten of the official Mahasz music charts. Hungarian kickass-metalheads with a blond broad who is able to lure you into sweet slumber just to scream off your face afterwards. Epic, folk, speed, Hungarian poetry!
Their songs don't disappoint you! It's a shame that I never knew of them before 2016!
Epic, fast, kickass meta
Detailed, epic, powerish
Cruachan is a Folk Metal band from Dublin, Ireland that has been active since the 1990s. They have been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal. One of the first folk metal bands, and the founding fathers of Celtic Metal, a lot today's folk metal bands are goofy are more folk then metal but Cruachan takes there music (for the most part) and balances both genres perfectly. they may not be the most mainstream but they're still my favorite sense there one of the oldest and they fuse metal with the music I hold closest to my heart; Irish Celtic music.
Cruachan is awesome. They're Irish, and their style is called Celtic Metal
Why are they so far back in a genre they helped create?
I always though to me that Ensiferum and Týr were the best Folk Metal Bands ever but when I first heard SKYCLAD I feel inlove with the band and changed my oppinion leaving the other two behind, they are definitely the best Folk Metal Band Ever m/
Falkenbach is a pagan black metal group from Germany that is signed to Prophecy Productions. The name means "Falconbrook" in German. The one permanent member is Vratyas Vakyas. They are one of the very first Viking metal bands, starting in 1989, with their first release that same year. Gorgeous music. The clean vocals remind me of being a child in my fathers arms as he sings me to sleep. So comforting.
Truley beautiful music, makes me want to climb a mountain and slay a dragon
True viking metal
This band really moves me, with its deep love of the viking culture, told over the top of some truly masterful music
Amazing band with lyrics about vikings. I really recommend giving this band a listen!
The greatest of all time
Perfectly beautiful music! The guys' voices are sexy and the harmonies are amazing, not to mention the great instrumental component. Definitely my favorite!
Unique vocal style with two bass singers, great variation from soothing folk instrumentals to thundering anthems, well-researched mythological themes.
The best live performance I've seen in years. Absolutely amazing music, from the instrumentals to the duo'd vocals.
A very talented and underrated band. I fell in love with their music.
An amazing German Folk metal band with unique sound and vocals.
Best Filk Metal band without question!
Mattias (singer) has that perfect Bard type of voice.
My favorite folk/power metal band.