A subgenre of black metal that includes pagan metal certain folk elements in its sound. It usually features replicated and sometimes real folk instruments, with frequent addition of acoustic guitars. The guitars are generally more melodic and played in a less abrasive way than those in typical black metal. The drums are mostly mid or fast paced, with blast-beats not being uncommon. The utilized vocals are usually a combination of harsh, black metal shrieks with clean and epic vocals. Raw production is very common, many times made intentionally to recreate a cold and primitive atmosphere.

The subject matter usually concerns paganism (e.g. Heathenism), nature, mysticism and other similar and related topics. Pagan black metal is mostly underground with important regional and national acts in the Nordic, Slavic, and Central European countries. There are also important acts in Spain and France. Most important bands of the genre include Graveland, Kampfar, Nokturnal Mortum, Темнозорь, Wyrd and many more.