Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. - Humbert Wolfe

Image found here

As the cold days approach, so the music we metalheads listen often shifts to more melancholic and atmospheric sound. Something we can listen to while walking through the forest in the early morning during wintertime, or while sitting on the window listening to sound of autumn rain. I've already populated my player with bands that proved to be suitable for this.
What genres are we talking about?

• Folk metal
• Atmospheric black metal
• Melodic death metal
• Viking metal
• Post metal

All of these, or some combinations of them really puts you in that gloomy, winter atmosphere. Let's begin.

1. Agalloch

Just couple of months ago Agalloch announced they are ceasing to exist and starting two new bands separately. But they did left us an amazing discography. Just sip up your coffee on a cold winter morning and play "The Mantle" or any other album.

Here at the edge of this world
Here I gaze at a pantheon of oak, a citadel of stone
If this grand panorama before me is what you call God. . .
Then God is not dead

2. Ensiferum

Melodic folk metal band from Finland, combining some fast melodic guitar riffs, harsh/clean vocals and lyrics about warriors, battles and wanderers.

Wait for me in the mountains, haunt for me in the winds
Wait for me in the land where nothing lives
Until the day I have found revenge, I will feed my sword
Until my heart is cold, every breath of mine is yours

3. Wintersun

This band was founded when Jari Mäenpää decided to leave Ensiferum and focus on his own project. Unlike Ensiferum, Wintersun goes more deep into melodic death style, ditching most of the folkish influences.

I ́m wondering now where will you take me
From the horizon the light comes alive
Into the mountains high we set our way
Will we find our way in this long winter night
I see the land of fading sun and rising mountains
And I finally feel that I ́ve found my home
But oh, how it feels so cold when my dreams wither in fragments of time
Revealing that this land will die

4. Alcest

Alcest is french post metal/shoegaze duo lead by a super-talented multi-instrumentalist Neige. As a child Neige had vivid experiences of a "fairy land", otherworldly place of abundance with beautiful sounds and landscapes nowhere else existed. Main purpose of his music is to try and revive this magical experience. And you'll feel it each time you listen to their beautiful music.
Lyrics translated in English:

The golden leaves dying on the ground
Will be reborn under bright skies
As this weatherworn world remains the same,
And tomorrow, you and I will be gone.

5. Empyrium

How to describe their music? So sad, melancholic, dark, gloomy and yet so incredibly beautiful. This German dark folk band draws inspiration from nature and is a true representation of the genre.

I am a wave in an ocean
Floating, gliding infinity
I shall not break at the rocks
Nor shall I decay before my time
At last I reach endless white sands

6. Summoning

Imagine you are in the Middle Earth, under the misty mountains, in the devastated land of the dark lord. No voice, no sound. You can only hear doomed song of the Nazguls. That's the level of epicness you'll feel while listening Summoning. With dark fantasy Tolkien inspired lyrics and atmospheric black music, this band brings epicness to a whole new world.

Where forest stream went through the wood
And silent all the stands there stood
Of tall trees, moveless, hanging dark
With mottled shadows on their bark

7. Korpiklaani

Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland. Known for the use of many traditional folk instruments like violins, flutes, accordions with lyrics about beer and booze, nature and happy ordinary life of farm people.

I would rather fly with eagles, to the snow hills
I would rather run with wolves, between the trees
I would rather be with trees, than in the middle of noisy streets

8. Månegarm

Listen to this and awaken the viking within you. Grab the axe and prepare for battle.

Call, call of the runes
Bring order in my life and lead my way
They're calling me
My destiny they lead
Forever I am bound to the fate of Norns

9. Nest

Finnish neofolk/ambient band gets inspiration from folk tales and writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the Grimm brothers. Their extraordinary atmospheric, dreamlike sounds are based on instrument called Kantele. Instrumental or with a light harsh whispering vocals they really create some otherworldy melodies.

Once we played in this forest
In the shade of the tall trees
At the dawn of this particular time.

10. Amon amarth

Similar to Månegarm, Amon Amarth revives the viking spirit and the power of north. Their music is about strife, loss, brotherhood, hope and glory. Something we all can relate to.

The icy winter is creeping near
Dark skies above us
Biting frost in the air
Darkness surrounds us

Soon the lakes and seas will freeze
And snow will lay its veil
And we will long for the summer breeze
Where we can set our sails

Thanks for reading! Hope you'll find something interesting to carry you through the upcoming gloomy days. Feel free to add bands of your choice to this list.