one of the many forms of "extreme metal" alongside genres such as black metal and grindcore, death metal is characterised by heavily downtuned and distorted guitar riffs, extremely fast drumming (drum patterns such as blastbeats are often used, and harsh, guttural low pitched vocals, occasionally alongside high pitched screaming.
death metal comes in many sub-genres: brutal, technical, blackened, melodic, deathcore, etc etc, with the most "mainstream sound" coming from more melodic bands such as in flames or arch enemy.
brutal is a genre that is commonly associated with bands such as cannibal corpse, hate eternal and devourment. this is arguably the most heavy form of death metal with heavily downtuned guitaring, frequent blastbeats and extremely harsh guttural vocals. subject matter ranges from rape to necrophilia and everything in between.
technical/progressive death metal is a subgenre most commonly recognised by its extremely technical guitaring, with frequently changing song structures and uncommon time signatures. Examples include Necrophagist, Cryptopsy and to some extent Opeth.
Blackened death metal is a sort of fusion between death metal and some of the more melodic aspects of black metal, aswell as the subject matter such as satanism, the occult and general evil. Some early influences to the subgenre include deicide, immolation aswell as black metal bands such as marduk, bathory, burzum and mayhem, and prime examples of the subgenre are bands such as Behemoth, belphegor and zyklon.
melodic death metal is a fusion of heavy metal, death metal and other musical genres. The genre includes less harsh vocals although guttural growls are used sometimes, as well as blastbeats and uses downtuned/ distorted guitars less liberally. Started in scandinavia, or more specifically Gothenburg, Sweden, with the first bands that dubbed the genre as the "Gothenburg Sound". Pioneers of the genre are namely in flames and at the gates, and other examples include dark tranquility, amon amarth, arch enemy, entombed and nihilist.
deathcore is a fusion between death metal and "metalcore". As metalcore became more popular thanks to bands such as killswitch engage, other bands began to fuse metalcore already heavy aspects with a more death metal orientated sound; for example job for a cowboy. Many deathgrind bands are confused for deathcore.
deathgrind is a fusion between death metal with certain aspects of grindcore, such as the high pitched screaming, complex song structures and irregular time signatures. Some examples of deathgrind include cephalic carnage, pig destroyer, rotten sound and annotations of an autopsy.
death metal comes in many sub-genres: brutal, technical, blackened, melodic, deathcore, etc etc, with the most "mainstream sound" coming from more melodic bands such as in flames or arch enemy.
brutal is a genre that is commonly associated with bands such as cannibal corpse, hate eternal and devourment. this is arguably the most heavy form of death metal with heavily downtuned guitaring, frequent blastbeats and extremely harsh guttural vocals. subject matter ranges from rape to necrophilia and everything in between.
technical/progressive death metal is a subgenre most commonly recognised by its extremely technical guitaring, with frequently changing song structures and uncommon time signatures. Examples include Necrophagist, Cryptopsy and to some extent Opeth.
Blackened death metal is a sort of fusion between death metal and some of the more melodic aspects of black metal, aswell as the subject matter such as satanism, the occult and general evil. Some early influences to the subgenre include deicide, immolation aswell as black metal bands such as marduk, bathory, burzum and mayhem, and prime examples of the subgenre are bands such as Behemoth, belphegor and zyklon.
melodic death metal is a fusion of heavy metal, death metal and other musical genres. The genre includes less harsh vocals although guttural growls are used sometimes, as well as blastbeats and uses downtuned/ distorted guitars less liberally. Started in scandinavia, or more specifically Gothenburg, Sweden, with the first bands that dubbed the genre as the "Gothenburg Sound". Pioneers of the genre are namely in flames and at the gates, and other examples include dark tranquility, amon amarth, arch enemy, entombed and nihilist.
deathcore is a fusion between death metal and "metalcore". As metalcore became more popular thanks to bands such as killswitch engage, other bands began to fuse metalcore already heavy aspects with a more death metal orientated sound; for example job for a cowboy. Many deathgrind bands are confused for deathcore.
deathgrind is a fusion between death metal with certain aspects of grindcore, such as the high pitched screaming, complex song structures and irregular time signatures. Some examples of deathgrind include cephalic carnage, pig destroyer, rotten sound and annotations of an autopsy.
notable death metal albums include:
Cannibal corpse- tomb of the mutilated/gallery of suicide
Arch Enemy-Wages of Sin
Hate Eternal- I, Monarch
Carcass- Necroticism: Descanting the Insolubrious
Deicide- Self Titled
Cephalic Carnage- Conforming to Abnormality
Job For A Cowboy- Doom
Annotations of an Autopsy- Before The Throne Of Infection
and many, many more
Cannibal corpse- tomb of the mutilated/gallery of suicide
Arch Enemy-Wages of Sin
Hate Eternal- I, Monarch
Carcass- Necroticism: Descanting the Insolubrious
Deicide- Self Titled
Cephalic Carnage- Conforming to Abnormality
Job For A Cowboy- Doom
Annotations of an Autopsy- Before The Throne Of Infection
and many, many more
by KieranDoyle June 17, 2008
Grinding dark, brutal sounding music that shatters windows and makes ears bleed. This music has very fast solos, insane drumming, demonic vocals, and heartpounding bass.
by HanQ May 4, 2004
A form of underground heavy metal that evolved from the '80s Thrash Metal scene, Black Metal, Classical Music, Jazz, and Progressive Rock. Oftentimes considered as "bastardized classical music," Death Metal often uses the technicality and structure of classical music and jazz, and also imitates the sounds of a symphony on highly distorted guitar work. Death Metal vocals are very famous for its intense, gutteral, low pitched, growling vocal style. This is the pinpoint of Death Metal stereotyping, since they are not singing like most popular music nowadays. Because there are an overwhelming amount of notes being played by the guitar, bass, and drums, the vocals cannot be too melodic or rhythmic, so the vocals are used as percussion-like instrument. The drum work in Death Metal is most of the time very fast and technical, combining influence from classical music, jazz, and progressive rock.
Death Metal is also separate into very different sub genres, including Old School Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, Slam Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal, Deaththrash, Deathgrind, Crust Death, Death Doom, Funeral Doom, Ambient Death Metal, and many many more.
Death Metal in the mainstream world is often times dismissed, and considered talentless, and a less valid form of music. This is completely false. Death Metal is far more technical than the popular music hitting teenagers nowadays, and has many more musical characteristics than their music. Death Metal is never meant to be mainstream, which is a very good thing, so corporations will never destroy the genre by pissing on it for teenagers to enjoy. They have already tried with Deathcore, a genre that fuses death metal and metalcore, but that has not destroyed the death metal scene yet. In fact, it has made the brotherhood of death metal stronger than ever.
Death Metal is also separate into very different sub genres, including Old School Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, Slam Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal, Deaththrash, Deathgrind, Crust Death, Death Doom, Funeral Doom, Ambient Death Metal, and many many more.
Death Metal in the mainstream world is often times dismissed, and considered talentless, and a less valid form of music. This is completely false. Death Metal is far more technical than the popular music hitting teenagers nowadays, and has many more musical characteristics than their music. Death Metal is never meant to be mainstream, which is a very good thing, so corporations will never destroy the genre by pissing on it for teenagers to enjoy. They have already tried with Deathcore, a genre that fuses death metal and metalcore, but that has not destroyed the death metal scene yet. In fact, it has made the brotherhood of death metal stronger than ever.
Death Metal: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy, Spawn of Possession, Disgorge, Guttural Secrete, Morbid Angel, Dismember, Vader, Decapitated, Behemoth, Amon Amarth, Insomnium, Aborted, Dying Fetus, Devourment, Necrophagist, Suffocation, Skinless, Deicide, Gorguts, Obituary, Atheist, Opeth, Hypocrisy, Dies Irae, Nile, Hate Eternal, Massacra, Dark Tranquility, etc.
by Trofsky June 19, 2008
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Insanely complicated form of metal music, containing psychotically fast blast beats, shredding,ripping, disemboweling, lacerating guitars, bass lines as thick as concrete, and lyrics dealing with everything on the dark side of life, nothing about love or fireworks or puppy dogs here. A form of music that takes incredible skill to play competently at a rapid pace, only the ignorant and those below the age of 14 cannot hear the talent intertwined between the beats, chords, and notes in said form of music. The vocals range from mildly to extremely distorted, giving the genre more atmosphere than in any other type of music. Big Name Examples: Carcass, Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Nile.
by Ninjavenom July 25, 2003
Whenever the old lady bitches about "playing your death metal music in front of the kids" I just tell them "it's the Cookie Monster singing."
by Alpino August 26, 2008
Death metal is a genre of music ambiguous in origin. But its classification can only be defined by two common characteristics; low growling often gutteral vocals and distorted guitars. The degrees of these may vary.
Many DM bands have adopted themes of depravity. Such as murder, rape, torture, necrophilia, and pathology. Ala Cannibal Corpse, Disgorge (USA), and Pustulated. Others experimented with alternate subjects such as existentialism, nihlism, war, fear, and alternate realities and universes. Ala Disavowed, Debodified, Cryptopsy, Wormed. And some have devoted thier themes to anti-christian, satanic,necronomicon, egyptian, sumarian or demonology. Ala Deicide, Morbid Angel, Nile, and Internal Suffering.
Besides variance in themes bands vary in style. There are many styles to DM but I will seperate them into the two easiest catagories; brutal and technical. Many technical DM bands tend to stray from the typical themes of depravity and often have views similar to (black metal) bands. But thier musicianship is rival to few. Some technical DM bands would be Deeds of Flesh, Lust of Decay, and Hate Eternal. While brutal DM bands concentrate less on technicality and more on sound. And thier sound is massive! thick, tight, and low. The vocalists push thier throats into new boundries with gutteral emmisions. The drummers play with triggered kick drums, ice bells, and piccolo snare drums tuned so high that every blast beat is magnified in clarity. The guitars are detuned often as far as B or A#. The riffs played are a mix between noisy blast beat grinds and palm muted chunky slamming breakdowns with loads of pinch harmonic squeals. Some brutal DM bands that adapt these qualities are Internal Bleeding, Goretrade, and Fleshgrind.
Phrasing is not the only distinction between the legions of death. Region also plays a key role. Florida is home to many of the forefathers ala Deicide, Morbid Angel, and Death. While New York has been home to many old and new Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, and Internal Bleeding lit the tourch while bands such as Internal Suffering, Copremisis, and Malignancy now carry it. Mexico seems to love pathology (study of dieseases) ala Disgorge, Rottenness, Tu Carne,and Lymphatic Phlegm. While Brazil likes a more thrash oriented sound ala; Mental horror, Abhorrance, and Krisiun. But the Columbians are just plain brutal ala; Internal Suffering, Goretrade, and Carnal. The rocky mountains are no stranger to high altitudes or getting high ala Wicked Innocence, Cephalic Carnage, and Undertaker. But Illinois seems to be overrun with sickos ala; Lividity, Macabre, and Gorgasm. Canada has equal parts brutality and technicality ala; Cryptopsy, Martyr and Anal Bleeding. Europe loves DM also the Dutch have an interesting take on technicallity ala; Prostitute Disfigurement, Pyaemia, Severe Torture. While the Italians and French like it sick and brutal ala; Morgue, Corpsefuckingart, and Voracious Gangrene. Spain is becoming a crushing entity of its own with bands like Impure, Wormed, and Machetazo. The Czechs may not be playing exactly DM but thier version of death grind is swift and relentless ala; Malignant Tumor, Alienation Mental, and Pigsty. Many nations have embraced DM Japan has Vomit Remnants. Indonisia has Jasad. Australia has Psycroptic and Intense Hammer Rage. New Zealand has Corpse Carving.
But let us come back to the US for a second cause there is a small pocket of terrain that inhabits the most disturbed individuals...Texas! The Texas underground scene includes bands such as Putrilage, Prophecy, Grotesque Formation, Sect of Execration, Sintury, Viral Load, Insidious Decrapency, Exulcerate and last but not least (yep you guessed it)The mighty "Devourment." The band to end all DM bands. The band which defines DM. The band whos first and only full length album "Molesting the Decapitated" set the bar of brutality so high that it has been the inspiration to millions and also the demise of many. The album was perfect it was the complete package. The sound, the lyrics, the imagery everything was over the top and beyond. It was so monstrous that it even envoked a new genre "ultra brutal." It even spawned a new way of thinking pre-devourment and post-devourment.
Clarifications;
Possessed may have stumbled apon the title "death metal" with thier 1985 album Seven Churches and Death may have had similar thinking with songs like "regurgitated guts" "torn to peices" and "mutilation" with thier 1987 release Scream Bloody Gore. So for that we owe them for comming up with the title DM, for if not for them we might be calling to blood metal or hate metal or some other epithet. But as far as sound wise they had very little to do with it. Bands like Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation had far more contribution to the title than thier predecessors. Just as Devourment thiers.
So with these many variances and many sub-genres ala; DM, death grind, technical DM, brutal DM, ultra brutal DM, gore metal, and gore grind one thing is proven DM is a medium in which many textures may be used. And with the virtuosos that take interest in DM everyday it is truly an advant-gard free form of music. DM is freedom DM is art.
Many DM bands have adopted themes of depravity. Such as murder, rape, torture, necrophilia, and pathology. Ala Cannibal Corpse, Disgorge (USA), and Pustulated. Others experimented with alternate subjects such as existentialism, nihlism, war, fear, and alternate realities and universes. Ala Disavowed, Debodified, Cryptopsy, Wormed. And some have devoted thier themes to anti-christian, satanic,necronomicon, egyptian, sumarian or demonology. Ala Deicide, Morbid Angel, Nile, and Internal Suffering.
Besides variance in themes bands vary in style. There are many styles to DM but I will seperate them into the two easiest catagories; brutal and technical. Many technical DM bands tend to stray from the typical themes of depravity and often have views similar to (black metal) bands. But thier musicianship is rival to few. Some technical DM bands would be Deeds of Flesh, Lust of Decay, and Hate Eternal. While brutal DM bands concentrate less on technicality and more on sound. And thier sound is massive! thick, tight, and low. The vocalists push thier throats into new boundries with gutteral emmisions. The drummers play with triggered kick drums, ice bells, and piccolo snare drums tuned so high that every blast beat is magnified in clarity. The guitars are detuned often as far as B or A#. The riffs played are a mix between noisy blast beat grinds and palm muted chunky slamming breakdowns with loads of pinch harmonic squeals. Some brutal DM bands that adapt these qualities are Internal Bleeding, Goretrade, and Fleshgrind.
Phrasing is not the only distinction between the legions of death. Region also plays a key role. Florida is home to many of the forefathers ala Deicide, Morbid Angel, and Death. While New York has been home to many old and new Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, and Internal Bleeding lit the tourch while bands such as Internal Suffering, Copremisis, and Malignancy now carry it. Mexico seems to love pathology (study of dieseases) ala Disgorge, Rottenness, Tu Carne,and Lymphatic Phlegm. While Brazil likes a more thrash oriented sound ala; Mental horror, Abhorrance, and Krisiun. But the Columbians are just plain brutal ala; Internal Suffering, Goretrade, and Carnal. The rocky mountains are no stranger to high altitudes or getting high ala Wicked Innocence, Cephalic Carnage, and Undertaker. But Illinois seems to be overrun with sickos ala; Lividity, Macabre, and Gorgasm. Canada has equal parts brutality and technicality ala; Cryptopsy, Martyr and Anal Bleeding. Europe loves DM also the Dutch have an interesting take on technicallity ala; Prostitute Disfigurement, Pyaemia, Severe Torture. While the Italians and French like it sick and brutal ala; Morgue, Corpsefuckingart, and Voracious Gangrene. Spain is becoming a crushing entity of its own with bands like Impure, Wormed, and Machetazo. The Czechs may not be playing exactly DM but thier version of death grind is swift and relentless ala; Malignant Tumor, Alienation Mental, and Pigsty. Many nations have embraced DM Japan has Vomit Remnants. Indonisia has Jasad. Australia has Psycroptic and Intense Hammer Rage. New Zealand has Corpse Carving.
But let us come back to the US for a second cause there is a small pocket of terrain that inhabits the most disturbed individuals...Texas! The Texas underground scene includes bands such as Putrilage, Prophecy, Grotesque Formation, Sect of Execration, Sintury, Viral Load, Insidious Decrapency, Exulcerate and last but not least (yep you guessed it)The mighty "Devourment." The band to end all DM bands. The band which defines DM. The band whos first and only full length album "Molesting the Decapitated" set the bar of brutality so high that it has been the inspiration to millions and also the demise of many. The album was perfect it was the complete package. The sound, the lyrics, the imagery everything was over the top and beyond. It was so monstrous that it even envoked a new genre "ultra brutal." It even spawned a new way of thinking pre-devourment and post-devourment.
Clarifications;
Possessed may have stumbled apon the title "death metal" with thier 1985 album Seven Churches and Death may have had similar thinking with songs like "regurgitated guts" "torn to peices" and "mutilation" with thier 1987 release Scream Bloody Gore. So for that we owe them for comming up with the title DM, for if not for them we might be calling to blood metal or hate metal or some other epithet. But as far as sound wise they had very little to do with it. Bands like Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation had far more contribution to the title than thier predecessors. Just as Devourment thiers.
So with these many variances and many sub-genres ala; DM, death grind, technical DM, brutal DM, ultra brutal DM, gore metal, and gore grind one thing is proven DM is a medium in which many textures may be used. And with the virtuosos that take interest in DM everyday it is truly an advant-gard free form of music. DM is freedom DM is art.
by Warren Beyda May 27, 2005