 Though artists such as Led Zeppelin , Yngwie Malmsteen , Heavy Load , and Manowar have previously dealt with Viking themes , Bathory , from Sweden , is generally credited with pioneering the style with its albums Blood Fire Death ( 1988 ) and Hammerheart ( 1990 ) , which launched a renewed interest in the Viking Age among heavy metal musicians . Enslaved , from Norway , followed up on this burgeoning Viking trend with Hordanes Land ( 1993 ) and Vikingligr Veldi ( 1994 ) . Burzum , Emperor , Einherjer , and Helheim , among others , helped further develop the genre in the early through mid @-@ 1990s . Through the work of artists such as the German project Falkenbach , Viking metal soon spread from the Nordic countries to other nations with Viking history or an even broader Germanic heritage , and has since influenced musicians across the globe . The death metal bands Unleashed and Amon Amarth , which emerged during the early 1990s , also adopted Viking themes , broadening the style from its primarily black metal origin . 
