Brutal death metal is a musical genre focusing on pushing the envelope on heaviness, speed, advanced playing technique and aggressive delivery in the genre of death metal.^[1]

History

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Brutal death metal developed in the early 1990s, as an outgrowth of death metal. The first hints of brutal death came from the band Cannibal Corpse, formed in 1988, which began to push death metal into more extreme levels, shaping the sound of brutal death metal.^[2] It wasn't until 1991 that brutal death metal emerged, with the releases of Suffocation's Effigy of the Forgotten and Immolation's Dawn of Possession.^[3][4]

The late 1990s proved to be an important time for brutal death metal with the release of both Devourment's Molesting the Decapitated and Disgorge's Cranial Impalement along with the releases of Dying Fetus. These albums helped pioneer the sub-style of "slam death metal" which switches the emphasis from purely fast songs to the juxtaposition of blast beats and breakdowns.^{[citation needed]} This has led to a large amount of bands heavily influenced by the originators of the style.^{[citation needed]}

Brutal death metal has spread internationally. There are large and active scenes in the world today, especially in Colombia, Japan, Italy, USA and UK.^{[citation needed]}

Characteristics

As the term "brutal" suggests, this sub-genre is pushing the ferocious and violent nature of death metal further into heavy territories. By applying traits such as compact song structures and loud, high speed riffing, death metal was taken to greater extremes. Brutal death metal tends to be drum-heavy and rhythm oriented leaving little room for melody and harmony. Typically, guitar riffs make use of fast tremolo picking, and heavy palm muting for a percussive effect. The drum lines are fast with predominant use of double bass and blast beats. Because of this, brutal death metal drummers must be able to coordinate their drumming with very high endurance and speed. Brutal death metal vocalists employ heavy and low-pitched death growls^[5] and the lyrics are often gore related.

Certain bands in brutal death metal, for example Nile and Spawn of Possession, have also been categorized as technical death metal. There is a sizable overlap between the two genres, as some bands not only focus on speed and aggression but also incorporate technical and progressive elements.

Slam death metal has also become popular as a sub style of brutal death metal. Slam death metal is characterized by blastbeats followed by swift tempo changes to slow breakdowns with odd time signatures and syncopation.^{[citation needed]}

Bands

Music sample:

"Effigy of the Forgotten"

Music sample of Suffocation's song "Effigy of the Forgotten" from the album Effigy of the Forgotten (1991). This audio sample contains many brutal death metal traits.

Problems listening to the file- See media help.

Some notable bands of this genre include:

• Aborted
• Aeon
• Autopsy
• Benighted
• Cannibal Corpse
• Cryptopsy
• Decrepit Birth
• Deeds of Flesh
• Devourment
• Desecration
• Disavowed
• Disgorge
• Dismember
• Dying Fetus
• Gorerotted
• Hate Eternal
• Impending Doom^[6]
• Insision
• Internal Suffering
• Inveracity
• Krisiun
• Kronos
• Merlin
• Mortician
• Nile
• Origin
• Prostitute Disfigurement
• Skinless
• Suffocation
• Spawn of Possession
• Vile
• Visceral Bleeding
• Vital Remains
• Vomitory

References

• Purcell, Natalie J. (2003). "Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture", McFarland, ISBN 0786415851.