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Death metal evolved from thrash metal and also took some of the extreme elements of black metal. The fast tempos of thrash were kept, but blast beats were added to make it even more brutal. The aggressive vocals of thrash became the screaming unintelligible "cookie monster" vocals of death metal. The genre arose simultaneously in the U.S., especially in Florida, and in Europe. A multitude of subgenres later splintered off from death metal, such as melodic death metal. Death metal and its variants are probably the most popular form of metal today.
Musical Style
In one word, brutal. Death metal is intense and fast, usually utilizing a double bass drum and dual distorted guitars.
Vocal Style
The vocals are what make death metal distinctive. Instead of singing, death metal vocalists use a low-pitched guttural growl that is nearly impossible to understand. The lyrical content is almost always dark and/or apocalyptic.
Pioneers
Death
It only makes sense that a band called Death is a pioneer in death metal. They were part of the Florida scene that spawned the genre in the U.S. The band was started in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner, a true metal pioneer. They released several demos that became popular in the underground and finally released their debut album Scream Bloody Gore in 1987. Death released seven full-lengths before Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001.
