Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos, heavily distorted guitars, deep growling vocals, morbid lyrics, blast beat drumming, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes.
Building off the speed and complexity of thrash metal, death metal emerged during the mid 1980s.[2] It was mainly inspired by thrash acts like Slayer[3][4], Kreator[5] and Celtic Frost.[6] Along with the band Death and its frontman Chuck Schuldiner (who is often hailed as "the father of death metal")[7][8][9], bands like Possessed,[10] and Morbid Angel are often considered pioneers of the genre.[11] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as popular record labels like Earache Records and Roadrunner Records began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate.[12] Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning a rich variety of subgenres.[13][14]
Death metal is considered an "underground" form of music, and has been met with considerable hostility from mainstream culture, mainly because of the socially unattractive themes, imagery and stage personae surrounding many bands.[15]