20 essential DEATH METAL albums!!!

Alright guys,


Me again... since Scott posted my 20 essential thrash albums the other day, why not post my top 20 death metal albums myself?


This one's also off my band's website (I'm new so I can't put my URL here...). But it's from my blog on the Nephwrack webpage.

\m/



-Dismember - Like an ever Flowing Stream

Masterpiece. Period. This is the epitome of pure European death metal to me. Gotta love the production of this album, it's the perfect example of the Gothenburg sound. It's raw and fresh. It's aggresive and energetic. Tracks like "Bleed for me" or "Skin Her Alive" are absolute death metal classics. I'll never grow tired of this album. I discovered these guys back in '92 when they were opening for Obituary and Napalm Death - they totally blew me away.

-Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes

The most overlooked death metal album in history. This is a tremendous death metal LP! Finland has always had excellent old school death metal bands like Purtenance or Funebre, but I mean, you can't top this. The atmosphere on this album is spellbinding. The melancholic and sombre melodies, the chug, the absolutely killer mid-tempos that keep you asking for more. This is a must-have if you consider yourself a die-hard death metal fan. This album was long out of print but it's been now re-released through Xtreem records. Grab a copy or die!

-Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness

The year is '89. I grabbed the vinyl just solely based on the cover art - the gut feeling was right. God I miss those vinyl days. I can't describe the thrill of buying an album and the excitement on the way home before giving it the very first spin. This album is nothing short of a landmark. The drumming is ridiculously tight! The slayeresque guitar playing, the pounding bass and David Vincent's unmistakable vocals. "Immortal Rites", "Visions From The Dark Side" or "Chapel Of Ghouls" still sound as fresh as back in the day. "Blessed Are The Sick" and "Covenant" are mint too, but guys, this is jaw-dropping.

-Carcass - Heartwork

Ha! I still remember when this first came out and all the grindcore (more like "grindgore", in the case of Carcass) freaks started labelling them as "sell-outs". What's wrong with getting more technical? Gone are the days of childish grindcore with gory lyrics (basically they would grab a medicine book and start putting latinized medical words together for shock value). This is intelligent, technical death metal played with class and elegance. "No Love Lost" or the disc opener "Carnal Forge" are sick tracks. Sweet album from a band that were never afraid of getting more musically ambitious.

-Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten

Now lets get brutal. No-one had ever played with such level of brutality before (this is '91). You can't get any more guttural than Frank Mullen (thank goodness the cd booklet has the lyrics on it!). Mike Smith's drumming is utterly insane. Doug Cerrito (who later on ended up forming Hate Eternal) and Terrance Hobs shred like crazy here. It's just one of those albums you can't listen to everyday, but when you wanna listen to something brutal, this never disappoints - what a release valve.

-Pestilence - Testimony Of The Ancients

Yeah! Dutch bands totally kick ass. Here's another wee band that only got better down through the years. "Mallevs Malleficarvs" was very primitive thrash, "Consuming Impulse" was obsessive death metal (with Martin V Drunen - Asphyx, Bolt Thrower- on Vocals) and then they put out that absolute wonder that is "Testimony Of The Ancients". Can death metal be progressive? You betcha!!! Patrick Nameli turned out to be a very proficient growler, there wasn't as much agony in his voice as with Martin V Drunen but he added another level of obscurity and malevolence to their sound. Oh, with Tony Choi of Cynic on bass!!! What more can you ask for? Hot chops: "The Secrecies of Horror" and "Land of Tears". Some passages are hypnotizing, this is such a strong album.

-Deicide - Deicide


I'm not gonna lie to you guys, Deicide irritate me big time nowadays. Glen Benton is a downright idiot. I hate the message when bands simply blaspheme. But "Deicide" is phenomenal and infectious. It's sheer aggression. "Legion" may be way faster, but this album has "soul" to it. It has all a death metal classic should have. Some tracks even border on the catchy! Every song is beautifully crafted with insane riffing (courtesy of the Hoffman Brothers). A must-have collection of evil tracks. "Sacrificial Suicide" stands out amongst the rest of the song. Now this is bad-ass death metal in the purest sense.


-Baphomet - The Dead Shall Inherit


I figure many people will disagree on this one. "It's a good album, but not that good" sorta thing. I can't get enough of this album. Has any other band managed to sound this obscure? This is heavy stuff. It's hammering and ugly! Baphomet only released this gem and then changed the name to "Banished" (they only lasted one more album if my memory serves correctly). Some people reckon this is a minor cult status sort of album. Some say it's great but too generic. I say it's a solid, unforgettable death metal platter. '92 was the year and these guys from Buffalo hit the nail on the head on this one.

-Bolt Thrower - The 4th Crusade

Absolutely beautiful album. "The 4th Crusade" is about mesmerizing mid-tempos that'll stick to you like glue. Beautifully composed tracks. It sounds majestic and grandiose. This British band (female bass player) still remain British death metal stalwarts. They went from very run-of-the-mill grindcore to pounding, hammering death metal that'll blow your socks right off from the first spin. A monster of a band that you need to check out!

-Death - Spiritual Healing

How could I not mention the mighty Death? Some claim that Chuck Schuldiner - RIP - was the inventor of death metal. This remains a bone of contention to this day. It could well be true. I'm not gonna get there. All I can say is that he was a fascinating character with a very clear vision of what he wanted to do. Every album has a different line-up! "Symbolic" has the melancholy and the sorrowful mood, but "Spiritual Healing" is arguably their best effort. It's an excellent blend of old and what was to come. The guy was a metal visionary. "Altering the Future", "Living Monstrosity"... heartfelt, honest, memorable death metal.

-Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption

It's not that I dislike their previous grind albums, but ND started getting interesting when they went totally death metal. Lee Dorrian left for Cathedral and Barney of Benediction took on the screaming duties. Jessy Pintado of Terrorizer and Mitch Harris of the Las Vegas band Righteous Pigs also joined to create this mammoth of an album. Production issues notwithstanding, this album ticks all the boxes. This effort is totally awash with thought-provoking lyrics and attitude.

-Benediction - Subsconscious Terror

It's Barney again! Yessss, this album owns. Dated? yeah, so what? Gotta love those mid-tempos. This is so old-school it's almost scary. I love the cover of the album. This is one of Earache's best releases ever.

If you listen closely to the album, you'll notice a certain spirit in the music. You'll easily realize the honesty. It's the very soul and spirit of bands who played this stuff from their guts! There is no brutal technique behind the songs, and no harmonized vocals, and no drummer who eats skins and sticks for breakfast. Bands like this are dying out, just like the spirit of this music. Only a few new bands keep up the true spirit of death metal, and it's due to those bands, that Death Metal hasn't ceased to be a totally forgotten genre in Metal music. Enough said.

-Avulsed - Yearning From The Grotesque

Oh my! This is sick. These Spaniards play an amazing blend of old school brutal death metal and Gothenburg melodies - sometimes you'll spot tinges of thrash.
Unmissable band if you like intense death metal. These guys have been around since '92 and are an underground classic. Long live the underground!

-Grave - You'll Never See... The Light

Here's another blast from the past. Sweden has produced such amazing death metal bands. It's gotta be in their blood, it's genetic! Again here we have an insanely strong album. Grave were never very fast but rather focused on heavy as hell mid-tempo's. This is a long regarded classic that you should get.

-Incantation - Onward to Golgotha

You won't be able to get this gem out of your head. It's that obsessive. It's primitive, it's obscure. Downtuned guitars and really really low vocals. This is addictive stuff. Once you get into it, there's no turning back...

-Gorefest - False


Yas! European Death Metal rocks. There's something about it that American bands don't have, and when it's done right, it is pure brilliant. This is raw, yet at the same class oozes class and somewhat elegance. Oxymoron? Maybe. Listen to "Reality - When You Die" or "Get-A-Life". Can you feel the power to Jan-Chris de Koeijer's vocals? Do you also get the goosebumps? Bingo. You're human.

-Dark Tranquility - Skydancer

Ehrm... If Mike Oldfield ever did a death metal album, this would be pretty much it. This is beautiful. The melodies are enthralling. Swedish band! See a trend here? I think an album like this can't really be described with words. They escape me. Did I make it enticing enough. Grab it!

-Sinister - Diabolical

Another Dutch band! These guys have been around since for frigging ever. Sort of generic, maybe. But when you get a Sinister album, you know what you're gonna get. Absolutely terrific old school death metal that'll have you bang your head till it hurts. This is my favourite album by these Dutch reprobates.

-Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding

Did you really think I was gonna forget them? Ha! Chris Barnes is the man! Too bad he switched to Six Feet Under. This is the real deal! Oh and Alex Webster? His bass playing is ludicrously awesome! Top album. Nuff said.

-Obituary - Cause of Death

I was pretty torn between "The End Complete" and this one. Dunno, I have picked this one maybe because of the Celtic Frost cover I think. It's a cracking cover of "Circle of the Tyrants", they really captured the spirit of the original and gave it their own Florida imprint. Kudos to them on that. Other than that this album is plain enormous. It's fresh and energetic. It's full of positive energy. Magnificient work.

Now we're talking

I don't even own 20 death metal albums! More like 3.
I plan on getting more, though. Death, Morbid Angel, Atheist, Bolt Thrower, and Obituary are all on my wantlist as of now. When I get a job I'll be buying a lot more CD's.

good call on the Baphomet. here are some of my picks...

Mortician - Chainsaw Dismemberment
Asphyx - Last One On Earth
Necrophagia - Season Of The Dead
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade
Malevolent Creation - Retribution
Achercon - Anti-God, Anti-Christ
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Massacre - Inhuman Condition
Deicide - Legion
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated
Devourment - Molesting the Decapitated
Autopsy - Severed Survival
Unleasehed - Where No Life Dwells
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Aborted - Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Immolation - Here In After
Carnage - Dark Recollections
Obituary - The End Complete

My picks:

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are the Sick
Decapitated - The Negation
Pestilence - Testimony of the Ancients
Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked
Destroyer 666 - Cold Steel For An Iron Age
Malevolent Creation - Ten Commandments
Bloodbath - Breeding Death EP
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Gorguts - Considered Dead
Obituary - Cause of Death
Immolation - Majesty and Decay
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Carcass - Necroticism
Carcass - Heartwork
Psycroptic - Ob(Servant)
Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream
Edge of Sanity - Unorthodox
Death - Spiritual Healing
Death - Symbolic

The Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Pestilence albums mentioned in the list are all killer!! However, I cannot for the life of me understand why Spiritual Healing made the list. I love Death but am not a fan of that particular album.

Maybe half the bands mentioned would be in my Top 20
and
Spiritual Healing was the last great DEATH album.
Chuck should have changed the band name after that.

I wouldn't say that these are essential, but they are my 20 favorite death metal albums in no particular order except the first three (I didn't include any melodic death metal bands):

Bolt Thrower-The IV Crusade
Amorphis-Tales From The Thousand Lakes/Black Winter Day
Amorphis-Tha Karelian Isthumus
Pestilence-Testimony Of The Ancients
Daath-The Hinderers
Obituary-The End Complete
Carcass-Heartwork
Athiest-Piece Of Time
Entombed-Left Hand Path
Suffocation-Effigy Of The Forgotten
Malevolent Creation-Stillborn
Mortification-Scrolls Of The Megaloth
Morbid Angel-Covenant
Nile-Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka
Nile-Those Whom The Gods Detest
Extol-Undecieved
Fear Factory-Soul Of A New Machine
Edge Of Sanity-Crimson/Crimson II
Opeth-My Arms, Your Hearse
Opeth-Orchid

The last three could be argued to be progressive metal with death leanings but the death parts are still pure death. The ones in red I no longer have but may get again in the future (despite my not liking the lyrics in that Morbid Angel album). Unfortunatly, the Malevolent Creation CD is highly expensive (seriously needs a reissue).

Cool lists guys! I love Death Metal (though admittedly I don't have that much of it), but I'll put up my list a bit later when I have more time.

Also, I am 100% on the side of people calling Spiritual Healing Death's best album. It's easily their heaviest, best sounding, and probably best-written album (though Symbolic comes close). I can't even really express how much I love Spiritual Healing and it's definitely my favourite Death Metal album.

Very good list! However, the Grave is just called "You'll Never See..." Where did you get the light part from? The song he actually says heaven.

Some awesome picks man! I'd say every album on this list is good!
Some of my favorites from it:

Ravenscraig wrote:

-Dismember - Like an ever Flowing Stream
-Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
-Carcass - Heartwork
-Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
-Pestilence - Testimony Of The Ancients
-Deicide - Deicide
-Bolt Thrower - The 4th Crusade
-Death - Spiritual Healing
-Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption
-Benediction - Subsconscious Terror
-Gorefest - False
-Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
-Obituary - Cause of Death

Wargod

A very essential one:

Glad to see the consensus on The IV Crusade. Absolutly love that album!

If you like The IV Crusade, you will love this album too:

TE DEUM - The Abyss

I shall check it out then.

Check it out, it is the perfect mix between Tales From a 1000 Lakes and IVth Crusade. Crushing epic death metal all the way.

Here, I just upped a song on youtube. If I ever decide to put a death metal album on Stormspell, this would be it!

stormspell wrote:

A very essential one:

Thresholds is good, but I much prefer The Key.

Don't worry, sometimes it takes a bit to get it right. Keep listening

P.S. and while taking about Thresholds we should mention another awesome sci-fi techno-death album:

CRYSTAL AGE - Far Beyond Divine Horizons

I agree DeathCult. I very much prefer "The Key".


Lake of Fiiiiire... yeah!!!

haha, I own a whooping 2 of the original list in this thread!! Yeah, not much of a death metal fan i guess.

Anything from Nile.

stormspell wrote:

Don't worry, sometimes it takes a bit to get it right. Keep listening

P.S. and while taking about Thresholds we should mention another awesome sci-fi techno-death album:

CRYSTAL AGE - Far Beyond Divine Horizons

This is a great album! I do think Dronjak went on to better things though

The ones I would list in a top 20 essential death metal albums are:

Grave - Soulless
Unleashed - Across the Open Sea
Death - Spiritual Healing
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Dismember - Like an ever Flowing Stream
Bolt Thrower - The 4th Crusade
Obituary - Cause of Death
Morgoth - Cursed
Deicide - Once Upon the Cross
Edge of Sanity - Unorthodox
Asphyx - Last One On Earth
Entombed - Clandestine
Amorphis - The Karelian Isthumus
Gorguts - Considered Dead
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Immolation - Here In After
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated
Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence