Ensiferum

Ensiferum proudly represents the Viking metal movement in Finland. Somewhere between melodic death metal and folk quotations, Viking metal combines the savagery of ancient times with the mournful poetry of ruined worlds. Formed in 1995 in Helsinki, Ensiferum had to wait until 2001 to release their album Ensiferum. After this initial success, Ensiferum remained at the forefront of Viking metal. Iron (2004), Victory Songs (2007), and From Afar (2009) maintain an overall quality that is not undermined by the changes wrought by Markus Toivonen, founder and leader of Ensiferum. Unsung Heroes (August 2012) continues to peddle Nordic legends against a backdrop of extreme metal. Ensiferum maintains its bellicose mood with 2015's One Man Army. Particularly popular in Northern Europe and Germany, Ensiferum continues its journey with Two Paths (2017), Thalassic (2020) and Winter Storm (2024)