Genre traits include abrupt tempo and key changes, complex guitar work and fast drumming; as well as growling vocals with darkly romantic lyrics.
Death metal bands frequently write lyrics referencing violence against humans – such as dismemberment and murder. For non-fans this may be off-putting. Yet studies indicate that such explicit violence may actually elicit positive emotions when presented within art context.
The origins of death metal
Death metal emerged in the 1980s as a more violent and brutal form of heavy metal music, drawing its inspiration from thrash metal’s fast speed, grindcore’s brutality, and black metal’s dark, occult imagery. Two bands initially defined this style: Possessed from San Francisco and Death from Florida – their music combined aggressive thrash metal sounds with Venom and Slayer lyrics in order to pioneer an entirely new style of heavy metal that Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Obituary would follow their lead.
Death metal music can be distinguished by high-pitched, growled vocals and heavily distorted guitars that create an aggressive atmosphere. Fast drums and bass lines also contribute to its fast pace. Many death metal songs feature complex time signatures and chaotic song structures; the genre often addresses themes related to violence, murder or darkness in its lyrics.
Although some death metal bands rely on head-banging riffs to convey their message, others are more concerned with creating an unforgettable musical landscape. Some incorporate jazz fusion into their music for something called “symphonic death metal”, while other bands such as Atheist and Cynic even add elements of psychedelia into their work.
Death metal has given birth to various subgenres, such as melodic death metal and progressive death metal. Prog-death metal, which combines elements from both death metal and progressive rock, was popularized by bands like Finland’s Amorphis in the 90s; progressive death metal combines fast technical playing of death metal with more melodic sounds reminiscent of 70’s progressive rock.
Death metal’s dark themes and aggressive style may garner it an unfavorable reputation; nonetheless, its music has gained widespread appeal among individuals from various walks of life. Researchers have revealed that death metal fans tend to be more liberal politically active than non-fans but also less religious; perhaps death metal’s violent themes desensitize its listeners to violence while reinforcing negative social attitudes but this research remains inconclusive.
The genre’s aesthetics
Death metal’s aesthetics can be disturbing; bands often wear white corpse paint when performing live and use black tape to bind their arms behind their backs for stage performances. Crucifixes, crosses, skulls and other imagery create an eerie and macabre atmosphere while most death metal artists wear dark clothing with tattoos or piercings that characterize this genre which mixes styles such as black metal and heavy metal music.
Death metal music is fast and heavily distorted. Guitarists usually employ techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking while the percussion is aggressive and powerful. Vocalists growl and grunt while lyrics cover themes such as violence, death, gore, politics, religion, morality etc. Though death metal may appeal to certain listeners due to its lyrical content; some individuals may find the genre’s music offensive or too intense.
As opposed to some death metal bands that specialize in gory death metal, most death metal acts prefer a more technical style. Many death metal acts have more melodic sounds than the brutality of thrash metal and often incorporate doom influences – this trend has expanded the genre over the years.
Early 1990s bands like Napalm Death and Carcass established the signature sound that established death metal as a genre. Their style featured aggressive yet technically proficient guitar riffing, intricate rhythmic patterns, and growling vocal delivery; by the end of this decade subgenres such as Bolt Thrower/Carcass/Suffocation began emerging within it.
Death metal may not be mainstream music, but it has quickly become one of the most beloved extreme metal genres. Death metal has also had an enormous influence on other genres like black metal and grindcore; horror movies often incorporate its music as it often serves to depict violence, gore and nihilism – with controversial and offensive themes often found within death metal songs; nonetheless it continues to gain followers today.
The genre’s themes
Early death metal bands like Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel featured lyrics with themes related to anti-religion, horror, occultism, satanism, mutilation and more. The genre’s music typically featured fast and heavy playing techniques including distortion guitars with palm mutes and tremolo picking at blistering speeds as well as growled vocals and double bass techniques with blast beats on drum sets.
This music represents the initial wave of death metal, drawing heavily from thrash and black metal influences as well as social criticism of their time. Death metal bands were widely criticized for glorifying violence; their music instead served to encourage people to fight it through songs written specifically to combat it. Artists defended themselves, maintaining that death metal songs did not aim to encourage it but rather inspire change against it.
Death metal may seem like an innocuous form of rock music, but in actuality its influence on modern music culture cannot be discounted. Death metal’s immense popularity has even inspired other bands to create their own take on it; Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death are two such bands known for their dark yet violent sounds while Black Sabbath are widely acknowledged for helping pioneer the genre with their heavy sound and leather aesthetics.
Researchers conducted an experiment to investigate whether death metal’s explicit themes could elicit positive emotions in its listeners. Participants viewed images – either violent or happy – while listening to either Eaten by Beartooth’s Happy or Pharrell Williams’ Happy, both songs by either group triggering strong negative responses while death metal fans experienced feelings such as empowerment, joy and transcendence from listening. While non-fans experienced anger and fear more strongly than death metal fans.
Reasons behind these findings remain elusive. One possible theory suggests that death metal’s overarching theme of evil provides an outlet for listeners’ darkened emotions and thoughts; another hypothesis holds that its heavy music provides catharsis.
The genre’s influences
Death metal music may not appeal to everyone; rather, its small but dedicated fan base has seen its popularity steadily grow since its conception in the mid ’80s and continue to thrive even today. Yet non-fans may remain puzzled as to why some listen to something that seems designed to assault ears while breaching basic standards of taste and decency; therefore it would be worthwhile studying its history and origins to gain more insight into its allure that draws some individuals toward death metal music.
In the early ’80s, California-based Possessed and Florida’s Morbid Angel helped pioneer death metal by pushing beyond ultra-heavy thrash music’s limits. These bands used similar guitar work while adding growled vocals and abrupt tempo and key changes, forging their own path; some acts also used chromatic chord progressions and varied song structures to add greater complexity.
Over time, death metal’s influences evolved and expanded. Groups like Carcass and Suffocation took it further with more extreme violence and lyrics, drawing inspiration from both American death metal and British and Swedish metal scenes.
By the late ’80s, bands such as Atheist and Cynic had developed their own form of death metal with an unconventional approach. Both bands utilized jazz fusion to craft dense and complex songs with their own sound; additionally they often avoided more common anti-religious and gore themes while preferring more ethereal vocal passages that accentuated its chaotic jazz-influenced madness.
Progressive death metal blends the complex song structures and weird time signatures associated with progressive rock with extreme metal aggression, popularised by bands such as Gojira, Six Feet Under and Nile. Melodeath uses melodic riffs and harmonies as a counterbalance against death metal’s extremeness.