Masterpieces of death metal. Recommended popular songs.
When you hear the term “death metal,” what kind of music comes to mind?
Even among fans of heavy metal, some people find death metal hard to enjoy.
It’s certainly a genre that isn’t for everyone, but the world of death metal is actually incredibly deep.
There’s technical death metal, underpinned by overwhelming musicianship; progressive death metal, where intricate song structures reach an artistic level; brutal death metal, which pursues extremity and sheer destructive force; and deathcore…
In this article, we’ve selected popular tracks and must-hear classics from across the many subgenres and eras in death metal’s history.
It might just change your entire concept of what death metal is.
Enjoy!
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Death metal masterpieces. Recommended popular songs (21–30)
Blinded By Fearat the gates
A signature song by At the Gates, a pivotal presence in the Nordic death metal scene.
They’re also an important band for popularizing so-called melodic death metal, and this classic masterfully fuses thrash-derived aggression with the emotive pull of minor-key melodies at a high level.
My ApocalypseArch Enemy
In their early days, Arch Enemy was a typical death metal band, but when I heard they were bringing in a female vocalist for their fourth album, I wondered if they were going to turn into an ordinary hard rock band.
However, once the lid was lifted, Angela’s death growls were on par with, if not tougher than, any man’s.
BleedMeshuggah
A signature song by Meshuggah, often discussed within the progressive death metal genre.
It’s a ferocious track with riffs that grind like a jackhammer.
Guitarist Fredrik’s eight-string guitar is also an indispensable element when talking about the band’s low-end heaviness.
Lack Of OxygenAbominable Putridity
They are a death metal band from Moscow, Russia.
Russian bands don’t often release on major Japanese labels, but you can find death metal from all over the world at import shops and metal specialty stores.
Be aware that it’s common not only to lack Japanese translations, but for there to be no lyrics at all.
Focus ShiftDark Tranquillity
In the early days of the band, he was praised for having the most beautiful death growl in the world, but he wrecked his throat during the fourth album and switched to clean vocals.
On the next album, he changed his vocal technique and returned to death growls.
Corporal Jigsore QuandaryCarcass
Carcass, an important presence across various scenes such as melodic death metal and grindcore.
This is a classic from their early death metal era and a staple of their live shows.
The drum phrase in the intro is extremely striking, and the Japanese title “Human Jigsaw Puzzle” is perfect.
Homo SunDECAPITATED
Decapitated is a death metal band from Poland.
Each part locks in tightly, delivering a powerful, headlong drive.
Their meticulously crafted sound blends the brutality of death metal with a cutting modern edge, and the way their songs unfold can even feel catchy at times—truly impressive.
