BlutAusNerd

Re: doom 101

They wouldn't hit my top 10, but they do rank higher than the overrated Metallica for me. Great band at both power/thrash metal (first two albums) and standard US power metal (Blessing in Disguise). They're playing at Maryland Death Fest this year, and although Kurdt is the only original member, I would still love to catch them live.

Re: Overkill
You should, they're the most devastating live thrash band I've ever seen. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

Varg as Willy Wonka:

It couldn't hurt to expand beyond the Norwegian sound, despite that a couple of those albums were on my list as well. Give any of the albums on anyone's lists a listen, you won't be disappointed. Even if you just try out more Norwegian stuff that's less well known, like Taake, Ragnarok, Aeternus, Obtained Enslavement, Aura Noir, Faustcoven, Ljå, Tsjuder, etc..., I think you'll find plenty to enjoy.

Well, it looks like some industrial metal recommendations were requested, aand I haven't done a video list here yet. I would have just responded to the same thread that everyone else has, but I think I would rather have the official recommendations thread for this section possess a title free of typographical errors. After this post is made, I'll move the other posts over and close the thread. Not sure why a super moderator can't change the title of the thread, but oh well.
 
Aborym - With No Human Intervention:
Aborym are an Italian industrial black metal band, and I'm sure that I've posted about them before, but it was probably in the black metal thread. These guys walk the line better than almost anyone, as opposed to just being a black metal band with industrial influences, this is a true fusion of the two sounds. It is professionally done too, nothing here sounds like a gimmick, and neither sound cheapens the other, they enhance each other. Top it off with some stellar vocals from none other than Attila Csihar of Mayhem and Tormentor fame and have a pretty killer album here.
The Amenta - Occasus
The Amenta is an Australian industrial death metal band that feels the need to play at some fairly insane speeds. The sound here is very aggressive and destructive, with the industrial elements giving it a mechanical feel (not in a bad way), in addition to an atmosphere that feels akin to a machine uprising against humanity. The vocals are a bit monotonous, but fit what the band is doing well, despite not being done in a style or tone that I would normally seek out in another format. Killer stuff overall, though their followup was a bit disappointing.
 
Anaal Nathrakh - Eschaton
Anaal Nathrakh play a pretty extreme sound, comprised of industrial, black metal, and grindcore. They might not be quite as overtly industrial as some of the other bands on this list, but they do use programmed drums, processed vocals, samples, and plenty of keyboard melodies and effects that give their music a very post-apocalyptic vibe. Most people are familiar with their newer works, though I tend to prefer the older albums. After this album, Eschaton, they seemed to dumb down their sound a bit, with more breakdowns, less complexity, and less lively songwriting. For extreme industrial metal with a nasty dystopian vibe, look no further.
 
...And Oceans - A.M.G.O.D:
...And Oceans were always one of the weirder Finnish black metal bands, so when they shifted from a symphonic black metal sound to one infused with industrial and electronic music influences, I don't think anyone was really that surprised. This album can be shockingly upbeat at times, especially when those electronic passages hit, but there are still some great dark melodies and ferocity here, and I never feel like I'm out of place in a dance club when this comes on. The following album was slightly darker overall, but the songwriting was nowhere near as good, and the riffing especially seemed really dull and contrived by comparison. That could just be me too though, don't write it off just because of what I have to say. In any case, I would call for any fan of industrial metal and/or extreme metal to check out this album, AMGOD.
 
Anorexia Nervosa - Exile:
Anorexia Nervosa is best known for their symphonic black metal releases, but on their debut, they played some of the most bizarre industrial metal I have ever heard. The sound here is a pretty depraved one, with a very uncomfortable atmosphere, creepy vocals, and really discordant riffs from long before it was popular to do so. There is plenty of gothic influence here too, but in more of a Bauhaus way that something like Sisters of Mercy, with open, noisy sounding passages of moaned vocals and odd sounds. I can't think of anything else that sounds like this, and I'm glad that a friend bought this thinking it was going to be like their later work, only to pass it along to me because it was too weird for him. Get ready for something different.
 
Arcturus - The Sham Mirror:
Another band that I know that I have posted here a few times before, Arcturus is truly one of a kind. While they would best fit within avant-garde metal or progressive metal, the fact is that their sound, especially later on, contained a number of industrial elements and a futuristic feel that should strike a chord with fans of the genre. Electronic beats, spacey atmosphere, samples, drum machines, it's all here, and done in a way that sends chills down my spine each time I hear it. Please excuse my fanboy gushing, but this is one of my favorite albums ever, and everyone would do well to at least check it out for themselves to see what they think of one of metal's most unique entities.
 
Blut Aus Nord - MoRT::
That's right, another Blut Aus Nord video. I will not apologize for my blatant fan boy praises of this band, because I love everything I've heard from them. This band has always been an experimental one, and most of their "kvlt" internet bitch fans disowned them when they released this album despite knowing that they had been moving in this direction all along. Oh well, their loss. What we have here is crawling, despondent industrial/ambient metal, with minimal traces of traditional black metal remaining, but this may well be their most terrifying sounding album. The sound is dark and grimy, almost bringing to mind an abandoned waste treatment plant that the band's damned souls are haunting. It may not be for everyone, but you likely won't hear many bands that can make music this disturbing.
 
December Wolves - Blasterpiece Theatre:
I know that I've posted about December Wolves here before, but it was likely for their black/thrash album Completely Dehumanized. This album, the appropriately titled Blasterpiece Theatre, came next, and took their speed and aggression up to an even higher degree, in addition to incorporating industrial into their sound. All of the songs start with samples, the vocals are processed, and the songs are rife with industrial twists and turns between the savagery on display. These guys are in a class of their own, truly a band that never received the credit that they deserved, any fan of industrial metal or black metal should check this out posthaste.
 
Dødheimsgard - Supervillain Outcast:
Dødheimsgard is yet another black metal band that has transitioned their sound to an industrial black metal hybrid of the years, with this album Supervillain Outcast taking on a number of avant-garde metal traits as well. This is a very ambitious and adventurous album, with plenty of weird stuff going on to catch your ears. The playing is very technical, and the industrial elements are very well done here, enhancing the strange mechanical feel of the songwriting. I can't imagine fans of more straightforward music enjoying this much, but for those looking for something different, this album would do nicely.
 
Ewigkeit - Conspiritus:
Ewigkeit is a band that varies a great deal from the other bands that I have posted about here. As you may have noticed by now, I tend to prefer the more bizarre and/or extreme bands that fuse industrial and metal, and I guess Ewigkeit still qualifies as bizarre, but not overtly so. The music here would likely appeal more to fans of bands like Rammstein than to the more wild sounds that I've listed above, but something about the way that they compose their keyboard and vocal melodies gets to me in a way that I can't explain. Not my favorite album on the list or in my collection by a long shot, but I can throw it on sometimes and find it enjoyable. Its inclusion here is more to add some variety to the list, which up until now was mostly extreme metal driven.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Be sure to also check out the Metal Albums with Googly Eyes blog, it's amusing. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

I had previously done a list like this in the black metal thread. I'm not sure if it had a point or made a difference to anyone, but I actually had a rare onset of boredom today at work, so I occupied my time with this. Read, discuss, post your own lists, and enjoy, or if you think it's stupid, don't read it.
 
BlutAusNerd’s Top 100 Death Metal Albums (in no particular order):
!T.O.O.H.! – Order and Punishment
Abramelin – Abramelin
Abyssal – Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius
Akercocke – Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone
Amorphis – The Karelian Isthmus
Anata – Under a Stone with No Inscription
Angelcorpse – Exterminate
Antediluvian – λόγος
Arghoslent – Incorrigible Bigotry
Asphyx – Last One on Earth
At the Gates – The Red in the Sky Is Ours
Atheist – Unquestionable Presence
Atrocity – Todessehnsucht
Autopsy – Mental Funeral
Benediction – The Grand Leveller
Blood Red Throne – Altered Genesis
Bolt Thrower – War Master
Brutality – Screams of Anguish
Cadaver – …in Pains
Carcass – Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious
Carnage – Dark Recollections
Cemetary – An Evil Shade of Grey
Cianide – The Dying Truth
Comecon – Converging Conspiracies
Convulse – World Without God
Corpus Rottus – Rituals of Silence
Crypt of Kerberos – World of Myths
Cryptopsy – None So Vile
Cynic – Focus
Darkthrone – Soulside Journey
Death – Leprosy
Death – Human
Decapitated – Winds of Creation
Deceased – Supernatural Addiction
Deicide – Deicide
Demilich – Nespithe
Denial – Catacombs of the Grotesque
Desolate Shrine – The Sanctum of Human Darkness
Disharmonic Orchestra – Expositionsprophylaxe
Disincarnate – Dreams of the Carrion Kind
Dismember – Like an Everflowing Stream
Dismember – Indecent and Obscene
Drawn and Quartered – Hail Infernal Darkness
Edge of Sanity – Crimson
Entombed – Left Hand Path
Forgotten Silence – Thots
Funebrarum – Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods
Furbowl – Those Shredded Dreams
Gorement – The Ending Quest
Gorguts – The Erosion of Sanity
Gorguts – Obscura
Grave – You’ll Never See…
Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum
Hellwitch - Syzygial Miscreancy
Immolation – Here In After
Immolation – Shadows in the Light
Incantation – Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Incantation – Diabolical Conquest
Incubus – Beyond the Unknown
Kataklysm – Sorcery
Lantern – Below
Lykathea Aflame – Elvenefris
Macabre – Sinister Slaughter
Malevolent Creation – Retribution
Massacra – Final Holocaust
Master – Master
Merciless – The Awakening
Mitochondrion – Parasignosis
Molested – Blod-draum
Morbid Angel – Altars of Madness
Mortem – De Natura Daemonum
Necrophobic – The Nocturnal Silence
Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
Nuclear Death – Bride of Insect
Obituary – Cause of Death
Order from Chaos – Stillbirth Machine
Pan.Thy.Monium – Dawn of Dreams
Pestilence – Consuming Impulse
Portal – Outre
Possessed – Seven Churches
Pungent Stench – Been Caught Buttering
Purtenance – Member of Immortal Damnation
Ripping Corpse – Dreaming with the Dead
Sadistik Exekution – The Magus
Sentenced – North from Here
Septic Flesh – Mystic Places of the Dawn
Sinister – Cross the Styx
Solstice – Pray
StarGazer – The Scream That Tore the Sky
Stormcrow – Enslaved in Darkness
Suffocation – Breeding the Spawn
The Chasm – Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph
The Chasm – Processing to the Infraworld
Therion – Beyond Sanctorum
Uncanny – Splenium for Nyktophobia
Undergang – Indhentet af Doden
Unleashed – Where No Life Dwells
Vader – De Profundis
Weapon – From the Devil’s Tomb
Xysma – Yeah

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Re: What do you usually do while listening to music? Just soak into it. I can't listen to music I love and do anything else, it captures all of my attention. I listen to most of my music while I'm driving, which is more reflexive than requiring active focus, so I can really immerse myself in what I'm hearing. I probably listen to less albums this way, but I REALLY listen to them. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Re: Slam Death Metal Slam death is brutal death metal with a large emphasis on breakdowns and mid-paced grooves, often incorporating beats that wouldn't be out of place in hip-hop. Many slam death fans are also hip-hop fans, so there's definitely some crossover there. In theory, this doesn't sound like a bad thing, but many of the bands in this style just sound like insipid wiggercore with pig squeals and downtuned chugs. One of the few slam death bands that I've heard and really enjoyed was Dripping, but they create a pretty alien atmosphere and incorporate a lot of outside elements that give them a weird sound. As you all should know by know, I love weird/alien sounding metal, so that was a big draw for me. Their stuff is pretty hard to find though, I don't think they ever even released a full length album. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

That was what I was going to say. He's not classic goth like Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc..., but is in the same realm as modern gothic/industrial rock bands like Rammstein.

Fuck, I don't want to start liking the wrong eras of Sentenced and Katatonia. ?

While I have some time on my hands, I'll keep these moving too.
Sarke - Vorunah:
Sarke is the pseudonym of the drummer from Tulus and Khold, here naming a band after himself to work on his own material. This is another one that I had in the prog thread because of the 70's prog keyboards, but this is very much first wave style black metal with some modern embellishments. Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone is the vocalist here, doing his best Tom Warrior impression to compliment the very Celtic Frost inspired riffs, but again, this is not a throwback. It feels familiar, but modern, and while they wear their influences proudly on their sleeves, they expand beyond them into their own sound that is really enjoyable. Fans of Darkthrone, Celtic Frost, Tulus/Khold, and other similar bands should find a lot to enjoy here.
Schizo - Main Frame Collapse:
Schizo was an early Italian black/thrash metal band that was one of the first in black metal (along with Sarcofago) to integrate blast beats into their sound. This does have some sound a bit like Necrodeath at times, with whom they shared some proximity, but Schizo was even more extreme and unhinged sounding. Main Frame Collapse is fairly well played and produced for a first wave black metal album, and though they had the hubris to invite Chuck Schuldiner to join their ranks and were snubbed because he seemed to think his main band would go farther, they should still have garnered a lot more attention than they did. Fans of first wave black metal and extreme thrash should love this, I know that I do.
Sect Pig - Slave Destroyed:
Sect Pig is one of a few modern black metal band paying tribute to the sound and style of the cult USBM band Von. As such, you can expect a primitive and repetitious, yet extremely dark assault upon your senses with these Sect Pig. This is much better produced and executed than Von's demos, which isn't exactly a huge achievement, but what is impressive is that the sound here doesn't lose any of the filthy charm that made Von so special. The samples might seem a bit cheesy, but they really do add a lot to the overall atmosphere of this EP. For those who like it raw and nasty, this has your name all over it.
Sepultura - Morbid Visions:
Sepultura is mostly known as a thrash metal band, and rightly so, as they released some classic albums in the field. However, they began life as a black/death metal band with none other than Wagner of Sarcofago as their vocalist. Before they made their transition to thrash metal, they released a split album and a full length in this style (though not with Wagner), and with those released, would become massively influential toward both the burgeoning black and death metal scenes. The sound here owes a lot to Sodom and Possessed, but does not sound derivative of either, and would blaze the trail for the likes of Vulcano, Sarcofago, Sextrash, and others to follow in their early extreme metal footsteps. While I do prefer their thrash metal releases to this sound, Sepultura was still pretty great here, and I would say that these early releases are essentially for any black or death metal fan.
Sextrash - Sexual Carnage:
Speaking of Sextrash, let's throw their debut album Sexual Carnage into the mix. As I mentioned previously, Sepultura kind of blazed the trail for this sound, but Sextrash was a bit of a latecomer to it, with most bands having released all that they would in the style before Sexual Carnage was released. However, this was also a more professional sounding album than many of their contemporaries would create, with a pretty solid production job and musicianship that didn't sound like total drunken shit, which was the South American metal climate of the 80's. Sextrash was also much more thrash oriented than the Sarcofago or Vulcano, with a lot of Destruction and Slayer styled riffs interspersing themselves between the blackened salvos of blasts and tremolo picking. Good stuff, and gotta love that cover art too.
Skagos - Ást:
 
Skagos is a newer black metal band exploring the so called "Cascadian black metal" sound, since most of the bands playing in this style hail from the Northwestern US near the Cascade mountains. Their sound is drawn out and sprawling, painting grand landscapes with their sound of vast forests and mountainous terrain. The atmosphere is the paramount concern here, with individual riffs and vocal passages blending together to craft something more grandiose. This would be a good fit for fans of bands like Wolves in the Throne Room (though Skagos don't delve as much into post-rock territory), Panopticon, and Drudkh, and while I don't get into this style as often as other sides of black metal, Skagos really does this sound justice with an approach that sounds personal and heartfelt. 
Spite Extreme Wing - Non Dvcor, Dvco:
Spite Extreme Wing is an Italian melodic black metal whose sound is a bit more bright and upbeat than what you might expect in the genre. They have dubbed their sound "anti-depressive black metal", and while that may just be a thematic label, their warm melodies do seem to indicate a musical element to that as well. They began writing all of their lyrics in Italian after their first couple of demos, which is where their original style really started to shine, with their last demo Arcano Incanto being just as good as this debut album. The sound here is has a certain epic grandeur to it that seems to coincide with their nationalistic lyrics, but is still very much 2nd wave black metal. For those who like the more melodic side of black metal, but don't favor plastic productions and overwrought symphonics, this is a killer band to check out.
Sun Worship - Elder Gods:
Sun Worship is a newer atmospheric black metal band from Germany that seems to be exploring a darker variant of the Cascadian black metal sound from America. A lot of the same features are here, drawn out compositions with slowly shifting chord progressions and repetitious drumming, but while plenty of ties can be heard to the likes of Skagos and Wolves in the Throne Room, Sun Worship utilizes a more ominous set of chord progressions when building the tension in their songs and a lot less drawing from post-rock music as an outside influence. The result still invokes a feeling of nature and a setting of some vast and unexplored section of mountainous wilderness, but sounds more like exploring that same territory at night and noticing that you're surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves. The music here isn't about individual riffs or melodies, but draws the focus to the atmosphere, and do so in a pretty marvelous way for a band on their debut album. Impressive.
Svartsyn - The True Legend:
Svartsyn is a Swedish black metal band from the 90's that doesn't seem to draw as much attention as the more blast happy bands from that scene. It could be because of their more mid-paced and ritualistic nature, but that's what draws me to their sound over the like of Dark Funeral and Marduk. The riffs feel more deliberate and thought out, with more punch and groove than furious speed, but they do pick up the tempo and engage in a lot of very well done melodic tremolo passages that will recall their more famous contemporaries at times. If you're into the more underground Swedish sound of the 90's, like Arckanum and Nastrond, or even more modern back to basics black metal like Mgla, Svartsyn is a great addition to your collection.
Swine - Marked By the Baron:
Like Sect Pig, Swine is another modern black metal band paying tribute to the short-lived, but highly influential USBM act Von. Both acts go beyond the basic and ritualistic Von sound by added atmospheric and psychedelic elements that only add to the grim atmosphere, not weakening the punch of the guitar and drum assault in the slightest. Swine wears its main influence on its sleeve, but expands beyond Von's template for something familiar, yet also new and exciting. Not much else to say, other than this is killer, and you should listen to it.

16. Trouble - Psalm 9 Trouble, now there was a band. Not only were they one of the earliest bands to resurrect that all but forgotten Sabbath sound and take doom metal to its realization in the 80's, they were also one of the very best at it. Legend has it that this band was so heavy, when James Hetfield saw them in the early 80's, he rushed the stage to see how their amps were configured because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Messiah Marcolin of the mighty Candlemass claimed in an interview that he believed only their Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and Nightfall albums could even compare to Trouble's early work. This is the band that taught future doom metal bands how to integrate melody with their sorrow, and did so in such a profound way that even their Christian lyrics could not dull their impact on the metal scene. Their debut album Psalm 9 has never lost its impact, not in the 30+ years since it was released, still looming (along with their other albums) as a beacon in the past to remind doom metal bands how it's done. Hearing these songs live nearly made my head explode, their power translates well in the live format, but they do sound perfect here on the album as well. Again, their following 3 albums are also massive achievements and should also be held in high regard among the greatest metal albums ever made, but there's just something about the sound here that makes me grab the debut more frequently. Enjoy.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Or whatever the chemical was that they put in the water to turn the freaking frogs gay.

Sent from my HTCD160LVW using Tapatalk

Re: IMMORTAL Like all their stuff, but Pure Holocaust and At the Heart of Winter are my faves.

16. Trouble - Psalm 9 Trouble, now there was a band. Not only were they one of the earliest bands to resurrect that all but forgotten Sabbath sound and take doom metal to its realization in the 80's, they were also one of the very best at it. Legend has it that this band was so heavy, when James Hetfield saw them in the early 80's, he rushed the stage to see how their amps were configured because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Messiah Marcolin of the mighty Candlemass claimed in an interview that he believed only their Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and Nightfall albums could even compare to Trouble's early work. This is the band that taught future doom metal bands how to integrate melody with their sorrow, and did so in such a profound way that even their Christian lyrics could not dull their impact on the metal scene. Their debut album Psalm 9 has never lost its impact, not in the 30+ years since it was released, still looming (along with their other albums) as a beacon in the past to remind doom metal bands how it's done. Hearing these songs live nearly made my head explode, their power translates well in the live format, but they do sound perfect here on the album as well. Again, their following 3 albums are also massive achievements and should also be held in high regard among the greatest metal albums ever made, but there's just something about the sound here that makes me grab the debut more frequently. Enjoy.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Agalloch - The Mantle:
Agalloch are a dark/folk metal band from the USA, specializing in making very moody and serene sounding music. Their sound is akin to a mixture of Ulver's Bergtatt with bands like Opeth, Katatonia (Brave Murder Day), and Anathema (The Silent Enigma), though they definitely expand upon these influences. There are lots of acoustic guitars, clean vocal passages, and beautiful sections to contrast the harsh dark metal vocals and riffs. A very captivating band, and this is my favorite album of theirs. This is much more somber and serious sounding music than that created by most jovial and upbeat sounding folk metal bands, and I quite enjoy it.
 
Asmegin - Hin Vordende Sod & So
Asmegin are a Norwegian folk metal band that combine black/death metal with more traditional folk metal, to a pretty unique effect. Most folk metal bands have a power or black metal back drop, but hearing the lower vocals and heavier riffing of Asmegin painting across their folk canvas isn't very common, but they execute it well. Especially of note here are Lars Nedlund's clean vocals, which are wonderful as always, but that's not to say that the harsh vocals are bad. Good stuff here, though I can't comment on their second album.
 
Bathory - Twilight of the Gods
Bathory are most well known as a black metal band, however, they were also the first viking metal band starting with Hammerheart, and were one of the earliest metal bands to incorporate folky influences into their music. Their sound here is slowed down a great deal from their black metal period, focusing on an epic heavy metal base, but made even more grandiose. There are lots of acoustic guitars and folky melodies here, in addition to the pagan/viking imagery. Bathory were one of the best metal bands ever, and being innovators and masters of two very different styles (black and viking/folk metal) would count as one of my reasons why they're so highly revered.
 
Borknagar - Empiricism:
Borknagar are one of the best known folk metal bands from Norway, and are also one of my favorites. Their early sound was much more black metal aligned, when Garm of Ulver was their vocalist, but he was replaced by Vortex (Dimmu Borgir), and then Vintersorg. This is from their first album with Vintersorg, who was also instrumental in making their music much more progressive, and increasing the presence of clean vocals. Vintersorg's clean and harsh vocals are both great, and provide an additional layer of awesome over the complex, progressive folk metal on display here. This is top notch stuff, and though I don't have all of their albums, I can say that I love all that I've heard from Borknagar.
 
Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds:
Crimfall are a Finnish symphonic folk metal band, which emphasize heavy usage of keyboards and female vocals, but there are still harsh male vocals to offset this. They're not the heaviest folk metal band out there, but their compositions are engaging and their music is definitely well performed. This would definitely be good for power and symphonic metal fans who don't mind harsh vocals and folk music mixed with the aforementioned styles, or people into more keyboard heavy folk metal bands like Turisas.
 
Cruachan - Tualha na Gael:
Cruachan are one of the more well known folk metal bands out there today, but their sound has certainly changed since this, their debut album. The production here is not very good, but buried beneath a crappy mix is a actually a very good black/celtic/folk metal hybrid, and the black metal element would be phased out of this band's sound almost entirely after this album. I haven't heard more than a few songs from the band's newer sound, but from what I remember, I definitely liked this style better. This is well written black/folk metal, with a pretty solid integration, as opposed to black metal bands that use random folk passages between songs.
 
Einherjer - Blot:
Einherjer are one of many Norwegian viking/folk metal bands, but are a bit different than many of their peers, as they don't have anywhere near as much black metal in their sound as many others. The vocals could certainly fit the bill, but the musical backdrop is more akin to heavy/thrash metal, with a few progressive and technical touches, and would end up starting a thrash metal band after Einherjer disbanded. This is good stuff though, very catchy and memorable folk/viking metal, and with enough originality and variety to stand out from the pack.
 
Ensiferum - Ensiferum:
Ensiferum are a very well known folk metal band, and while I do feel that they're overrated, I still like some of their music. Their debut, in particular, as a pretty catchy and fun folk metal album, with the base of their sound lying in the realm of harsher power metal ala Children of Bodom and melodeath. Their melodies here are pretty well written though, and actually remind me of melodies that Amorphis frequently uses (not surprising as they covered an Amorphis song later on), which can't really be a bad thing. Not my favorite band, but they have their moments, and their debut probably contains more of them than any of their other albums.
 
Enslaved - Frost:
Enslaved are often grouped into the black metal category, and while that's not entirely incorrect since they do have a great deal of black metal in their sound, they were actually one of the first viking metal bands. Bathory would be the first to claim that epic, triumphant viking sound, but Enslaved coined the term on this, their second album Frost. While the vocals, production, and some of the instrumentation may remind you of black metal, the gallop of these riffs, the native Norwegian melodies, and strong pagan imagery paint a much more viking picture. It's also worth noting that Enslaved are probably my favorite metal band all things considered, with stunning songwriting, a totally original and constantly evolving sound (becoming much more progressive starting with their fifth album), and a startlingly consistent track record. These guys come with the highest recommendation, all of their albums are great IMO, and you can see many of them on my top 10 lists throughout the years.
 
Falkenbach - ...Magnr Blandinn Ok Megantiri:
Falkenbach are one of Germany's oldest folk/viking metal bands, and also one of the most respected in the entire genre. They don't do anything wildly different from many of their peers, but they do still have their own identifiable sound, and are experts at crafting engrossing and epic songs that conjure images of viking ships and massive battles. Not really much else to say about this band, except that I would definitely call them essential for any folk/viking metal fan.