 AllMusic identifies Viking metal as a nickname for the 1990s Norwegian black metal scene , which the site describes as " noisy , chaotic , and often augmented by sorrowful keyboard melodies . " Journalist Johannes Jonsson described the style as " slow black metal with influences from Nordic folk music . " Lecturer Ross Hagen identifies Viking metal as a subgenre of black metal , albeit one that abandoned black metal 's Satanic imagery . Cosmo Lee of Stylus , described Viking metal as running the gamut from " folk to black to death metal " . Deena Weinstein mentions that Viking metal bands typically rely extensively on keyboards , which are often played at a " swift , galloping pace . " Also according to Weinstein , Viking metal bands often add " local cultural flourishes " such as traditional instruments and ethnic melodies . Aaron Patrick Mulvany considers it a category of folk metal , but with considerably less usage of " non @-@ standard instruments " . Steven P. Ashby and John Schofield also note the similarity to folk metal , but likewise also note that Viking metal uses folk instruments less commonly than folk metal . For vocals , Viking metal incorporates both singing and the typical black metal death growls . 
