Best Folk Metal Bands

The Top Ten
1 Ensiferum 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.

The more you get into Folk Metal, the more you realize that Ensiferum are top in this genre. Good variation and never out of their style. Great music, even greater vocals.

Just an amazing blend of various styles including Folk Metal and Melodeath with some of the best riffs of any Folk Metal band.

2 Eluveitie

When a band goes as far as to dig up an ancient Celtic language to sing metal in it, it doesn't get much more folk than that.
Songs like Luxtos and Slania's song, have massive folk power.

They're simply amazing! The songs are so beautiful, just listen to songs like "inis mona"!

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

3 Korpiklaani

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.

4 Wintersun 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.

5 Tyr 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.

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

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.

6 Alestorm 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.

Alestorm have always been that one metal band who've never taken themselves seriously, they're like the Immortal of Folk Metal. Captain Morgan's Revenge is a damn fine album.

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

7 Finntroll 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!

8 Equilibrium 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.

This an exemplary view of how great metal (in general" can get.
I first heard their song Blut I'm Auge, which is a fenomenal song. But my favorite song by them must be Erwachen, spectacular song. I'm so happy I found this great band, even though I don't understand 95% of the lyrics.
The sound says it all for me!

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".

9 Turisas 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... )

What? Should be at 1 by far! My top ten is
1. Turisas
2. Tyr
3. Ensiferum
4. Wintersun
5. Eluveitie
6. Moonsorrow
7. Finntroll
8. Korpiklaani
9. Arkona
10. Metsatoll

10 Windir Windir was a black metal band from Sogndal, Norway. The band combined black metal with folk music and mythology.
The Contenders
11 Moonsorrow 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.

Moonsorrow is art.
(+I agree with a lot of the great names on this top ten but man seriously Dalriada?
And well this is personal -do not hit me aha- but I think Eluveitie are way over rated. But I think they really can do better

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.

12 Thyrfing

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.

13 Agalloch 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

14 Mago de Oz

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 comment was super long, but I love this band so much!

15 Unleashing Vengeance
16 Cruachan 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.

Why are they so far back in a genre they helped create?

Cruachan is awesome. They're Irish, and their style is called Celtic Metal

17 Dalriada 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!

18 Skyclad

these guys, in my opinion are the best folk metal band, I understand why the more recent ones are so high up, personally I've never been able to enjoy music in a language I don't understand.

19 Melechesh
20 Falkenbach 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.

This band really moves me, with its deep love of the viking culture, told over the top of some truly masterful music

21 Mithotyn
22 Falconer

Best Filk Metal band without question!
Mattias (singer) has that perfect Bard type of voice.

My favorite folk/power metal band.

23 Einherjer
24 Waylander
25 Manegarm

Amazing band with lyrics about vikings. I really recommend giving this band a listen!

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