Folk metal is a fusion genre ofheavy metal music and traditionalfolk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use offolk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example, DutchHeidevolk, Danish Sylvatica and Spanish Stone of Erech). It also sometimes features soft instrumentation influenced byfolk rock.

The earliest folk metal bands wereSkyclad from England andCruachan from Ireland. Skyclad's debut albumThe Wayward Sons of Mother Earth was released in 1991 and would be considered a thrash metal album with some folk influences, unlike Cruachan’s early work which embraced the folk element as a defining part of their sound. It was not until 1994 and 1995 that other early contributors in the genre began to emerge from different regions of Europe and beyond. Among these early groups, the German bandSubway to Sally spearheaded a different regional variation that over time became known asmedieval metal. Despite their contributions, folk metal remained little known with few representatives during the 1990s. It was not until the early 2000s when the genre exploded into prominence, particularly in Finland with the efforts of such groups asFinntroll,Ensiferum,Korpiklaani,Turisas, andMoonsorrow.

The music of folk metal is characterised by its diversity with bands known to perform different styles of both heavy metal music and folk music. A large variety of folk instruments are used in the genre with many bands consequently featuring six or more members in their regular line-ups. A few bands are also known to rely onkeyboards to simulate the sound offolk instruments. Lyrics in the genre commonly deal withfantasy,mythology,paganism,history andnature.

TheEnglish bandSkyclad was formed in 1990 after vocalistMartin Walkyier left his previous band,Sabbat.^[2] Skyclad began as athrash metal band but added violins from session musician Mike Evans on several tracks from their debut album,The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth,^[3] an effort described by Eduardo Rivadavia ofAllMusic as "ambitious" and "groundbreaking."^[4] The song "The Widdershins Jig" from the debut album has been acclaimed as "particularly significant" and "a certain first in the realms of Metal".^[5] With a full-timefiddler in their lineup, the band's second album feature a "now legendary folky jig style" and "more prominent inclusion of the fiddle playing lead lines and melodies normally associated with the lead guitar parts of most other rock bands."^[3]

Even with the departure of Martin Walkyier in 2001, Skyclad remains an active folk metal group today after nearly two decades since their formation.^[5] In contrast, thePortuguese bandMoonspell had a brief tenure in the genre. Their first release was the 1994Under the Moonspell EP with music that featured Lusitanian folk and Medieval influences.^[6] With the release of their debut albumWolfheart in the following year, the band made a transition intogothic metal and within a matter of years "quickly evolved into one of the major players of the European goth-metal scene."^[7]

Cruachan were formed in 1992 in Dublin, Ireland. From the outset their intention was to mix the native Irish folk music of their home country with the more extreme side of metal music. Their debut albumTuatha Na Gael was released in 1995 and was a full folk metal album from start to finish. In the Italian book “FOLK METAL, Dalle Origini Al Ragnarok”, a comprehensive history of the genre, Author Fabrizio Giosue credits Cruachan as being the very first real Folk Metal band. He acknowledges that Skyclad did have some folk parts in some songs before Cruachan however he goes on to say Cruachan used folk music as much as they used heavy metal music. Cruachan also used arrangements of known folk songs and melodies, Skyclad wrote folk "sounding" parts.

Spanish bandMägo de Oz was among early Folk Metal artists that were influenced by the Celtic folk music. The band introduced folk elements and instruments in their power metal-based music from their 1994 debut album.^[8] Another early developer of folk metal is theFinnish groupAmorphis. They formed in 1990 with their debut album,The Karelian Isthmus, following two years later.^[9] Their sophomore effortTales from the Thousand Lakes was released in 1994 with "plenty of fascinating melodies and song structures that drew heavily from the traditional folk music of their native country."^[10] The album received a favorable reception from fans with "its content quickly being exalted across the Metal underground as perhaps the very pinnacle of atmosphericDeath Metal achievement."^[11]

In the years 1994 and 1995, several distinct variations on folk metal emerged from different regions.

The German bandSubway to Sally was formed in 1992 as afolk rock band, singing in English and incorporating Irish and Scottish influences in their music.^[12] With their second albumMCMXCV released in 1995, the band adopted a "more traditional approach" and started singing in German.^[12] Taking Skyclad as an influence,^[13] Subway to Sally performs a blend ofhard rock and heavy metal "enriched with medieval melodies enmeshed in the songs viabagpipes,hurdy-gurdy,lute,mandoline,shalm [sic], fiddle andflute" and combined with "romantic-symbolic German-speaking poetry" in their lyrics.^[14] With chart success in their native Germany,^[12] they have since been credited as the band "that set off the wave of what is known asmedieval rock."^[15]

This distinctly German phenomenon^[15] has been continued and expanded further by subsequent bands. Formed in 1996, theBerlin basedIn Extremo has also found chart success with their "medieval style stage garb and unashamed usage of such bizarre, sometimes hand made, instruments as the Scottish bagpipes."^[16] Another band that has experienced commercial success in Germany is theBavarian outfitSchandmaul.^[17] Describing themselves as the "minstrels of today,"^[15] the band employs a musical arsenal that includes the bagpipes,hurdy-gurdy, shawm, violin and mandolin.^[17]

TheIrish bandCruachan was formed in 1992 by guitarist Keith Fay with their firstdemo recording distributed in 1993.^[18] Drawing inspiration from Skyclad's first album, Fay set out to combineblack metal with thefolk music of Ireland.^[19] Their debut albumTuatha Na Gael was released in 1995 and the band has since been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal.^[20] Cruachan combination ofCeltic music and heavy metal is known today asCeltic metal.^[21]

Parallel to Cruachan, the black metal actPrimordial also released a demo recording in 1993 and "found themselves heralded as frontrunners in the burgeoningsecond-wave black metal movement."^[22] Irish music plays "a very big role" in Primordial but in "a dark and subtle way" through thechords andtimings.^[23] The band has since "established themselves as one of the most unique sounding bands in the folk-meets-black metal field."^[24] Other early representatives of Celtic metal include the bandsGeasa,Mägo de Oz andWaylander^[21] with both groups releasing a demo recording in 1995.^[25][26]

The Israeliprogressive metal bandOrphaned Land was formed in 1991 and released the demoThe Beloved's Cry in 1993, "immediately creating a media stir"^[27] that "quickly drew attention to their unorthodox style."^[28] The music of Orphaned Land "borrow[s] heavily from Middle Eastern music styles"^[28] with traditional elements coming from both Jewish and Arabic folk music.^[29] Acclaimed as "one of the world's most unique and trailblazing heavy metal bands,"^[28] Orphaned Land's style of music has since been dubbedoriental metal.^[27]

Melechesh formed inJerusalem in 1995, becoming "undoubtedly the first overtly anti-Christian band to exist in one of the holiest cities in the world."^[30] Melechesh began as a straightforwardblack metal act with their first foray into folk metal occurring on the title track of their 1996 EPThe Siege of Lachish.^[31] Their subsequent albums saw the group straddling the boundaries between black, death, and thrash metal, with "impressive, tastefully rendered epics chock-full of superb riffs, Middle Eastern melodies, and vocal exchanges varying from a throaty midrange screech to chanting."^[32] Other oriental metal acts emerged thereafter with the bandDistorted emerging in 1996 as the first female-fronted metal act from Israel.^[33]

Additional oriental metal bands emerged form the Middle East in the 2000s, such asMyrath from Tunisia, who mix Middle Eastern and Arabic melodies with power metal and progressive rock.^[34] The Kordz from Lebanon combine Middle Eastern instrumentation with politicized lyrics.^[35] Lazywall from Morocco^[36] and Andaz Uzzal^[37] from Algeria combine that region's traditional music forms with heavy metal. Egypt'sMassive Scar Era includes several female members, who have reported harassment due to their participation in heavy metal music.^[38][39]

In the Americas there are many bands that mix metal subgenres with differentpre-Columbian andNative American traditional folk music. Bands fromCanada andUnited States includeBlackbraid,Pan-Amerikan Native Front,Ifernach,Volahn,Maȟpíya Lúta,'Iisnááhí,Ŭkcheănsălâwit,Blue Hummingbird on the Left, andMaquahuitl, all of them varying topics betweenNavajo],Mi'kmaq,Nahua, among others Native American tribes.

Bands from Mexico that mix metal withMesoamerican instruments includeMictlan,Cemican,Yaotl Mictlan,Amocualli,Miquian,Camaxtli Yoxippa,Kalaveraztekah, andXipe Totec. Bands likeDelDesierto andAztlan also blend metal and Mesoamerican folk with folk music from modern Mexico such asmariachi andson huasteco.

Regarding South America, Peruvian bands such asHammelin,Chaska,Apu Rumi,Yana Raymi andYawarhiem, orGuahaihoque,Indoraza,Aztra,Gnosis,ThunDarkma, and the BraziliansTierramystica andToccata Magna combine Metal withAndean folk.Folkheim from Chile also adds elements fromRapa Nui folk, and Arraigo from Argentina blendsprogressive metal andprogressive rock withcumbia,samba andtango. BrazilianArandu Arakuaa combinesgroove metal with Brazilian Native American tribals.

Additionally, Peruvian bandSaloma which is a pirate-themed band that blends folk metal with elements of power metal and symphonic metal, doesn't use local folk in their music.^[40]

From the middle of the 1990s, other bands gradually emerged to combine heavy metal with folk music.Storm was a short livedNorwegian supergroup withFenriz,Satyr andKari Rueslåtten from the black metal groupsDarkthrone,Satyricon and thedoom metal bandThe 3rd and the Mortal respectively.^[41] Their only albumNordavind was released in 1995 with the use of keyboards to imitate the sound of folk instruments.^[42] The GermansEmpyrium also relied on synthesizers and guitars to deliver their "dark folklore" black metal music with the release of their 1996 debut albumA Wintersunset...^[43]

The year 1996 also saw the debut album of the "one-man black metal project of multi-instrumentalist Vratyas Vakyas" from Germany known asFalkenbach.^[44] Even though Falkenbach was formed as early as 1989, the band didn't get much attention until the debut, that includes epic music that is "rife with keyboards, Viking themes, and folk music tendencies," Falkenbach was effectively a merge ofViking metal with folk metal.^[44] They were joined in the next two years by other bands combining the two genres includingWindir,^[45]Månegarm^[46] andThyrfing.^[47]

Predating most folk metal groups, the Spanish bandMägo de Oz was formed as far back as 1989 with a self-titleddebut album, released in 1994.^[48] With nine members in their lineup, including a violinist and flutist, the band has evolved over the years into a combination ofpower metal and Celtic flavored folk metal.^[48][49] They have experienced strong chart success in their native Spain as well as in South America^[50] and Mexico.

Slough Feg fromPennsylvania, United States also had an early formation dating back to 1990.^[51] Their self-titled debut album was released in 1996 and the band has pursued a "unique style of combining traditional/power metal with folk metal."^[52]

TheCzech bandSilent Stream of Godless Elegy had formed in 1995 as adoom metal band "laced with Pagan imagery and adventurous enough to include violins and cellos alongside the expected modern day arsenal."^[53] With the release of their second albumBehind the Shadows in 1998, the band began to use "folklore influences" in their music.^[54]

During the nineties and even at the end of the nineties, there were very few bands. We had Waylander from Ireland. And one or two in Europe, but it was very rare to get a real folk metal band. Nowadays it is a bit of an explosion all over the place.- Keith Fay of Cruachan in 2006^[55]

The folk metal genre has dramatically expanded with the turn of the new millennium. At the forefront of this explosion, with a "revolutionary clash of tradition and amplification that set them apart", is a group fromFinland known asFinntroll.^[56] The band was formed in 1997 with a demo recorded the following year and a debut albumMidnattens widunder released in 1999.^[57] They have since developed a reputation for being "obsessed with all thingstrollish."^[58] Their lyrics are sung exclusively inSwedish instead of theFinnish language "apparently because this language was better to evoke the trollish spirit",^[56] even though the real reason for this lies in the band's original vocalist belonging to theSwedish-speaking minority. The music of Finntroll features a "real innovation" in the marriage of black metal music with a style of Finnishpolka calledhumppa.^[58] Specifically, the band took from humppa "the alternate picking bass lines accompanied with the drumbeat, and the use of accordion."^[59] This unlikely mix of polka and extreme metal has received a mixed reception from critics. Andy Hinds of AllMusic laments the polka influence as undermining "the intended threat of a death metal band"^[60] while his colleague Alex Henderson praises the band for their "solid, consistently likable effort," declaring that Finntroll has set themselves apart from their peers "because of their emphasis on Finnish humppa" and "the humor and irony they bring to the table."^[61]

Finntroll's second albumJaktens tid was released in 2001 and became a chart success in their native Finland.^[62] Some of the songs on the album feature vocals performed byJonne Järvelä ofKorpiklaani, another band from Finland.^[63] While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal.^[64] The roots of Korpiklaani can be traced back to aSami folk music group under the name of Shamaani Duo,^[65] an "in house restaurant band" created in 1993.^[66] An album of folk music was released under this name before Jonne Järvelä relocated and formed a new band,Shaman.^[67] The folk metal act Shaman was based on the folk music of Shamaani Duo.^[68] Two albums were released in 1999 and 2001 before Shaman changed their name to Korpiklaani.^[67] The change in name was accompanied by a change in the music. The traditional yoik vocals and the use of theNorthern Sámi language were dropped while the synthesizer was replaced with real folk instruments.^[69] Jonne Järvelä credits his work with Finntroll as the catalyst for the shift in emphasis from folk to metal.^[70]

While Korpiklaani used an assortment of traditional instruments to deliver their folk metal,^[68] Finntroll relies on keyboards for Finnish folk melodies played in the humppa style.^[57] The keyboards in Finntroll are performed byHenri Sorvali who also performs inMoonsorrow, another folk metal band from Finland that he formed with his cousinVille Sorvali in 1995.^[72] They released two demos, the first in 1997 and another in 1999, before the 2001 debut albumSuden Uni.^[73] Moonsorrow blends folk metal with Viking metal by incorporating "Finland's traditional folk music forms into elaborate symphonic arrangements typical of Viking metal outfits such asBathory andEnslaved."^[74] The adoption of folk elements was "becoming all the rage" in Finland by this point^[75] and other folk metal bands from Finland that began to emerge in the early 2000s includedCadacross,^[75]Ensiferum^[76] and later onTurisas^[77] andWintersun.^[78] Ensiferum notably found themselves at the top of the Finnish charts with their 2007 single "One More Magic Potion".^[79] Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow and Turisas have all experienced chart success in their native Finland as well.^[80]

There are also folk metal acts from the other nordic countries.Icelandic groupSkálmöld is a notable example. The Norwegian actGlittertind was A-listed and played with the highest playing frequency on Norway's most popular radio channelNRK P1 with the song "Kvilelaus" (eng. Restless)"^[81] and performed the song onLindmo when they released their first full-length as a full band.^[82] Other Norwegian acts include the aforementioned Storm and Windir as well as more recent groups such asKampfar,^[83]Lumsk,^[84]Ásmegin andTrollfest.^[85] Bands from Sweden include the aforementioned Thyrfing and Månegarm along with other acts such asOtyg^[86] andVintersorg.^[87][88] Folk metal bands from Denmark includeWuthering Heights,^[89]Svartsot,^[90]Huldre and theFaroe IslandersTýr.^[91]

Outside Scandinavia, other European nations have contributed to the growing genre. Groups from theBaltic states ofEstonia,Latvia andLithuania includesMetsatöll,^[92]Raud-Ants,^[93]Skyforger^[94] andVarang Nord^[95] while representatives fromRussia includeAlkonost,^[96]Arkona^[97] andButterfly Temple.^[98] More isolated examples across Europe includeDimmi Argus^[99] andBalkandji fromBulgaria,^[100]Equilibrium^[101] andFinsterforst from Germany,Dalriada from Hungary,Ithilien from Belgium,^[102] Cruadalach from the Czech Republic, Litvintroll from Belarus, Nightcreepers from France, Zaria from Slovenia,Mägo de Oz and Saurom fromSpain,Elvenking fromItaly^[103] andEluveitie fromSwitzerland.^[104]

Folkearth is an international folk metal project with members from several different European countries. At its inception, the project consisted of 14 musicians from separate backgrounds in folk and metal music.^[105] With their second albumBy the Sword of My Father released in 2006, the project boasted the participation of 31 musicians.^[106]

Beyond the European continent, folk metal is relatively rare with only a few known acts including the aforementioned The Lord Weird Slough Feg and their fellow AmericansAgalloch. The latter's music "made for a stark geographical anomaly, since its eclectic, avant-garde folk-metal was the sort of thing one would expect to emerge from Scandinavia -- notPortland, Oregon."^[107]Tuatha de Danann is another geographical anomaly with their Celtic metal fromBrazil.^[108]

The music of folk metal is a diverse collection with bands pursuing different subgenres of heavy metal music. While bands like Primordial and Finntroll perform black metal, other groups such asThe Lord Weird Slough Feg ply their trade with a more traditional or power metal base. The German-Norwegian groupMidnattsol blends the genre withgothic metal.^[110] Progressive tendencies can be found among some bands includingElvenking,^[111]Lumsk^[84] andTýr.^[112] Some bands are known to adopt more than one different styles of heavy metal. Orphaned Land combines folk metal with progressive anddoom/death metal. The band formed in 1991, also combining Jewish, Arabic, and other West Asian influences^[27] while Ensiferum mix folk music on top of a power and death metal hybrid.^[76] A few groups are also known to incorporate the styles of other music genres outside of heavy metal. Examples include thepunk rock in the music of Glittertind^[88] and theneofolk andpost-rock tendencies ofAgalloch.^[113]

The folk elements in the genre often reflect the ethnic background of the musicians as is the case for theFinnic folk music in Finntroll,^[58] Korpiklaani,^[67] andMetsatöll,^[114] the Baltic folk music inSkyforger,^[94]East Asian influences such asChthonic's use ofTaiwanese folk music^[115] orTengger Cavalry's incorporation ofMongolian throat singing,^[116] or the Middle Eastern background ofOrphaned Land.^[28] However, some bands defy the geographical and ethnical background, likeYmyrgar, who hail from Tunisia but chose to focus on Norse mythology.^[117]

Celtic music can be found among such Irish groups as Cruachan and Waylander^[21] as well as bands outside Ireland like Ithilien from Belgium, Eluveitie^[118] (although Switzerland can be considered a country with a Celtic history), and Tuatha de Danann (from Brazil, a country that has no cultural ties with the Celts whatsoever, despite the similarity of the country's name toan island in Irish myth).^[108] Folk music from multiple regions are employed by some groups like Elvenking,^[119] Ithilien^[120] and Ensiferum.^[121]

The genre also offers a variety of atmosphere and moods. A fun and cheerful nature is characteristic of groups like Finntroll^[122] and Korpiklaani.^[123] Both bands are also noted for playing music that one can dance to.^[124] In contrast, other acts such as Thyrfing and Primordial are known for their contemplative atmosphere.^[123] Lumsk offers a more mellow style^[125] while Agalloch are known for their "depressive ambient" sound.^[126]

An epic atmosphere is characteristic of some folk metal bands like Primordial,^[127] Moonsorrow,^[128] Turisas^[129] and the music project Folkearth.^[105] Groups like Ensiferum andWintersun are known to have a melodious side^[121][130] while bands that favor a more blistering or brutal approach can be found in groups like Finntroll^[131] and Månegarm.^[132]

Folk metal feature the same typical instruments found in heavy metal music: guitars, bass, drums and vocalist. While a few folk metal groups like Tharaphita discard "any notion of utilising folk instrumentation" and "rely solely on traditional metal instruments,"^[133] bands in the genre generally rely on folk instruments that range from the common to the exotic.^[134] Numerous folk metal acts include a dedicatedviolinist in their line up. This includes Skyclad,^[5] Subway to Sally,^[13] Schandmaul,^[17] Mägo de Oz,^[50] Ithilien, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy,^[53] Korpiklaani,^[63] Lumsk,^[84] Elvenking,^[103] Eluveitie^[104] and Tuatha de Danann.^[135] Thetin whistle andflute can be found in such Celtic metal bands as Cruachan,^[18] Waylander,^[26] Ithilien and Eluveitie.^[104] The flute can also be found in other bands such as Metsatöll,^[92] Schandmaul^[17] and Morgenstern.^[136] Medieval bagpipes are used in bands like Folkstone and In Extremo. Some bands are also known to highlight more exotic instruments from their ethnic background or country, includingSkyforger's use of the Latviankokles,^[137]Metsatöll's use of the Estoniantorupill,^[138] Korpiklaani's use of the Finnishkantele,^[70] Eluveitie andIthilien's use of thehurdy-gurdy,^[104] and Orphaned Land's use of theoud andsaz.^[139]

In the absence of folk instruments, other bands in the genre resort to usingkeyboards to replicate the sound of folk instruments. This includes the aforementioned Storm, Empyrium and Finntroll as well as other acts like Midnattsol.^[110] Bands that supplement a folk instrument like the violin with keyboards include Skyclad,^[2] Mägo de Oz,^[50] and Tuatha de Danann.^[135]

The large number of instruments that some bands rely on in recording their studio albums can be a hindrance for live performances. While Orphaned Land are able to perform onstage with twenty musicians in their homeland of Israel, they have to rely on a computer to replicate the roles of the guest musicians for concerts elsewhere.^[141] Some folk metal acts confine themselves to studio recordings and are not known to perform any live concerts. This includes Folkearth,^[106] and Falkenbach.^[142] Other folk metal bands expand their regular roster to include more musicians and consequently, it is not uncommon to find bands in the genre featuring six or more members in their line-up. Some of the sextets in the genre are Schandmaul,^[17] Cruachan,^[18] Korpiklaani,^[63] Turisas,^[143] and Midnattsol,^[110] while septets includeIthilien, Subway to Sally,^[13] In Extremo,^[16] and Lumsk.^[84] Both Silent Stream of Godless Elegy^[53] and Eluveitie^[104] boast eight members each while the line up of Mägo de Oz totals nine performers.^[50] Even when a band includes members dedicated to folk instruments, they might still rely on guest musicians to further enhance their sound. As an example, Lumsk added thirteen guest musicians to the band's seven members on their debut albumÅsmund Frægdegjevar.^[144] At times, guest musicians are known to become full-fledged members of the band, as was the case in Skyforger^[140] and Turisas.^[77]

The diverse range of music styles and instruments is matched by a variety of vocal styles in the genre. From the "spine-chillingdeath shrieks" in Finntroll^[131] to the black metal rasps of Skyforger^[94] or Moonsorrow,^[128] there is no shortage of extreme vocals in folk metal. Other bands to feature extreme vocals include Cadacross,^[145] Ensiferum,^[146]Ithilien^[147] andEquilibrium.^[148] In contrast, bands like Mägo de Oz^[49] and Metsatöll are known to feature "clean" singing in line with their more traditional metal approach. Numerous other bands in the genre are known to feature both extreme vocals and clean singing. This includes Primordial,^[24] Turisas,^[149] Windir^[150] and Wintersun.^[130]

Traditional folk singing can also be found among some folk metal bands. Theyoik vocals ofJonne Järvelä have been featured in varying degrees in the music of Shaman,^[69] Finntroll^[151] and Korpiklaani.^[152] Folk singing or folk-inspired singing can also be heard in the music of Equilibrium,^[148] Metsatöll,^[153] Skyforger^[154] and Orphaned Land.^[155] The music of Orphaned Land also features the use of chants and choirs, commonly encountered in the genre of folk metal. Bands that are known to use a choir include Arkona,^[97] Turisas,^[129] Lumsk^[156] and Eluveitie,^[157] while chants can be found in the music of Týr^[158] and Windir.^[159] Some bands likeFalconer and Thyrfing are also known to feature "yo-ho-ho folk melodies" in their vocals to suit their Viking metal style.^[160][161]

Orphaned Land mostly uses English lyrics, but they are known to feature other languages as they "go well with the music and also sound more exotic and unique." Týr has also been known to use multiple languages in their music.^[162] Other bands in the genre are known to sing exclusively or almost entirely in their native language, including Mägo de Oz inSpanish,^[49] Moonsorrow inFinnish,^[74] Metsatöll inEstonian^[153] and Lumsk inNorwegian.^[156] Bands in the medieval metal subgenre also tend to sing largely or entirely in theirGerman language, including Subway to Sally,^[163] Morgenstern^[164] andLetzte Instanz.^[165]

Lead female singers are not uncommon in the genre and can be found in Cruachan,^[18] Otyg,^[86] Lumsk,^[84] Arkona,^[97] Celtian and Midnattsol.^[110] Other groups like Orphaned Land and Elvenking have employed guest female vocalists in their music.^[103][141]

Popular subjects in folk metal includepaganism,nature,fantasy,mythology andhistory.

Folk metal has been associated with paganism ever since its inception, when Martin Walkyier left his former band Sabbat to form Skyclad, in part because the band "wasn't going to go far enough down the pagan, British way that we wanted to do it."^[166] Consequently, the lyrics of Skyclad have been known to deal with pagan matters.^[5] The band Cruachan was also founded by a self-described pagan, Keith Fay.^[19] For Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow, the label "pagan metal" is preferred "because that describes the ideological points in the music, but doesn’t say anything about the music itself."^[167] Other bands that also prefer to use the term "pagan metal" as a self-description include Cruachan,^[168] Eluveitie,^[169] Obtest^[170] and Skyforger. In contrast to bands with pagan themes, some folk metal bands such asOrphaned Land have themes ofAbrahamic religion.

Nature is a strong influence to many folk metal bands.^[134] Groups such as Korpiklaani,^[67] Elvenking,^[172] Midnattsol^[173] and Vintersorg^[174] have all based lyrics on the subject. For the band Agalloch, nature is an embraced theme "because we are siding with what is essentially the victim in a relationship where humankind is a disease."^[175] All the members of Skyclad are supporters of "organisations like Greenpeace and others, for those are the ones who stand up and take on the battle" between "people who want to save the planet, and people who want to destroy it."^[176]

The pioneers of the genre Skyclad avoided fantasy lyrics because "there was already enough fantasy in the world, told to us by our politicians every day."^[176] Nonetheless, other folk metal bands have been known to feature fantasy themes in their lyrics including Ensiferum,^[177] Midnattsol^[173] and Cruachan.^[168] For Elvenking, fantasy themes are used "as a metaphor to cover deeper meanings."^[178] Similarly, the fantasy themes in Turisas belie the coverage of issues "that are deeper and have greater significance."^[171]

The Celtic metal subgenre is known to feature lyrics based onCeltic mythology.^[21] The history of theCelts is another popular source for the lyrics of Celtic metal bands like Cruachan,^[19] Eluveitie,^[169] Primordial^[179] andMael Mórdha.^[180]Norse mythology can be found in the lyrics of such Scandinavian bands as Falkenbach,^[142] Týr,^[109] Finntroll^[181] andMithotyn.^[182] Skyforger is known for featuring lyrics based on both the history and mythology of their Latvian culture.^[140] Other bands that have treated history to song include Falconer^[182] andSlechtvalk.^[183]

ManyNational Socialist black metal (NSBM) bands likeNokturnal Mortum,^[184] or Russia's Temnozor^[185] andKroda^[186] have been known to cross over into folk metal, a circumstance that Ciaran O'Hagan, the vocalist of Waylander, views as "an insult to people like myself who don’t hold with fascist ideals at all."^[187] He further suggests that the NSBM bands are playing folk metal "for all the wrong reasons." Due to themisappropriation of pagan symbols byNeo-Nazism, several folk metal bands have also been mistaken for being part of the NSBM scene. Consequently, such bands as Cruachan,^[19] Skyforger,^[154] Månegarm and Týr^[188] have had to disassociate themselves with Nazism, fascism or racism. Skyforger went as far as to add the words 'No Nazi Stuff Here!' on the back of their album covers.^[189] In April 2008, performers on the folk metal festival Paganfest were subject to accusations of being Nazis, racists and fascists from the GermanAntifa. Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow andHeri Joensen of Týr issued a joint video statement to refute these accusations, noting that "one of the biggest issues seems to be that we use ancient Scandinavian symbols in our imagery like theS in the Moonsorrow logo and theT in the Týr logo [even though] that is how the S and the Trunes have been written for thousands of years."^[190] Moonsorrow has also issued a written statement in response to the controversy^[191] while Týr notes on their official website that they "got the idea for the rune logo" from theBlack Sabbath album of the same name.^[188] On the other side of the political landscape, some folk metal bands have uttered explicit socialist sentiments. For example the aforementionedGlittertind made aleftist statement againstneoliberalism in their album booklet when re-releasing the recordTil Dovre Faller onNapalm Records in May 2009.^[192]

The original folk metal band Skyclad was also known to deal with serious political subjects^[176] but through lyrics that were littered with puns^[193] and humor.^[194] Other bands have continued to feature fun and humorous lyrics. This includes Finntroll^[195] with their obsession on trolls.^[58] The lyrics of Korpiklaani also "focused on having a good time, drinking [and] partying."^[196] In a review of Turisas'The Varangian Way album, James Christopher Monger of Allmusic commented that some listeners might be put off by "the concept of grown men in pelts" singing such lyrics as "come with us to the south, write your name on our roll."^[129] Heri Joensen of Týr contends that a listener needs to be confident in hismasculinity to listen to such traditional Faeroese lyrics as his own "young lads, happy lads, step upon the floor, dance merrily."^[197]

Unlike any other, the Belgian folk metal bandIthilien preferred to focus their lyrics on very personal subjects such as loss, perseverance or grief. The album Shaping the Soul is for example constructed based onElisabeth Kubler-Ross model of the mourning process.^[198]

• Pagan metal
• Viking metal
• List of folk metal bands