A subgenre of
death metal with strong roots in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Finland. It is similar to
folk metal in the aspect that it heavily utilizes melody combined with instruments such as the accordion, panflute and harp, along with deep operatic backing vocals to achieve a medieval atmosphere. Lyrical content deals with Viking culture and a
Norse outlook - the belief that the only way to gain passage into
Valhalla in
Asgard is to die in a grand battle or adventure. It also shares subject matter with
power metal, in that it deals with legend-esque things like warriors and dragons. Adversely it can be seen as power metal's opposite, as power metal deals with knights and heroes using
neo-classical undertones where the protagonists of viking metal are swarthy and violent, almost barbaric.
Though viking metal is dark and grave in nature much like
black metal, artists and fans of this genre tend to have a positive outlook - unlike screamo and gothicism, it's not themselves they hate, but everyone else.
