The difference, by ear
Both are slow, mythological and use layered clean vocals. Viking metal comes from black metal; this comes from Sabbath.
Viking metal is part sung, part screamed where epic doom is sung cleanly, and much faster: 120 to 180 bpm against 60 to 100. To hear the difference, play Candlemass next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and epic doom came first, by six years.
In figures
Epic doom
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Doom metal › Epic doom
In short
Doom with operatic vocals and solemn lyrics. Candlemass set the template on their first album.
How it sounds
- Operatic vocals in the tenor or baritone range, with broad vibrato.
- Majestic riffing with long chords and guitar harmonies.
- Solemn structures and lyrics about fate, death and mythology.
Key acts
- Candlemass
- Solitude Aeturnus
- While Heaven Wept
Start here
The pickCandlemass - Solitude. First track on the first album, and all you need.
Full page →Viking metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Folk metal › Viking metal
In short
Norse themes, male choirs and marching tempos. It sounds like a longship, not a tavern.
How it sounds
- Massive male choirs singing in unison, for the effect of an army.
- Marching tempos, heavy drums and broad keyboards underneath.
- Lyrics about Norse mythology, battle and the sea.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Enslaved
- Amon Amarth
- Týr
Start here
The pickBathory - Twilight of the Gods. The title track is fourteen minutes of solemnity.
Full page →