I remember the first time I heard Death Metal. Uh oh, where are we going with this? I remember driving my car into a lake while listening to Pestilence. Is the universe trying to tell me something... nah, it's just another form of music. Metal and its sub-genres are often about pushing borders into new directions, and defining new borders at new extremes.

This continues my series on the genealogy of Heavy Metal and it's many sub-genres. As with past episodes that began with this linked post, this series is inspired by the Metal Evolution documentary series by Sam Dunn and Banger Films. My goal is to explore that poster he shows throughout the series and that is in the original post of my series. I want to thoroughly explore everything there, find new music, expand the history, and add my own notes as I think of them or discover them.

There is an episode on Extreme Metal in the Metal Evolution documentary series. It does cover a lot of the bands in the death metal sub-genre.

Let Us Begin

The guttural/growling vocals are one of the immediate identifiers for this style of metal. Many of the bands use a combination of drumming known as blastbeats as well. The vast majority of them can have very extreme lyrics in terms of gore, singing about as taboo a topic as they can come up with, and in some cases the horror/evil theme that could be said to have started by bands like Black Sabbath, and continuing outward. These bands often seemed to one up each other on who could come up with the more extreme album cover artwork. I am not showing these covers as that would require me to tag this post as NSFW and that is not necessary to convey the history of this music. If you want to seem some of the most extreme album covers on the planet go google them. The album covers for a band such as Cannibal Corpse will show you exactly what I am talking about. I don't believe album covers get any more extreme than this sub-genre.

I see it as BLOWBACK and reaction to people like Tipper Gore and the PMRC trying to shove their view or reality down upon the populace and force them via laws to behave as those individuals wanted. The result, within a decade the lyrics, album covers and extremity is so far beyond what it was before PMRC that is is not even comparable. Compare Twisted Sister to Cannibal Corpse and I think you'll get my point. It was not my intention, but I believe I may have hit on what is going on here when I discussed taboos, banning, censoring, prohibition, etc in a non-music related post.

Death Metal definitely seems to be a style of music that bursts out of Florida of all places, as so many of the early Death Metal bands came from that area. They were also forming in other places, but there is an unusually high concentration of them in Florida during the early days.

Possessed

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: United States
I first heard Possessed on a metal compilation album called Speed Kills. At the time the term Death Metal did not exist. I remember it had this evil chant at the beginning of the song that I would sometime imitate in my youth. It reminded me a bit of the Charm of Making from the movie Excalibur which I would also imitate. The Possessed chant sounded more evil by far. In my research they did release a Demo/EP around a single called Death Metal so this may in fact be the earliest reference to what would become a new sub-genre of metal.
Pentagram - The first song of theirs I ever heard... not 100% death metal sound yet, but this was a seed.

Death Metal

The Exorcist Live @ Keep It True 2013 - interesting vocalist in a wheelchair. I haven't researched why.

Death

Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: United States
When I think of Death Metal it is this band that my mind tends to go towards when I think of where the sound came from. It was from the mind of Chuck Schuldiner whom I have heard called a genius by several people. He is considered the originator of extreme metal. The band Death has all of the aspects that would go on to define Death Metal. The blastbeats, the extreme lyrics, the extreme album covers, etc. Chuck Schuldiner died in December, 2001.
Leprosy

Spirit Crusher - not Chuck

Chuck Schuldiner Interview November 1991

Chuck Schuldiner Interview THRASH Extra Metal Hammer

Autopsy

Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: United States
I heard the name, but I really never really listened to this band. I liked the musicality of Death Metal, but the vocal style is something I find that I usually could only take so much of in one sitting. It still couldn't be used to torture me, because I can enjoy it. It is simply when I have a choice, I like to take a break. As such, I did not not explore this sub-genre as much as I otherwise would have.
Severed Survival - Full Album - 41:39

Dark Crusade

My Corpse Shall Rise

Pestilence

Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: Netherlands
This is a death metal band I listened to quite a bit up until I drove my car into a lake while listening to them. I didn't listen to them at all for the vocals. I distinctly remember it was the way they arranged their rhythms and music in formats I'd only heard in dark orchestral pieces prior to them. I remember the musical arrangement being quite unique. I will have to revisit it, but I did not listen to them much after the car accident though it had nothing to do with the accident. It was a sound that reminded me of that negative experience, kind of like some people have memories form a smell. That was a long time ago though and I should revisit them as I do remember very much liking the musical arrangement.
Consuming Impulse (Full Album) - 37:24 - The album I was listening to as I drove into the lake.

Testimony of The Ancients (Full Album) - 42:48

Out of The Body

Carcass

Band First Released: 1988
Nationality: United Kingdoms
I am actually really surprised this band was not on the Metal Evolution chart for this sub-genre. This was a common name in the Death Metal scene as it was forming. I didn't really listen to them, but I remember hearing about them, reading about them in magazines, etc.
Unfit For Human Consumption (Official Video)

Heartwork (Official Video)

No Love Lost (Official Video)

Morbid Angel

Band First Released: 1989
Nationality: United States
Morbid Angel was another one of those Death Metal bands I did listen to. It was chance that had me stumble upon them, but they also dealt with the H.P. Lovecraft inspired concepts. As Lovecraft is my favorite horror author this had appeal to me. They went so far as to have their guitarist named Trey Azagthoth which anyone that knows Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos will immediately see the reference. This band focused more on the extremes of dark and occult topics. They were taking the Death Metal sub-genre in the direction that was previously walked by Venom and Slayer.
God of Emptiness (Video Clip) - This one has some extreme lows and has a Death + Doom Metal Vibe**

Where The Slime Live (Wacken 2006)

Altars of Madness (Full Album) - 38:53

Obituary

Band First Released: 1989
Nationality: United States
One thing nice about a lot of Death Metal bands is they title there band with the theme of Death, things that occur or happen due to death, etc. This is another band I had heard OF but never actually listened to.
Insane (Official Video)

Violence (Official Music Video)

The End Complete (Official Music Video)

Cannibal Corpse

Band First Released: 1990
Nationality: United States
You will be hard pressed to find more extreme lyrics, and album covers than those of Cannibal Corpse. It must have paid off as they have been very successful. This is not due to the lyrics and album covers alone. NSFW... if people can understand these lyrics, they are likely very much NSFW. Play them at your own risk. The music is pretty damn good, I'm not so much into the vocal style, but I do like some of the rhythms and song structure.
Hammer Smashed Face - This video is hilarious!!!

Kill or Become (Official Video)

Evisceration Plague (Official Video)

Deicide

Band First Released: 1990
Nationality: United States
The love of taking things to extremes and shock value. When the title of your band is basically God killer you are taking a step in the right direction with most of society if you are going for SHOCK. I have never listened to this band until today.
Homage for Satan (Official Video)

Scars of the Crucifix

Fuck Your God

Immolation

Band First Released: 1991
Nationality: United States
I actually had not heard of this band, or do not remember hearing of them prior to now. Some powerful rhythms, with a crazed tribal feel. Other parts of it have a J.S. Bach inspired flavor to them...
World Agony

Glorious Epoch (Official Video)

Illumination (Official Video)

Vader

Band First Released: 1992
Nationality: Poland
I have never heard of the Polish band Vader before now. They make me of course think of Star Wars and Darth Vader. They also make me think of the badge awarded to me by @lordvader here on steemit.
Never Say My Name (Official Video)

Sword of the Witcher - another appealing thing as I think Witcher 3 may be the best RPG Game ever made. It is also made by the Polish game developers CD Projekt. Both the games and this song are inspired by a popular Polish fantasy author who created "The Witcher", Geralt of Rivia.

Triumph of Death (Official Video)

Dying Fetus

Band First Released: 1993
Nationality: United States
I believe I saw this name before and likely just shook my head and chuckled. I have not heard this band prior to today.
Your Treachery Will Die With You (Official Video)

Homicidal Retribution (Official Video) - Some insane blastbeat in this song... Perhaps mixed a bit too loud as it drowns out most other parts of the music.

Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog

Six Feet Under

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: United States
I haven't heard this name for a band, and likely would confuse people talking about it with a TV show or something. The name is appropriate for the Sub-Genre. Another way of saying Death, Dead, etc.
Feasting on The Blood of The Insane

Live with Full Force (Full Concert) - 39:53

Ghosts of the Undead (Official Video)

Kataklysm

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: Canada
I have seen this name many times before, because the spelling always catches my attention. However, I have actually never LISTENED to them prior to today.
Taking The World by Storm (Official Video)

Push The Venom (Official Video)

Elevate (Official Video)

Opeth

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: Sweden
I've covered Opeth some in the Progressive Metal post in the Metal Tree series, I have also made a post in the past for an Opeth Choose Your Own Musical Adventure style post. This is one of my favorite bands currently. That is largely because, they don't stick just with Death Metal, they mix sounds, change vocal styles, etc in many of their songs. I often describe listening to them as eating a Seven Course Meal. Did you not like that particular course? Wait a minute and see what the next one tastes like. The further you go back in their career the more Death Metal they performed. Their more recent albums have no elements of Death Metal at all and might even fit better in the late 60s or early 70s in terms of sound. In this post I'll share some good DEATH METAL songs form Opeth.
Growling Lesson

Blackwater Park Full Version

Baby Owned by Opeth

The Baying of Hounds - Misheard Lyrics - My sons and I got a kick out of these misheard lyrics... we think of this video every time we hear this song.

Amon Amarth

Band First Released: 1996
Nationality: Sweden
I have heard the name spoken with reverence. I've heard other bands speak the name with reverence. I have never listened to them until today. I am putting on my seat belt.
Guardians of Asgard (Official Video)

War of the Gods (Official)

Deceiver of the Gods (Official Video)

Otep

Band First Released: 2001
Nationality: United States
This was not included on the Metal Evolution chart. This might have elements of other sub-genres such as some of the Core (Grindcore, etc) styles. Yet I've always thought it also had a Death Metal quality with a female vocalist.
Confrontation (Official Video)

Ghost Flowers

Blood Pigs

Metalocalypse

Band First Released - uhm never - TV Series came out in 2006 on Adult Swim
Nationality: United States
This television series is amazingly funny animated adult series centering on the larger than life death metal band Dethklok. It is VERY funny. I am showing parts of it here... though Dethklok does tour after the launching pad of this series. In a way this is Death Metal's animated tribute to Spinal Tap.
Hatredcopter

Christmas Hell Breaks Loose

The Doomstar Requiem Toki/Skwisgaar Guitar Duel

Summoning a Troll

The Troll

Dethklok

Band First Released: 2007
Nationality: United States
This is a virtual band created for the animated series above Metalocalypse. They ended up releasing some albums, and they even tour now.
Bloodrocuted (Official Video)

I Ejaculate Fire (Official Video)

Murmaider

Live FULLSET - Fillmore 2012 - 1:08:19

Closing

This is actually a pretty huge sub-genre in terms of the number of bands out there. I did not even come close to listing all of them. I went over the ones from the Metal Evolution list and added a few of my own. If you believe there are some important ones left out please feel free to reply as always and include a link to a video. This style of music has not stopped producing bands, there are new examples of this all the time (see the earlier blastbeats) link as a link to a video demonstrating blastbeats. That is from a more recent Death Metal band on youtube.

Steem On!