Troll metal

Troll metal is black metal music dealing with trolls, goblins and related subjects.

There are three important bands: Mortiis, Finntroll, and Arckanum. Whilst serving as a good genre for these bands to expand their musical style, they usually try to stay close to their usual lyrics. It is for the aforementioned reason that the three major bands sound so different: Mortiis, with a medieval ambient sound (no longer as current); Arckanum, with a pretty simple black metal sound, only with trollish lyrics; and Finntroll with a black metal/polka mix.

In most songs of Finntroll, Trolls singing relate their hate of humans, especially christians, which is for them a plague to eradicate - and to eat. They relate how they prepare for battles without fear and subsequently how much humans should fear them. They fight with axes. They also tell about their rites and beliefs. They say they live in the north and humans in the south (as trolls come from the Scandinavian folklore and most troll metal bands are from Nordic countries). Trolls seem to have a 'King' and a 'Lord'.

Finntroll's album covers represent trolls with very different physical appearances. One looks strong and tall and is green, one other is more elfic, his skin is gray-blue and he has pointy nose and ears, one other looks like a dwarf and others are smaller, strong, green, with big noses and pointy-hairy ears.

Troll metal is often related to forest metal, since trolls live in forests and we can hear sounds of the forest in various songs.

Notable troll metal bands

• Ancient
• Arckanum
• Finntroll
• Gotmoor
• Korpiklaani
• Kostogher
• Mortiis
• Taur Nu Fuin
• Troll
• Trollmann av Ildtoppberg