General Music Chat

While most people associate death metal music with a bunch of guys screaming and creating wall of noises randomly, there's a multitude of reasons why this genre maintains a strong following and earns the fierce loyalty of many listeners worldwide. If you're curious about Death Metal, it is best that you check metal forums where there might be people that are experienced and familiar with the genre. Oh and remember this article isn't forcing you to enjoy Death Metal, but to let you know what it's about.

1. Learn about the history and characteristics of death metal. It's probably more interesting and complex than you thought -- many of the stereotypes of Death Metal and its artists aren't true. They are not all lazy, animal/people-sacrificing psychos; most are actually normal people with family, friends, and complex off-stage personalities. Try listening to older bands such as Entombed, Death, or Possessed for good examples on characteristics of Old School Death Metal.

2. Listen beyond the crunching guitars and harsh singing. Although the rough guitar sound and grating vocals that permeate all of death metal can take a little getting used to (especially if your ears are accustomed to softer sounds), it's more than just noise. There are melodies, patterns, and complexities to be appreciated if you listen attentively enough.

3. If you really don’t understand the growling, don’t be afraid to look at them on a lyrics website. However, the lyrics in Death Metal aren't an important essence in creating Death Metal, what defines Death Metal is how the riffs are structured. Two great lyrics websites are metal-archives.com and darklyrics.com. You might be surprised by the complexity and large vocabulary found in the lyrics in some bands, not all bands sound intellent. A common misconception of heavy metal is that all Heavy Metal bands lyrics are very vulgar, using a lot of bad language. You can't get into the death metal scene quickly it takes time for you to grow on it, don't force yourself to enjoy Death Metal if you don't actually enjoy it. If you want something softer to get started on to then start with Melodeath like Dark Tranquillity. Some of their songs may help get into the tone and the general Melodeath/Melodic Death Metal scene.

4. Realize that playing and Doing Harsh Death Metal Vocals, a.k.a growling (yes growling!) requires enormous practice and skill. Even bass players, who don't do the complex leads and melodies associated with death metal guitar, may practice one piece of music for as long as a full year just for an audition.

5. Watch a live death metal performance. Observe how the group members manipulate the instruments. Especially if you've ever tried to play those instruments yourself, you'll probably be amazed with how skillfully they play. It takes practice, and dedication, which challenges the stereotype of metal heads being lazy and careless. You might also be surprised about how energetic some of the performers are.

6. Remember that in death metal, unlike many other genres, each band almost, always writes their own music. That includes the riffs, drums, solos, and lyrics. Writing their own music demonstrates another dimension of talent, as does making the music sound more personal and less manufactured.

7. Understand the context and subject matter. Death metal (Any type of Death Metal) lyrics and themes, will not always to be taken completely seriously, celebrate the outer extremes of human experience, such as the motivations of serial killers, gore, isolation, and death itself. Death metal is less about generic anger and more about empathy for people who suffer from despair, isolation, and an acute sense of unfair ostracism from society. Also, many bands (mostly progressive and melodic) will cover other topics not usually associated with death, such as mythology, philosophy, personal relations, religion, society, science and even love. Some Death Metal bands have Satanic/Anti-Christian lyrics, but they get much of the media attention or it fits the music. (If you are seriously against Satanic lyrics, Deicide, Brujeria, Morbid Angel and Immolation are bands you may wish avoid, to name a few)

8. Learn about the sub-genres. Not all death metal is the same. The genre contains many sub-genres that can frequently mix and intermingle with each other. As a result, it may be difficult to ascribe a band under a single sub-genre. Here's a general guideline to get you started:

* Old School: Autopsy, Benediction, Death, Dismember, Entombed, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Pestilence, Possessed.
* Blackened: Akercocke, Behemoth, Belphegor, Dissection, God Dethroned, Sacramentum, Zyklon, Crimson Thorn.
* Brutal: Aborted (earlier work), Cannibal Corpse, Blood Red Throne, Deeds of Flesh, Deranged, Disavowed, Disgorge, Hate Eternal, Immolation, Krisiun, Skinless, Suffocation and Wormed
* Goregrind: Carcass (earlier work), Terminally Your Aborted Ghost, Anal Bleeding, Guttural Engorgement, XXX Maniak
* Death/Grind: Cattle Decapitation, Cauterized, Dead Infection, Exhumed
* Melodic: Aborted (later work), Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, At Odds with God, At the Gates, Carcass (later work), Dark Tranquillity, Disarmonia Mundi, Hilastherion, Hypocrisy, Immortal Souls, Norther, Souls, In Flames, Sacrilege.
* Folk Metal: Ensiferum, Eluveitie, Finntroll, Turisas, Tyr, Wintersun, Moonsorrow, Lumsk
* Progressive: Akercocke, Anata, Atheist, Becoming the Archetype, Cynic, Death, Edge of Sanity, Nocturnus, Opeth, Quo Vadis, Sadist, The Faceless
* Slam: Devourment, Dying Fetus, Internal Bleeding, Soils of Fate
* Technical: Beneath The Massacre, Cryptopsy, Cynic, Death, Decapitated, Gorguts, Immolation, Necrophagist, Nile, Ominous, Origin, Pestilence, Spawn of Possession, Visceral Bleeding, Psycroptic
* Death Metal/Thrash Metal: Sarcófago, Possessed, Malevolent Creation, Vader, Slayer

9. Respect the artists. The greatest death metalists almost can't make a living with what they do, and yet the musicians in these bands continue on in spite of their obscurity. Death metal is so non-mainstream that its musicians have to work incredibly hard for their career sales to reach even a million copies (which less than 6 death metal musicians have actually done.)

* Also, keep in mind that death metal is probably the most complicated music ever invented, with the exception of classical symphonies. Remember Death metal isn't normally accustomed with breakdowns.

Thanks Ryan, I'll print that and put it on my fridge.

Check out these dm bands from my neck of the woods.

http://www.myspace.com/girlscouthandgrenade

http://www.myspace.com/idecay

No offense, Ryan, but to an outsider, this is one of the funniest lines I have read in here - "If you want something softer to get started on to then start with Melodeath...." Not that it's wrong or anything, but it just sounds funny to "start off slow" with a band of that name. Do you then work your way up to Megadeath? I know - bad joke. It just caught me weirdly.

I admit that I don't understand the stuff, but it doesn't bother me. I never thought of death metal ppl as being lazy or especially sloppy. In fact, I see them as some of the most energetic performers out there. Frantic, even.

Probably my biggest objection to the genre is listed in your #7 above. I don't WANT to empathize with serial killers & war mongers, or wallow in gore, despair, isolation, etc.

I've written some stuff along those lines, myself (well...nothing about "gore"), & I suppose that in some ways my approach to it is worse, in that I try to make it sound melodic & appealing to the listener, which might seem kinda sneaky.

That doesn't necessarilly mean that the death metal-heads aren't trying to sound good to their audience, within the limitations of the genre. It's just much more "in your face," I suppose, & I relate that kind of approach to pro-wrestler braggadio, which just irritates the living sh*t out of me.

So I suppose I'll always want to hear a death-metal growler actually sing a simple song, just to assure myself that they CAN. It's not that I don't appreciate the effort in what you do, it's that I don't appreciate the end result. Acquiring the taste for it doesn't really interest me as long as the lyrical content remains the same, no matter how good your vocabulary, or how fast & perfect your guitar licks.

woof woof woof, woof woof woof...
just cant handle the "dog barking" vox in death & never could (it aint my age) but a lotta people like it cause it's withstood the test of time!

www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
www.myspace.com/445175001
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/6039/

"thems that knows me knows better, thems that dont, dont matter"

well its good to know that I like melodic death metal, though I usually use the word death to describe a different range of bands, so I suppose then that Lamb of God is nu-metal huh? same as Children of Bodom?

Ive got nothing against any form of music. But personally I dont like death metal. I like some of the riffs and some of the leads, I like a lot of the double bass drum action. Its just not something Im going to listen to much.

Truthfully I find the whole genre boring, just like Im sure death metal lovers find the stuff I like boring. I imagine that if I was a teenager in these times I would lean in that direction, but as a middle aged guy its just not my cup of tea.

That all being said I appreciate any musical form, but thinking about it again I tend to like music that ultimately makes you feel happy. I dont get that feeling from death metal.

I hope things are going good with your project Ryan.

Rock On or would you say Mosh On, or Bang On!

yah I can understand how a lot of it can be boring, some bands have a limited sound range. Modern metal as I prefer calling it, takes a unique mindset to find happyness, I've heard some songs that where I laughed at the lyrics because they were so over the top they struck me as amusing, there's a modern band I think you could get into as a middle aged dinosaur, Trivium, the singer has the same vocal coach as Metallica (not that I really like them but that's another story) and they have good driving double bass and amazing riffs, and while it may not be music you can take happy from, its not negativity for the sake of negativity, its exposing how humans treat mankind (if that makes sense), they have one song you could take happy from, but the way the vocals come across you can't take that away soo....I guess you'll appreciate it but never like it, oh well jw I tried

Ryan Strain's encyclopedia of death medal! Good job Ryan. You don't really have to sell me on anything you like. If YOU like it and enjoy performing it then more power to you.

Some death is decent, but the hybrids [crossover, metalcore, anything-core] suck.

Some death is decent, but the hybrids [crossover, metalcore, anything-core] suck.

Wrong. They don't suck. YOU just don't like then

Just cause you don't like something doesn't mean it sucks.

People are entitled to different tastes than you.

Those certain genres of music existing in this world do not affect your life in any way.

I gotta agree with JW on the boring aspect. When I was younger I used to be into it a bit, mostly Cannibal Coprse, Morbid Angel, Cradle of Filth, Diocide etc. But after a while it all started running together. To me, the music doesn't have the climax to it that I look for in music. As far as crossovers go, bands like KillSwitch and even a little older like Fear Factory (and of course Slipknot / Stone Sour / Hell Yeah) bring in the harder elemnets of the music, but each has a singer who could actually be classified as 'Vocalists' that really bring a lot to the table and can tie everything in together. If I'm in a hyper enough mood you may catch me listening to something like that, but for me, my days of Bona Fide death metal have gone by the wayside. That said, that was a really well written entry and you make a great argument. Rock on, and remember....
Satan spawn the Caco Demon, lol.

Id like to add that I didnt say death metal sucked. Its just not my cup of tea.

I see a lot of older rock bands like Styx and Journey playing the casino circuits. Can you imagine Cannibal Corpse 20 yrs down the road playing at the local casino? When I played a few casino's they chased you around with a DB meter. I remember I could hardle hear my amp one time over the machines and the guy kept telling me to cut down. That wasnt that much fun. I can see that guy going up to SlipKnot, Excuse me but you have to turn that sh*t down!

Sorry I got off subject.

Ryan you had a great thought out argument in your post. The only thing is when it comes to Death Metal you either get or you dont. Theres not any middle ground on that genre.

Once again Good Luck and Im happy to see people passionate about their music. Thats what always spawns breaththrus in music, having a real passion for what you are doing.

Some death is decent, but the hybrids [crossover, metalcore, anything-core] suck.

Wrong. They don't suck. YOU just don't like then

Just cause you don't like something doesn't mean it sucks.

People are entitled to different tastes than you.

Those certain genres of music existing in this world do not affect your life in any way.

They suck <-- and that's my opinion. You can disagree all you want. You're entitled to that fo sho

I was thinking the same thing. It is obvious to me that when somebody says "something sucks" it is just their opinion and that's all they think it is too.

I never want to think about why I should or should not like a music. Either it speaks to me or it doesn't. I never think to myself "well even though this or this is bad about this genre or artist this or this is good about it or makes it credible".

This is why I don't like or listen to Bob Dylan or Neil Young. I don't care if Dylans lyrics are epic. The rest of the package sucks. It's like pouring tobasco sauce on a delicate truffle. It is ruined.

Then again, for me, lyrics will never make or break a song. To me it's melody, harmony, emotive chord progressions, tones in guitars vocals, production, etc etc that seal the deal in the good music vs bad music debate.

I don't groove on it, but have no critisism of the genre. Actually, I think alot of metal musicians from all the various sub genres have some pretty damn good chops. I just don't "get it". Probably never will either. I like heavy music too-don't get me wrong. Metallica before they started sucking, Iron Maiden...but that ain't Death Metal...although, I must admit I do enjoy watching GWAR on DVD...perish the thought I would ever attend a live show though! LOL Is GWAR death metal? Or is it just "GWAR" metal? Those guys are seriously out there!