Brutal Tech Death Albums
My goal here was to make a list of quality tech death albums that aren't too melodic, too prog-y, too old school or too wank...
in alphachronological order. |
| 1 |  | Adramelech
Psychostasia
Some damn fine Demilich worship |
| 2 |  | Agony (CAN)
Apocalyptic Dawning
This album is the DEFINITION of slept on. This feels a lot like Cryptopsy's Blasphemy Made Flesh but even crazier, and I'm pretty sure Blood Incantation used the same alien art from the album cover. |
| 3 |  | Artificial Brain
Labyrinth Constellation
Their best album imo |
| 4 |  | Autopsy
Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts
Autopsy came through this year to prove they can still groove with the best |
| 5 |  | Blood Incantation
Starspawn
Blood Incantation are at the vanguard of death metal right now and for good reason |
| 6 |  | Blood Incantation
Luminescent Bridge |
| 7 |  | Blood Incantation
Hidden History of the Human Race |
| 8 |  | Cannibal Corpse
The Bleeding
This album still holds up because it was way ahead of its time in brutality and infectious grooviness |
| 9 |  | Cannibal Corpse
A Skeletal Domain
This is my favorite album of the CC modern era, and despite several other deserving entries in their catalogue I will only be including this one for the sake of not bloating the list |
| 10 |  | Cephalic Carnage
Lucid Interval
It's a bit of a stretch to just call this a tech death album given how stylistically all-over-the-place it is, but it has plenty of quality death metal riffage |
| 11 |  | Cryptopsy
Blasphemy Made Flesh
This entry needs no justification, nor does the next |
| 12 |  | Cryptopsy
None So Vile |
| 13 |  | Cryptopsy
Whisper Supremacy
This one, however, is badly slept on. The phrenetic drumming and catchy riffing from None So Vile are on full display here and Mike DiSalvo's unusual vocals have always worked for me. |
| 14 |  | Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy
Yes, this album is good enough to justify including 4 Cryptopsy entries. Fuck you. |
| 15 |  | Cynic
Uroboric Forms
I don't like Cynic's LPs at all so if you don't either, try this instead. It's much better. |
| 16 |  | Dead Congregation
Graves of the Archangels
Incantation worship done flawlessly, maybe even better than the source material |
| 17 |  | Dead Congregation
Promulgation of the Fall |
| 18 |  | Decapitated
Winds of Creation
Insane riffs here folks, very relentless death metal that marries the best qualities of old 90s and 2000s death metal |
| 19 |  | Decapitated
Nihility
Somewhat of a vibe switch for Decapitated but no less enjoyed than WoC |
| 20 |  | Decapitated
The Negation |
| 21 |  | Deeds of Flesh
Trading Pieces
Early, highly brutal tech death from a band that would go on to be synonymous with the subgenre |
| 22 |  | Deeds of Flesh
Reduced to Ashes |
| 23 |  | Deeds of Flesh
Of What's to Come
A more modern take on tech death from one of its pioneers |
| 24 |  | Deeds of Flesh
Portals to Canaan
This borders on "too wank" but it remains satisfying largely |
| 25 |  | Deicide
The Stench of Redemption
m/ |
| 26 |  | Demilich
Nespithe
The GOAT, one of the most influential albums to ever grace the genre |
| 27 |  | Dying Fetus
Killing on Adrenaline
This album is where DF really took off for me, and with each passing album since this it feels like they just keep honing their craft closer and closer to perfection. |
| 28 |  | Dying Fetus
Destroy the Opposition |
| 29 |  | Dying Fetus
Reign Supreme |
| 30 |  | Dying Fetus
Make Them Beg for Death |
| 31 |  | Exhumed
Gore Metal |
| 32 |  | Gorguts
The Erosion of Sanity
This album is often overshadowed by what came after it, but it shouldn't be because this is a solid slab of technical death metal |
| 33 |  | Gorguts
Obscura
Duh |
| 34 |  | Hate Eternal
Conquering the Throne
Solid from the jump, Hate Eternal make some of the most face melting metal out there |
| 35 |  | Hate Eternal
I, Monarch |
| 36 |  | Hate Eternal
Upon Desolate Sands |
| 37 |  | Immolation
Close to a World Below
One of the albums in serious competition for the best in its class, every aspect of this album pushed the genre into new territory |
| 38 |  | Immolation
Unholy Cult
A solid follow up to CtaWB |
| 39 |  | Immolation
Acts of God
And in 2023 Immolation show no signs of waning inspiration |
| 40 |  | Incantation
Onward to Golgotha
One of the most evil and groovy albums ever written |
| 41 |  | Incantation
Mortal Throne of Nazarene |
| 42 |  | Incantation
Unholy Deification
This is death metal AOTY for me |
| 43 |  | Malevolent Creation
Retribution |
| 44 |  | Monstrosity
Millenium
Young Corpsegrinder adds a lot of intrigue to this album |
| 45 |  | Mortal Decay
Sickening Erotic Fanaticism
Brutal and groovy |
| 46 |  | Nile
In Their Darkened Shrines
Few people do tech death as well as Nile, and this is the album where they really found their sound and perfected it |
| 47 |  | Nile
Annihilation of the Wicked
But they wouldn't fully perfect their sound until this release |
| 48 |  | Nile
Those Whom the Gods Detest |
| 49 |  | Nomenmortis
How I Learn to Bleed...for the Things I Wish to Fo |
| 50 |  | Obliteration
Nekropsalms |
| 51 |  | Obliteration
Black Death Horizon
This is one of the most forward thinking death metal albums I've ever heard |
| 52 |  | Pestilence
Malleus Maleficarum |
| 53 |  | Pestilence
Consuming Impulse |
| 54 |  | Psycroptic
The Isle of Disenchantment
Psycroptic are one of the more interesting bands on this list largely due to their batshit insane sounding vocalist Matthew Chalky who really does a lot to craft a unique identity for the band. The riffs are also top notch. |
| 55 |  | Psycroptic
The Scepter of the Ancients
And this would improve on the former album substantially |
| 56 |  | Psycroptic
Symbols of Failure
The riffs are all here, but now Chalky is gone. What are we left with? Very solid death metal that sounds a tad less unique. |
| 57 |  | Pyrexia
Sermon of Mockery |
| 58 |  | Six Feet Under
Haunted
Before this band became a big joke they wrote this, and it's quite good |
| 59 |  | Skinless
Progression Towards Evil |
| 60 |  | Suffocation
Effigy of the Forgotten
This album and Pierced From Within are massive pillars in the history of death metal |
| 61 |  | Suffocation
Pierced from Within |
| 62 |  | Suffocation
Despise the Sun
This EP is far too slept on. This album is like if they cut the fat on Pierced From Within and kept only the best moments, every song here is 10/10. |
| 63 |  | Suffocation
Suffocation
Banger |
| 64 |  | Suffocation
Hymns From the Apocrypha
They can still hang with the heaviest in 2023 |
| 65 |  | Ulcerate
Everything Is Fire
Really put any Ulcerate album here and it works, so just view this entry as a proxy for their entire discography. |
| 66 |  | Undeath
Sentient Autolysis
Should be more known |
| 67 |  | Vital Remains
Dawn of the Apocalypse |
| 68 |  | Vital Remains
Dechristianize
This album is split in half between low pitched grooves and soaring, melodic guitar solos and the contrast is a thing of beauty, 10/10 album |
| 69 |  | Wormed
Krighsu
Insane alien death metal |
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