Death Metal Appreciation *The official thread*

Question - I don't listen to death metal, but I would like to start exploring the genre. What are some must have classics that I should start with?

Witchfinder wrote:

Question - I don't listen to death metal, but I would like to start exploring the genre.  What are some must have classics that I should start with?  

My all-time favorites are:

Mortification: Scrolls of the Megilloth
Extol: Undeceived
Death: Symbolic and The Sound of Perseverance (many wouldn't consider these two death metal, though. More brutal, progressive thrash).

Witchfinder wrote:

Question - I don't listen to death metal, but I would like to start exploring the genre.  What are some must have classics that I should start with?  

Here are a few classics..

Obituary - The End Complete
Deicide - Legion
Asphyx - Last One On Earth
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
Death - Spiritual Healing
Benediction - The Grand Leveller
Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Malevolent Creation - Retribution
Napalm Death - Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Immolation - Dawn of Possession
Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
Morgoth - Cursed
Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells
Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth
Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
God Dethroned - The Christhunt
Vader - De Profundis
Autopsy - Mental Funeral
Kataklysm - Sorcery
Hypocrisy - Penetralia
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Amorphis - Tales From A Thousand Lakes
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Grave - You'll Never See...
Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Krisiun - Black Force Domain
Necrophagia - Season of the Dead
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

Ya know I really need to get back into exploring some death metal I missed out on over the years. I don't know that it'll ever be my favorite sub-genre but there are a few bands I still listen to regularly that I never tire of.

Such as these guys who I see mentioned by several people here and if you think you'd like a bit o' doom in your death metal I certainly recommend 'em :

Repulsion's Horrified is also a must have.

mc666 wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

Question - I don't listen to death metal, but I would like to start exploring the genre.  What are some must have classics that I should start with?  

Here are a few classics..

Obituary - The End Complete
Deicide - Legion
Asphyx - Last One On Earth
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
Death - Spiritual Healing
Benediction - The Grand Leveller
Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Malevolent Creation - Retribution
Napalm Death - Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Immolation - Dawn of Possession
Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
Morgoth - Cursed
Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells
Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth
Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
God Dethroned - The Christhunt
Vader - De Profundis
Autopsy - Mental Funeral
Kataklysm - Sorcery
Hypocrisy - Penetralia
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Amorphis - Tales From A Thousand Lakes
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Grave - You'll Never See...
Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Krisiun - Black Force Domain
Necrophagia - Season of the Dead
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

Almost a perfect list... there's just a few I'd add in.

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Death - Symbolic (I know you included Spiritual Healing, but I feel Symbolic is more "essential")
Gorguts - Erosion of Sanity
Cynic - Focus (not really pure death metal, but I still consider it essential to the scene)
Brutality - Screams of Anguish
Carcass - Necroticism

And I'd throw this one in just for shits and giggles (and cos I really like it)
Necrophagist - Epitaph, even though it's wanky tech death.

And now all my recommendations seem really generic, hahaa.

"I have waited so long, for the winds of change to come, through eyes so clear...."    

Dumping some stuff I find to be good "intro" material to their respective genres.
Slaughter of The Soul is a really accessible release among At The Gates' discography, and melodic death metal as a whole; catchy and melodic without losing any sense of the heaviness behind it.
Hypocrisy can be described the same way to a certain degree; but with their own flair.



Whatever its called, slam, brutal death metal, whatever. Disfiguring the Goddess brings a good bit of technicality and songwriting skill to the table that initially let me look past the completely unintelligible vocals to get into the genre as a whole. Plus, being a little melodic at times doesn't hurt.


May post more as examples come to mind.

metalhead777 wrote:

Dumping some stuff I find to be good "intro" material to their respective genres.
Slaughter of The Soul is a really accessible release among At The Gates' discography, and melodic death metal as a whole; catchy and melodic without losing any sense of the heaviness behind it.
Hypocrisy can be described the same way to a certain degree; but with their own flair.



Whatever its called, slam, brutal death metal, whatever. Disfiguring the Goddess brings a good bit of technicality and songwriting skill to the table that initially let me look past the completely unintelligible vocals to get into the genre as a whole. Plus, being a little melodic at times doesn't hurt.


May post more as examples come to mind.

I need to look into Disfiguring the Goddess more. I like what I've heard from them.

Disfiguring the Goddess is great if you like a little core influence. He put out two awesome albums last year.

Some stuff I've been jamming recently.

Not a genre that i ever really got into in any meaningful way so forgive me if you think this song doesn't belong but I think it's melodic death metal. I also think it kicks ass.



I got this E.P as a free download but I've played and dug it enough to now get a physical copy.

*sighs* If I must... c:<

Acheron - Jesus Wept (Again and Again)
Acheron - Thy Father Suicide
Acheron - Rise of Rebellion
Suffocation - Beginning of Sorrow
Autopsy - In the Grip of Winter
Behemoth - Slaves Shall Serve
Behemoth - At the Left Hand ov God
Behemoth - Ov Fire and the Void
Behemoth - Alas, Lord is Upon Me
Behemoth - No Sympathy for Fools
Behemoth - Chwała Mordercom Wojciecha (997-1997 Dziesięć Wieków Hańby)
Aeternam - Moongod
Autopsy - Charred Remains
Dew-Scented - Final Warning
Deicide - Scars of the Crucifix
Deicide - Carnage in the Temple of the Damned
Deicide - Behead the Prophet (No Lord Shall Live)
Deicide - Go Now Your Lord is Dead
Deicide - Homage for Satan
Deicide - Horror in the Halls of Stone
Amon - Among Us
Vital Remains - Let Us Pray
Vital Remains - Into Cold Darkness
Entombed - Left Hand Path
The Faceless - The Ancient Covenant
The Faceless - Autotheism Movement I, II, & III
The Faceless - In Solitude
Job for a Cowboy - Genesis
Job for a Cowboy - Ruination
Job for a Cowboy - Tarnished Gluttony
Grave - You'll Never See...
Gojira - Global Warming
Morbid Angel - Chapel of Ghouls
Fleshgod Apocalypse - In Honour of Reason
Fleshgod Apocalypse - As Tyrants Fall
Goatwhore - Apocalyptic Havoc
Goatwhore - Forever Consumed Oblivion
Goatwhore - Baptized in a Storm of Swords
Goatwhore - In Deathless Tradition
Goatwhore - When Steel and Bone Meet
Immolation - Higher Coward
Master - What Kind of God
Master - Unknown Soldier
Mortification - Eternal Lamentation
Necrophagia - Bloodfreak
Nile - To Dream of Ur
Morbid Angel - Pain Divine
Morbid Angel - Summoning Redemption
Obituary - Infected
Nunslaughter - Hell's Unholy Fire
Nunslaughter - God
Nunslaughter - Satanic Slut
Pyrithion - Bleed Out
Vader - Return to the Morbid Reich
Vader - North
Vader - The Book
Vader - Cold Demons
Septicflesh - Shamanic Rite
Septicflesh - Anubis
Septicflesh - We, The Gods
Septicflesh - Sangreal

I LOVE death metal! Took me about about a year to fully get into it and appreciate the intensity of it. I used to hate it, but as I grew up and began to understand what I was listening to, I fell in love with it.

Thanks for the exposure to Daath and unbowed.  Really enjoyed those two.  On my list to get.  

Some of my favorites that I don't think have been mentioned yet:





Marco posted this a few months ago about this song, love this song.  Brings back memories....

Quote :

Actually the song was writen about my Italian mother that would answer the phone with a heavy accent would say, " he nota a home me Marco." I was 17years old, living with my parents and never home. Shortly after this album was recorded I was booted out of my parents house because I put myself between my dads fist and my mother, instead I punched him in the face. Never to return...........Thanks for all the positive posts. Im home now.

Cromlech were a local band I saw in MN and WI few times back in the day:

Here's some I forgot to add to my list:

.

Wurthless wrote:

mc666 wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

Question - I don't listen to death metal, but I would like to start exploring the genre.  What are some must have classics that I should start with?  

Here are a few classics..

Obituary - The End Complete
Deicide - Legion
Asphyx - Last One On Earth
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
Death - Spiritual Healing
Benediction - The Grand Leveller
Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Malevolent Creation - Retribution
Napalm Death - Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Immolation - Dawn of Possession
Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
Morgoth - Cursed
Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells
Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth
Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
God Dethroned - The Christhunt
Vader - De Profundis
Autopsy - Mental Funeral
Kataklysm - Sorcery
Hypocrisy - Penetralia
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Amorphis - Tales From A Thousand Lakes
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Grave - You'll Never See...
Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Krisiun - Black Force Domain
Necrophagia - Season of the Dead
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

Almost a perfect list... there's just a few I'd add in.

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Death - Symbolic (I know you included Spiritual Healing, but I feel Symbolic is more "essential")
Gorguts - Erosion of Sanity
Cynic - Focus (not really pure death metal, but I still consider it essential to the scene)
Brutality - Screams of Anguish
Carcass - Necroticism

And I'd throw this one in just for shits and giggles (and cos I really like it)
Necrophagist - Epitaph, even though it's wanky tech death.

And now all my recommendations seem really generic, hahaa.

When it comes to Death, I consider Human my favorite, but would suggest Symbolic first to someone who I am introducing their music to. Symbolic is a much more accessible album, even though I wouldn't really call it a death metal album, although it certainly has death metal elements.

Leprosy is my favorite after those two, and that is their most "death metal" album.

^^Agreed RF; Symbolic is the album I frequent most because it's so damn catchy. Although Sound of Perseverance is his magnum opus in my eyes, Human is one of the most eclectic extreme metal masterpieces I've ever heard.

New Bloodbath is coming!



Much dirtier than past albums.

I'm currently listening to Deeds of Flesh - Portals to Canaan. Good stuff!

Wow, that album is amazing. Deeds of Flesh are a fantastic band. I'm sure they are a massive inspiration on the last Suffocation albub. If not exactly in content, in getting their playing much tighter.

90s Death Metal is my bag at the moment - trying to catch up on all the stuff I couldn't get at the time.

Few of my personal favorites:

Death - Evil Dead


Obituary - Memories Remain


Napalm Death - Unfit Earth


Sinister - Doomed


Asphyx - The Krusher