Fav Christian metal band.......yes most christain metal bands are hideous...these guys aren't.
One of the hardest working metal bands out of Reading PA
Queensryche and Deep Purple are two classics and one of the first metal music videos when MTV was brand new...yes I am THAT old:) Warning....the hot blonde is probably collecting social security by now!
Deliverance also identified as a christian band. Their older stuff was pretty good. TBH as long as the guitar sound is killer and the music has a good groove, I could kind of care less what the lyrics or meaning behind things are. All I usually ask of a vocalist is to not annoy me :D
Defiantly hear the Iron Maiden influence. While I don't expect the vocalist to be classically trained like Pat Benatar or the guy from Queensryche I do like it when they can sing as well as scream:)
Machinae Supremacy has some pretty anti-theistic lyrics and some gaming related. A View From the End of The World and Overworld are the best examples. Very underrated band (imo) that combines power metal and chiptune.
Here are some Folk/Viking Metal Bands and my favourite tracks
Korpiklaani - Happy Little Boozer Alestorm - Drink Equilibrium - Waldschrein Eluveitie - Call of the Mountains Ensiferum - Victory songs FEJD - Den Skimrande Cruachan - Blood for the blood god Forefather - Theodish Belief Tyr - Hold the heathen hammer high Manegarm - Blodorn
I would love some other recommendations for other folk/Viking metal bands.
Looking for pretty much anything with a psychedelic sound. I love Ufomammut's album Idolum, it's amazing, but I don't know anything else quite like it. If you haven't heard it before and want a sample then give this a listen, it's definitely the main highlight of the album: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kASWOp9b9hs
What kind of metal are you looking for? There's plenty of prog/gothic bands that include regular acoustic and/or piano breakdowns, but if you are looking for thrash or death metal that's usually a bit trickier. If you are able to narrow your focus that would be a big help.
I posted this on the site once before wasn't that well reviewed, but still I love it. (Mostly because the person behind it all, yes person not persons.)