It is well known that Sweden is home to a large number of influential heavy metal bands. The popularity of this particular genre of music among Scandinavians is mostly due to their Viking heritage and Nordic culture. The rise of the black metal band from Sweden is also deeply influenced by their cold, isolated geographic location. Dive deep into the Scandinavian metal music scene with these top heavy black metal bands that you’re sure to love.
Top 5 Heavy Black Metal Bands in Sweden
1. Bathory: Formed in 1983 and named after the countess of Hungary, they are considered the early pioneers of black metal in Sweden. Their ‘Blood Fire Death’ album is regarded as a classic in the realm of black metal that influenced a whole new generation of musicians.
2. Marduk: Named after the Babylonian god, their style of music was a death metal influenced take on fast pacing black metal. Their 1994 album ‘Opus Nocturne’ is still considered a gem among metal fans.
3. Dissection: Formed in 1989, they played a key figure in the early development of Swedish black metal through the influence of their first album, Storm of the Light’s Bane.
4. Arckanum: Formed by Johan Shamaatae as solo black metal, it ranks among the most popular in the Swedish metal scene. Shamaatae is also an author of several occult pieces of literature reflecting his style of music.
5. Watain: Influenced by American metal group Von, they have released six albums and three live albums, including Casus Luciferi – a masterpiece among BM fans.
Explore the Harsh Beauty of Heavy Black Metal
The massive popularity of heavy metal music in Sweden is mainly due to the Scandinavian climate of harsh, cold winters. As music mimics the culture, Sweden gave birth to tonnes of powerful and melodic black metal bands, like Dawn, Sacramentum, Vinterland, etc. So if you are into heavy metal music and want to explore new sub-genres of its extreme ends, you definitely want to check out these top heavy black metal bands in Sweden.