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Death metal

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Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music.

Cannibal Corpse @ 70000 tons of metal 02
Cannibal Corpse @ 70000 tons of metal 02

It is defined by its intense sound and complex musical structures. Musicians often explore dark or challenging lyrical themes. These topics include political conflict, religion, nature, and philosophy. Some lyrics focus on science fiction or true crime. The genre is known for its power and technical skill. It provides a way for artists to express intense emotions through sound.

To create this sound, musicians use specific instrumental techniques.

Deicide band 010
Deicide band 010

A standard setup usually includes two guitarists, a bass player, a vocalist, and a drummer. The guitars are often heavily distorted and tuned to low pitches. Players use methods like palm muting and tremolo picking to shape the notes. The music often features minor keys or atonality to create a specific mood. It also uses chromatic chord progressions and abrupt changes in tempo or time signatures.

Nile in performance (São Paulo, 2010)
Nile in performance (São Paulo, 2010)

The drumming is particularly aggressive. Drummers frequently use double kick drums and a technique called blast beats to maintain high intensity.

Death metal has many distinct subgenres that have developed over time. Melodic death metal combines these heavy elements with the new wave of British heavy metal. Technical death metal focuses on complexity through unusual harmonies and atypical rhythms.

At the Gates Sweden Rock 2008
At the Gates Sweden Rock 2008

Other styles change the speed or mood of the music. Death-doom blends death metal with the slow, melancholic atmosphere of doom metal. Deathgrind, goregrind, and pornogrind mix the genre with the brevity of grindcore. Deathcore incorporates traits from metalcore. Finally, death 'n' roll adds elements of 1970s hard rock to the traditional growled vocals and heavy riffs.

The genre emerged during the mid-1980s from thrash metal and early black metal.

Possessed - Jalometalli 2008 - 02
Possessed - Jalometalli 2008 - 02

Early bands like Venom and Slayer provided essential inspiration. Venom's dark sound and imagery helped shape the extreme metal scene. Slayer's album "Reign in Blood" had a massive impact on later leaders like Morbid Angel.

Chuck Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner

The band Possessed is often credited with connecting thrash metal to death metal. Their 1985 album "Seven Churches" provided a blueprint for many future musicians. These early developments set the stage for a rapidly growing musical movement.

In the United States, the genre saw significant growth through key figures and places. Chuck Schuldiner, founder of the band Death, is widely recognized as the "Father of Death Metal."

Death Mexico 06-89
Death Mexico 06-89

His band helped establish a major scene in Orlando, Florida. By 1989, many bands from this area were labeled "Florida death metal." This included groups like Obituary and Deicide.

Deicide band 016
Deicide band 016

As popularity grew, niche record labels like Earache, Combat, and Roadrunner began signing many bands. In 1990, the "Day of Death" festival in Wisconsin featured 26 different death metal bands.

During the early 1990s, death metal reached a peak of popularity. Some bands, such as Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse, achieved mild commercial success.

Suffocation (11 von 30)
Suffocation (11 von 30)

However, the genre generally remained a niche interest rather than entering the mainstream. This period also saw musical rivalries, such as the tension between Norwegian black metal and Swedish death metal. By the 2000s, elements of death metal began appearing in the hardcore punk scene. This led to further diversification and the creation of even more specialized styles.

Recently, new movements have emerged to honor the genre's roots. The "New Wave of Old School Death Metal" began in the 2010s.

This movement includes bands like Horrendous and Tomb Mold. In the United Kingdom, a similar movement is called the "New Wave of British Death Metal." These modern artists often combine the original 1980s sound with influences from the hardcore scene. This ongoing evolution shows how death metal continues to influence and connect with different musical systems.

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🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:Death Mexico 06-89.jpg
Death Mexico 06-89.jpg
File:Possessed - Jalometalli 2008 - 02.JPG
Possessed - Jalometalli 2008 - 02.JPG
File:Chuck Schuldiner.jpg
Chuck Schuldiner.jpg
File:Deicide band 016.jpg
Deicide band 016.jpg
File:Deicide_band_010.jpg
Deicide_band_010.jpg
File:Cannibal Corpse @ 70000 tons of metal 02.jpg
Cannibal Corpse @ 70000 tons of metal 02.jpg
File:Goatwhore Party.San Metal Open Air 2016 11.jpg
Goatwhore Party.San Metal Open Air 2016 11.jpg
File:Suffocation_(11_von_30).jpg
Suffocation_(11_von_30).jpg
File:My Dying Bride 44.jpg
My Dying Bride 44.jpg
File:Aborted Coolness'tival 31107 06.jpg
Aborted Coolness'tival 31107 06.jpg
File:At the Gates Sweden Rock 2008.jpg
At the Gates Sweden Rock 2008.jpg
File:Nile in performance (São Paulo, 2010).jpg
Nile in performance (São Paulo, 2010).jpg
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