Antemortem, maccrash - Looking at your selection of music - I have never heard of any of them - to be honest, since none of them appear to be metal, I may not listen to them.
If anyone interested, recently been listening a lot to Folk Metal & Viking Metal, my taste in music reflects this:
I just print screen my results and uploaded the image on my Photobucket - it may change next time someone comes to read my post.
From top to bottom, left to right:
Top Row:
Band: Radogost
Album: W Cieniu Wielkiego Dębu
Genre: Folk Metal
My rating/opinion: 9/10 - they are from Ustroń, Poland, their songs and lyrics are in Polish (which I don't speak), just love how Polish language sounds like with metal, I just found out of this band last week, so I been listening a lot to them.
Band: Skyforger
Album: Zobena Dziesma
Genre: Folk Metal
My rating/opinion: 10/10 - love that album - its metal mixed with traditional Latvian music and folklore. The band is from Riga, Latvia - all their albums and songs are in Latvian. Skyforger is my 2nd favorite band since I discovered them around February.
Band: Ásmegin
Album: Hin Vordende Sod & Sø
Genre: Viking Metal
My rating/opinion: 10/10 - just love every song on the album, the only part I'm still confused on (since I don't know what is symbolizes in Norsk mythology) between the 6th and 7th songs is a baby crying. Love that mixture of male and female singing, mixing normal singers-metal singers-and the "guttural" death metal singer. Also mixing metal music with traditional Norwegian instruments... sounds so amazing. Long time fan since I bought the album in 2004. Most of their lyrics are in Norwegian or Ancient Norwegian. The band is from Jevnaker, Norway.
MIDDLE ROW:
Band: Dalriada
Album: Ígéret
Genre: Folk Metal
My rating/opinion: 9/10 - I'm still listening to them to enjoy the songs more - just learned about the band last week (same day as Radogost above). Really love when Metal is mixed with traditional instruments, with Dalriada's case Hungarian, and when male and female singers alternate. I'm really impressed with the music. All their albums are in Hungarian, and are from Sopron, Hungary.
Band: Týr
Album: Ragnarok
Genre: Viking Metal
My rating/opinion: 11/10 - my #1 favorite album at the moment, I can't skip any song. Love that Faroese language, many of the solos (my current cell phone ringtone is from one the songs in this album) are just so amazing. Most songs are in English, a few in Faroese, and two songs "Ragnarok" & "Wings of Times" have both English and Faroese portions. They are from Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
Band: Skálmöld
Album: Baldur
Genre: Viking Metal
My rating/opinion: 10/10 - another of my favorite albums, fast on one song - calms down for the next song (calm before the next metal storm) - back to fast aggressive music. Interesting to hear the Viking history from their lyrical (at least for me from looking at the translation in English) themes. They are from Reykjavík, Iceland... all their songs are in Icelandic.
LOWER ROW
Band: Týr
Album: How Far to Asgaard
Genre: Viking Metal
My rating/opinion: 9/10 - I prefer more the albums "Ragnarok" & "Eric the Red", but the album did have it's good selection of songs as well, it was the most recent album I bought of Týr so I just have to get used to the songs a bit more. They are from Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Have songs in both English and Faroese.
Band: Heidevolk
Album: Batavi
Genre: Folk Metal
My rating/opinion: 9/10 - I was surprised when I found out about Heidevolk, really love many of the solos and the way that Joris den Boghtdrincker sings the songs - really love to hear history of Gelderland from the band sadly I have not found translation for their songs. They are from Arnhem,Gelderland (province), Netherlands - all their albums and songs are in Dutch.
Band: Korpiklaani
Album: Ukon Wacka
Genre: Folk Metal
My rating/opinion: 9/10 - love this album, fast-slow-fun to listen to, varying selection of songs - mixing other instruments with Metal music just amazed how they actually work in songs (when i thought that instruments like accordion, Violin, Bagpipes, Flute didn't fit in with Metal songs), and how Jonne Järvelä sings the songs makes it entertaining. Korpiklaani is from Lahti, Finland... this specific album every song is in Finnish - in their earlier albums most songs where in English with one or two in Finnish.