Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music.

It typically employs
heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting
and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, featuring
double kick and blast beat techniques; minor keys or atonality; abrupt tempo, key,
and time signature changes; and chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical themes of
death metal may include slasher film-style violence,[3] political conflict,
religion, nature, philosophy, and science fiction.[4][5]

Building from the musical structure of thrash metal and early black metal, death
metal emerged during the mid-1980s.[6] Bands such as Venom, Celtic Frost, Slayer,
and Kreator were important influences on the genre's creation.[7][8][9] Possessed,
[10] Death,[11] Necrophagia,[12] Obituary,[13] Autopsy,[14] and Morbid Angel[15]
are often considered pioneers of the genre. In the late 1980s and early 1990s,
death metal gained more media attention as a popular genre. Niche record labels
like Combat, Earache, and Roadrunner began to sign death metal bands at a rapid
rate.[16]

Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning several subgenres. Melodic death
metal combines death metal elements with those of the new wave of British heavy
metal. Technical death metal is a complex style, with uncommon time signatures,
atypical rhythms, and unusual harmonies and melodies. Death-doom combines the deep
growled vocals and double-kick drumming of death metal with the slow tempos and
melancholic atmosphere of doom metal. Deathgrind, goregrind, and pornogrind mix the
complexity of death metal with the intensity, speed, and brevity of grindcore.
Deathcore combines death metal with metalcore traits. Death 'n' roll combines death
metal's growled vocals and highly distorted, detuned guitar riffs with elements of
1970s hard rock and heavy metal.[17]

Contents
1 History
1.1 Emergence and early history
1.2 Growing popularity
1.3 Later history
2 Characteristics
2.1 Instrumentation
2.2 Vocals and lyrics
3 Origin of the term
4 Subgenres and fusion genres
4.1 Blackened death-doom
4.2 Blackened death metal
4.2.1 Melodic black-death
4.2.2 War metal
4.3 Brutal death metal
4.4 Death-doom
4.4.1 Funeral doom
4.5 Death 'n' roll
4.6 Deathcore
4.7 Deathgrind, goregrind and pornogrind
4.8 Deathrash
4.9 Industrial death metal
4.10 Melodic death metal
4.11 Slam death metal
4.12 Symphonic death metal
4.13 Technical death metal
5 See also
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links
History
Emergence and early history
English extreme metal band Venom, from Newcastle, crystallized the elements of what
later became known as thrash metal, death metal and black metal, with their first
two albums Welcome to Hell[18] and Black Metal.[19] Their dark, blistering sound,
harsh vocals, and macabre, proudly Satanic imagery proved a major inspiration for
extreme metal bands.[20] Another highly influential band, Slayer, formed in 1981.
Although the band was a thrash metal act, Slayer's music was more violent than
their thrash contemporaries Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.[21] Their breakneck
speed and instrumental prowess combined with lyrics about death, violence, war, and
Satanism won Slayer a cult following.[22] According to Mike McPadden, Hell Awaits,
Slayer's sophomore album, "largely invent[ed] much of the sound and fury that would
evolve into death metal."[23] According to AllMusic, their third album Reign in
Blood inspired the entire death metal genre.[24] It had a big impact on genre
leaders such as Death, Obituary, and Morbid Angel.[21]

Jeff Becerra of Possessed[25]

Possessed, a band that formed in the San Francisco Bay Area during 1983, is
described by Allmusic as "connecting the dots" between thrash metal and death metal
with their 1985 debut album, Seven Churches.[26] While attributed as having a
Slayer influence,[27] current and former members of the band had actually cited
Venom and Motörhead, as well as early work by Exodus, as the main influences on
their sound. Although the group had released only two studio albums and an EP in
their formative years, they have been described by music journalists and musicians
as either being "monumental" in developing the death metal style,[28] or as being
the first death metal band.[29][30][31] Earache Records noted that "the likes of
Trey Azagthoth and Morbid Angel based what they were doing in their formative years
on the Possessed blueprint laid down on the legendary Seven Churches recording.
Possessed arguably did more to further the cause of 'Death Metal' than any of the
early acts on the scene back in the mid-late 80's."[32]

Chuck Schuldiner (1967–2001) of Death, during a 1992 tour in Scotland in support of

the album Human.
During the same period as the dawn of Possessed, a second influential metal band
was formed in Orlando, Florida: Death. Originally called Mantas, Death was formed
in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner, Kam Lee, and Rick Rozz. In 1984, they released their
first demo entitled Death by Metal, followed by several more. The tapes circulated
through the tape trader world, quickly establishing the band's name. With Death
guitarist Schuldiner adopting vocal duties, the band made a major impact on the
scene. The fast minor-key riffs and solos were complemented with fast drumming,
creating a style that would catch on in tape trading circles.[28] Schuldiner has
been credited by Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia for being widely recognized as the
"Father of Death Metal".[33] Death's 1987 debut release, Scream Bloody Gore, has
been described by About.com's Chad Bowar as being the "evolution from thrash metal
to death metal",[34] and "the first true death metal record" by the San Francisco
Chronicle.[35] In an Interview Jeff Becerra talked about the discussions of being
the creator of the genre, saying that Schuldiner cited Possessed as a massive
influence, and Death were even called "Possessed clones" early on.[36] Along with
Possessed and Death, other pioneers of death metal in the United States include
Macabre, Master, Massacre, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, and Post Mortem.
[37][38]

Growing popularity
By 1989, many bands had been signed by eager record labels wanting to cash in on
the subgenre, including Florida's Obituary, Morbid Angel and Deicide.[39] This
collective of death metal bands hailing from Florida are often labeled as "Florida
death metal". Morbid Angel pushed the genre's limits both musically and lyrically,
with the release of their debut album Altars of Madness in 1989.[40][41] The album
"redefined what it meant to be heavy while influencing an upcoming class of brutal
death metal."[42]

Death metal spread to Sweden in the late 1980s, flourishing with pioneers such as
Carnage, God Macabre, Entombed, Dismember, Grave and Unleashed. In the early 1990s,
the rise of melodic death metal was recognized, with Swedish bands such as Dark
Tranquillity, At the Gates, and In Flames.

Following the original death metal innovators, new subgenres began by the end of
the decade. British band Napalm Death became increasingly associated with death
metal, in particular, on their 1990 album Harmony Corruption. This album displays
aggressive and fairly technical guitar riffing, complex rhythmics, a sophisticated
growling vocal delivery by Mark "Barney" Greenway, and socially aware lyrical
subjects, merging death metal with the "grindcore" subgenre. Other bands
contributing significantly to this early movement include Britain's Bolt Thrower
and Carcass and New York's Suffocation.

To close the circle, Death released their fourth album Human in 1991. Death's
founder Schuldiner helped push the boundaries of uncompromising speed and technical
virtuosity, mixing technical and intricate rhythm guitar work with complex
arrangements and emotive guitar solos.[43]

Earache Records, Relativity Records and Roadrunner Records became the genre's most
important labels,[44] with Earache releasing albums by Carcass, Napalm Death,
Morbid Angel, and Entombed, and Roadrunner releasing albums by Obituary, and
Pestilence. Although these labels had not been death metal labels, initially, they
became the genre's flagship labels in the beginning of the 1990s. In addition to
these, other labels formed as well, such as Nuclear Blast, Century Media, and
Peaceville. Many of these labels would go on to achieve successes in other genres
of metal throughout the 1990s.

In September 1990, Death's manager Eric Greif held one of the first North American
death metal festivals, Day of Death, in Milwaukee suburb Waukesha, Wisconsin, and
featured 26 bands including Autopsy, Broken Hope, Hellwitch, Obliveon, Revenant,
Viogression, Immolation, Atheist, and Cynic.[45]

Death metal band Jungle Rot

Later history
Death metal's popularity achieved its initial peak during 1992–1993, with some
bands such as Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse enjoying mild commercial success.
However, the genre as a whole never broke into the mainstream. The genre's mounting
popularity may have been partly responsible for a strong rivalry between Norwegian
black metal and Swedish death metal scenes. Fenriz of Darkthrone has noted that
Norwegian black metal musicians were "fed up with the whole death metal scene" at
the time. Death metal diversified in the 1990s, spawning a rich variety of
subgenres that still have a large "underground" following at the present.[46]

Characteristics
Instrumentation

Death metal drummer Steve Asheim

The setup most frequently used within the death metal genre is two guitarists, a
bass player, a vocalist and a drummer often using "hyper double-bass blast beats".
[47][48] Although this is the standard setup, bands have been known to occasionally
incorporate other instruments such as electronic keyboards.[49] The genre is often
identified by fast, heavily distorted and low tuned guitars, played with techniques
such as palm muting and tremolo picking. The percussion is usually aggressive and
powerful.

Death metal is known for its abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes. It may
include chromatic chord progressions and a varied song structure. In some
circumstances, the style will incorporate melodic riffs and harmonies for effect.
This incorporation of melody and harmonious playing was even further used in the
creation of melodic death metal. These compositions tend to emphasize an ongoing
development of themes and motifs.

Vocals and lyrics

Death metal band Cannibal Corpse performing in 2009.

Death metal vocals are referred to as death growls; hoarse roars/snarls. Death
growling is mistakenly thought to be a form of screaming using the lowest vocal
register known as vocal fry, however vocal fry is actually a form of overtone
screaming, and while growling can be performed this way by experienced vocalists
who use the fry screaming technique, "true" death growling is in fact created by an
altogether different technique.[50] The three major methods of harsh vocalization
used in the genre are often mistaken for each other, encompassing vocal fry
screaming, false chord screaming, and "true" death growls.[citation needed]
Growling is sometimes also referred to as Cookie Monster vocals, tongue-in-cheek,
due to the vocal similarity to the voice of the popular Sesame Street character of
the same name.[51] Although often criticized, death growls serve the aesthetic
purpose of matching death metal's aggressive lyrical content.[52] High-pitched
screaming is occasionally utilized in death metal, being heard in songs by Death,
Aborted, Exhumed, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, and Deicide.

Death metal band Six Feet Under

The lyrical themes of death metal may invoke slasher film-stylised violence,[3] but
may also extend to topics like religion (sometimes including Satanism), occultism,
Lovecraftian horror, nature, mysticism, mythology, theology, philosophy, science
fiction, and politics.[4][5] Although violence may be explored in various other
genres as well, death metal may elaborate on the details of extreme acts, including
psychopathy, delirium, mutilation, mutation, dissection, exorcism, torture, rape,
cannibalism, and necrophilia. Sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris commented this apparent
glamorisation of violence may be attributed to a "fascination" with the human body
that all people share to some degree, a fascination that mixes desire and disgust.
[53] Heavy metal author Gavin Baddeley also stated there does seem to be a
connection between "how acquainted one is with their own mortality" and "how much
they crave images of death and violence" via the media.[54] Additionally,
contributing artists to the genre often defend death metal as little more than an
extreme form of art and entertainment, similar to horror films in the motion
picture industry.[6] This explanation has brought such musicians under fire from
activists internationally, who claim that this is often lost on a large number of
adolescents, who are left with the glamorisation of such violence without social
context or awareness of why such imagery is stimulating.[6]

According to Alex Webster, bassist of Cannibal Corpse, "The gory lyrics are
probably not, as much as people say, [what's keeping us] from being mainstream.
Like, 'death metal would never go into the mainstream because the lyrics are too
gory?' I think it's really the music, because violent entertainment is totally
mainstream."[55]

Origin of the term

The most popular theory of the subgenre's christening is Possessed's 1984 demo,
Death Metal; the song from the eponymous demo would also be featured on the band's
1985 debut album, Seven Churches.[56] Possessed vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra said
he coined the term in early 1983 for a high school English class assignment.[57]
Another possible origin was a magazine called Death Metal, started by Thomas
Fischer and Martin Ain of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. The name was later given to
the 1984 compilation Death Metal released by Noise Records.[56] The term might also
have originated from other recordings, such as the demo released by Death in 1984,
called Death by Metal.[58]

Subgenres and fusion genres

Cited examples are not necessarily exclusive to one particular style. Many bands
can easily be placed in two or more of the following categories, and a band's
specific categorization is often a source of contention due to personal opinion and
interpretation.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for
completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Blackened death-doom
Blackened death-doom is a microgenre that combines the slow tempos and monolithic
drumming of doom metal, the complex and loud riffage of death metal and the
shrieking vocals of black metal.[59] Examples of blackened death-doom bands include
Morast,[59] Faustcoven,[59] The Ruins of Beverast,[59] Bölzer,[59] Necros Christos,
[59] Harvest Gulgaltha,[60] Dragged into Sunlight,[61] Hands of Thieves,[62] and
Soulburn.[63][64]

Blackened death metal

Main article: Blackened death metal

Blackened death metal band Goatwhore.

Blackened death metal is commonly death metal that incorporates musical, lyrical or
ideological elements of black metal, such as an increased use of tremolo picking,
anti-Christian or Satanic lyrical themes and chord progressions similar to those
used in black metal.[65][66][67] Blackened death metal bands are also more likely
to wear corpse paint and suits of armour, than bands from other styles of death
metal.[68] Lower range guitar tunings, death growls and abrupt tempo changes are
common in the genre.[69] Examples of blackened death metal bands are Belphegor,[70]
Behemoth,[71] Akercocke,[72] and Sacramentum.[73]

Melodic black-death
Melodic black-death[74] (also known as blackened melodic death metal or melodic
blackened death metal)[75] is a genre of extreme metal that describes the style
created when melodic death metal bands began being inspired by black metal and
European romanticism. However, unlike most other black metal, this take on the
genre would incorporate an increased sense of melody and narrative.[75] Some bands
who have played this style include Dissection,[75][74][76] Sacramentum,[75][74]
Embraced,[77] Naglfar,[75] Satariel,[77] Throes of Dawn,[77] Obscurity,[77] Dawn,
[75] Cries of the Past-era Underoath,[78] Catamenia,[78] Midvinter,[79] Twin
Obscenity,[78] Nokturnal Mortum[79] Unanimated,[75] Epoch of Unlight,[77] This
Ending,[80] Suidakra,[80] Oathean,[80] Thulcandra,[74][75] Skeletonwitch,[81] and
Cardinal Sin.[74]

War metal
War metal[82][83][84] (also known as war black metal[83] or bestial black metal)
[84] is an aggressive,[83] cacophonous[82] and chaotic[82][83] subgenre of
blackened death metal,[85] described by Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann
as "rabid"[83] and "hammering".[83] Important influences include first wave black
metal band Sodom,[82][83] first wave black metal/death metal band Possessed[83] as
well as old grindcore, black and death metal bands like Repulsion,[82][83] Autopsy,
[83] Sarcófago[82][83][84][86] and the first two Sepultura releases.[83][86] War
metal bands include Blasphemy,[82][83][86] Archgoat,[83] Impiety,[83] In Battle,
[87] Beherit, Crimson Thorn,[88] Bestial Warlust,[89] and Zyklon-B.[90]
Brutal death metal
Brutal death metal is a subgenre of death metal that privileges heaviness, speed,
and complex rhythms over other aspects, such as melody and timbres.[91] Brutal
death metal bands employ high-speed, palm-muted power chording and single-note
riffage.[91] Notable bands include Cannibal Corpse,[92] Dying Fetus,[91]
Suffocation[93] and Skinless.[94][95]

Death-doom
Main article: Death-doom

My Dying Bride at Frozen Rock Fest. 2007.

Death-doom is a style that combines the slow tempos and pessimistic atmosphere of
doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double-kick drumming of death metal.
[96] Influenced mostly by the early work of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, the style
emerged during the late 1980s and gained a certain amount of popularity during the
1990s.[96] Death-doom was also pioneered by bands such as Winter,[97]
Disembowelment,[97] Paradise Lost,[97] Autopsy, Anathema, and My Dying Bride.[97]

Funeral doom
Funeral doom is a genre that crosses death-doom with funeral dirge music.[98] It is
played at a very slow tempo, and places an emphasis on evoking a sense of emptiness
and despair.[99] Typically, electric guitars are heavily distorted and dark ambient
aspects such as keyboards or synthesizers are often used to create a dreamlike
atmosphere.[100] Vocals consist of mournful chants or growls and are often in the
background.[100] Funeral doom was pioneered by Mournful Congregation (Australia),
Esoteric (United Kingdom), Evoken (United States), Funeral (Norway), Thergothon
(Finland), and Skepticism (Finland).[101]

Death 'n' roll

Main article: Death 'n' roll
Death 'n' roll is a style that combines death metal's growled vocals and highly
distorted detuned guitar riffs along with elements of 1970s hard rock and heavy
metal.[17][102] Notable examples include Entombed,[17] Gorefest,[102] and Six Feet
Under.

Deathcore
Main article: Deathcore
With the rise in popularity of metalcore, some of its traits have been combined
with death metal. Bands such as Suicide Silence, Carnifex and Salt the Wound
combine death metal with a variance of metalcore elements.[103] Characteristics of
death metal, such as fast drumming (including blast beats), down-tuned guitars,
tremolo picking, growled vocals, and high-pitched shrieks are combined with the
breakdowns of metalcore. Decibel magazine stated that "one of Suffocation's
trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore."[104]

Deathgrind, goregrind and pornogrind

Main articles: Deathgrind, Goregrind, and Pornogrind

Aborted are "key contributors to the death-grind genres," according to AllMusic.

[105]
Goregrind, deathgrind and pornogrind[106][107] are styles that mix the intensity,
speed, and brevity of grindcore with the complexity of death metal, with goregrind
focused on themes like gore and forensic pathology,[108] and pornogrind dealing
with sexual and pornographic themes.[109][110] Some notable examples of these
genres are Brujeria, Cattle Decapitation,[111] Cephalic Carnage, Pig Destroyer,
[112] Circle of Dead Children, Rotten Sound, Gut,[113] and Cock and Ball Torture.
[114][115]

Deathrash
Deathrash, also known as death-thrash, is a shorthand term to describe bands who
play a fusion of death metal and thrash metal.[116][117] The genre gained notoriety
in Bali, Indonesia, where it attracted criticism of being related to the
accelerated tourism development on the island and the superseding of its local
culture, particularly by Jakartan one.[118] Notable bands include Grave,[119]
Mortification,[120] The Crown,[117] Incapacity,[117] Darkane,[117] Deathchain,[116]
and Sepultura.[121]

Industrial death metal

Industrial death metal is a genre of death metal that adds elements of industrial
music.[122] Some notable bands include Fear Factory,[123] Anaal Nathrakh,[124][125]
Autokrator,[126] and Meathook Seed.[122][127]

Melodic death metal

Main article: Melodic death metal

Melodic death metal band At the Gates performing in 2008.

Swedish death metal could be considered the forerunner of "melodic death metal".
Melodic death metal, sometimes referred to as "melodeath", is heavy metal mixed
with some death metal elements and is heavily influenced by the new wave of British
heavy metal.[128] Unlike most other death metal, melodeath usually features screams
instead of growls, slower tempos, much more melody and even clean vocals are heard
at rare times. Carcass is sometimes credited with releasing the first melodic death
metal album with 1993's Heartwork, although Swedish bands In Flames, Dark
Tranquillity, and At the Gates are usually mentioned as the main pioneers of the
genre and of the Gothenburg metal sound.

Slam death metal

Slam death metal is a microgenre that evolved from the 1990s New York death metal
scene, incorporating elements of hardcore punk.[129] In contrast to other death
metal styles, it is not generally focused on guitar solos and blast beats; instead,
it employs mid-tempo rhythms, breakdowns, and palm-muted riffing, as well as hip
hop-inspired vocal and drum beat rhythms.[129] Notable acts include Devourment,
[130] Cephalotripsy, and Abominable Putridity.

Symphonic death metal

Symphonic death metal is a genre of death metal that add elements of classical
music. Bands described as symphonic death metal include Fleshgod Apocalypse,[131]
Septicflesh,[132] Necronomicon,[133] and Children of Bodom.[134] Haggard's 2000
album, Awaking the Centuries, has been described as death metal-styled symphonic
metal.[135]

Technical death metal

Main article: Technical death metal

Technical death metal band Nile performing in 2010.

Technical death metal (also known as tech-death, progressive death metal, or prog-
death)[136] is a subgenre of death metal that employs dynamic song structures,
uncommon time signatures, atypical rhythms and unusual harmonies and melodies.
Bands described as technical death metal or progressive death metal usually fuse
common death metal aesthetics with elements of progressive rock, jazz or classical
music. While the term technical death metal is sometimes used to describe bands
that focus on speed and extremity as well as complexity, the line between
progressive and technical death metal is thin. Tech death and prog death, for
short, are terms commonly applied to such bands as Nile, Edge of Sanity, and Opeth.
Necrophagist and Spawn of Possession are known for a classical music-influenced
death metal style. Death metal pioneers Death also refined their style in a more
progressive direction in their final years. Some albums for this subgenre are
Hallucinations (1990) by the German band Atrocity and Death's Human (1991). This
style has significantly influenced many bands, creating a stream that in Europe was
carried out at first by bands such as Gory Blister and Electrocution.[137][138] The
Polish band Decapitated gained recognition as one of Europe's primary modern
technical death metal acts.[139][140]