Featured Genre #1 – Technical Death Metal
 

[size=7]Featured Genre #1 – Technical Death Metal[/size]

When Possessed released ‘Seven Churches’ in 1985, with the proto-growls of death metal and named their track 10 ‘death metal’, a whole new genre was born; death metal. Death metal has a very prominent sound, quick, palm muted chords, usually over a progression, the bassline is usually more noticeable than in other genres, then drums are very fast and often incorporate blasts into their beats (i.e hitting the snare, kick, and a cymbal at the same time at a rapid pace). But the most prominent thing about death metal, and really what separates death metal from other genres is the vocals. Instead of being sung, they are ‘growled’, often described as ‘cookie monster vocals’. Lyrical themes usually range in the gore field, but they can be about all types of things, like religion (Deicide), philosophy (later Death), fantasy (Lykathea Aflame) and even science (Wormed).

[b]Some important albums in the death metal genre:[/b]

Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (1989)
Deicide – Deicide (1990)
Cannibal Corpse – Eaten Back to Life (1990)
Immolation – Dawn of Possession (1991)
Suffocation – Effigy of the Forgotten (1991)

In this particular FG I will be focusing on the technical side of death metal. It can range from the brutal (Cryptopsy, Theory in Practice) to the jazz influenced (Atheist, Cynic) to the downright experimental (Demilich, Obscura-era Gorguts). Musicianship is on an even higher scale than regular death metal, and some have a classical or jazz-trained background. The songs are usually more experimental than regular death metal, rarely repeating the same song structure. Probably one of the biggest differences is the way technical death metal plays a lot more riffs than regular death metal. You’ll find that in regular death metal the songs mainly consist of chord changes, with one or two riffs (I’m being very general here), listen to a Death ‘Sound of Perseverance’ song and you probably couldn’t count the riffs on one hand, there are that many. And lyrical themes tend to stray a lot from the gore and brutality, apart from Necrophagist, Gorguts and Cryptopsy on the following list, all the other albums do not discuss gore in their themes (I think).

[b]Some great albums in the field of technical death metal:[/b]

Anata – Under a Stone with no Inscription (2004)
Atheist – Unquestionable Presence (1991) [b][color=red]*highly recommended*[/color][/b]
Cynic – Focus (1993)
Cryptopsy – None so Vile (1996)
Death – Human (1991)
Death – The Sound of Perseverance (1998) [b][color=red]*recommended*[/color][/b]
Demilich – Nespithe (1993)
Gorguts – The Erosion of Sanity (1993) [b][color=red]*highly recommended*[/color][/b]
Gorguts – Obscura (1998)
Lykathea Aflame – Elvenefris (2000) [b][color=red]*highly recommended*[/color][/b]
Miasma – Changes (1992) [b][color=red]*recommended*[/color][/b]
Mithras – Worlds Beyond the Veil (2003)
Necrophagist – Onset of Putrefaction (2000)
Pavor - A Pale Debilitating Autumn (1994)
Pestilence – Spheres (1993)
Theory in Practice – Colonizing the Sun (2002)

Good/recommended listening:
Atheist – Unquestionable Presence
Cryptopsy – Slit Your Guts
Death – Scavenger of Human Sorrow
Gorguts – Orphans of Sickness
Lykathea Aflame - Bringer of Elvenefris Flame
Necrophagist – Extreme Unction
Theory in Practice – Clockwork that Counts Aeons

Here is a brief, final overview of the genres of technical death metal:

[b]Jazz/death metal[/b]
Musicianship is probably the highest in this genre, often mindblowing. We have seen many brilliant musicians come out of this genre (Paul Masdival, Tony Choy, Sean Malone, Sean Reinert, Kelly Shaefer, Jeroen Paul Thesseling). There are a lot of jazzy, softer breakdowns in this style, and the songs incorporates jazz structure. The ‘death metal’ bits really aren’t that death metally, but the vocals are growled/harsh. Key bands: Alarum, Atheist, Cynic, Pestilence.

[b]Brutal technical death metal[/b]
Can be similar to brutal death, but often goes off in long instrumental sections with fast technical riffs. The solos are of better quality, because of the better musicianship. Key bands: Cryptopsy, Gorguts (early), Necrophagist.

[b]Experimental death metal[/b]
Totally disregard of all theory and music knowledge, this type of stuff is quite hard to listen to. Most of it is very dissonant, there are long instrumental sections here and there, and time sig changes are everywhere. Non-metal instruments are also used frequently. Key bands: Gorguts (Obscura), Demilich, Miasma.


[color=red][size=7]Download Section[/size][/color]

[url=http://s20.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=03TIG62F95ACY3R20IKRV519YL] Atheist – Unquestionable Presence[/url]
[url=http://s23.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=26OIYEQQARVS420PU66329K8MY]Cryptopsy - Slit Your Guts[/url]
[url=http://s30.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1WWNJ3QOF42UA2DZ9N9R6JADKS]Death - Scavenger of Human Sorrow[/url]
[url=http://s24.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0BYPWF32H8XC50GOM9J22MNNKH]Gorguts - Orphans of Sickness[/url]
[url=http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2I1MRYAWHWL233UI57UERXD0R8]Lykathea Aflame - Bringer of Elvenefris Flame[/url]
[url=http://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3JFZBS61E3PVD3VYS8KDCCWDQR]Necrophagist - Extreme Unction[/url]
[url=http://s6.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2Z38S9KFKS8VY0UW3DV9PHNKQH]Theory in Practice – Clockwork that Counts Aeons[/url]
[url=http://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1NX19A9XUREOI3AY4BSSZVVM40]Cynic - Veil of Maya[/url]

wow goood job dude, thanks for the knowledge

Im begining to learn a lot around here, i had no idea that Possesed started death metal.

PS - this should probly be stickied.

Good job man.

[QUOTE]Jazz/death metal[/QUOTE]

Sounds interesting. I may check it out.

Well, great job Manuscript :thumb: You covered a lot of need to know stuff :)

Can we email in the dibs now? Or has that been predecided.

Excellent way to kick off the Featured Genres series :thumb:

@ Badmoon- Yeah, go ahead

@ everyone else - thanks

I'm liking the sounds of this Jazz/death Metal.

So can you explain the type of stuff Technical Death Metal bands sing about? I've noticed certain genres/bands in metal only sing about like death, gore, and hell and stuff like that. Is it the same with Technical Death Metal? I haven't actually heard a lot of Death Metal before so I'm just trying to get an impression of what to expect.

edit- and rep+ for the info (and being the first featured genre in R&M)

And I've just noticed you already have something about the lyrics...sorry about that I guess I forgot or missed that part. Good job!

Wow this is a really amazing historical breakdown of Death Metal. This definitly should be stickied! Bump man!

[QUOTE=thickasabrick]So can you explain the type of stuff Technical Death Metal bands sing about? I've noticed certain genres/bands in metal only sing about like death, gore, and hell and stuff like that. Is it the same with Technical Death Metal? I haven't actually heard a lot of Death Metal before so I'm just trying to get an impression of what to expect.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=featured genre]Lyrical themes usually range in the gore field, but they can be about all types of things, like religion (Deicide), philosophy (later Death), fantasy (Lykathea Aflame) and even science (Wormed).

And (techncial death) lyrical themes tend to stray a lot from the gore and brutality, apart from Necrophagist, Gorguts and Cryptopsy on the following list, all the other albums do not discuss gore in their themes (I think).[/QUOTE]


:thumb:

[size=5]OFFICIAL:Badmoon has the FG, fools.[/size]

Out of all those, I have these:

Possessed - Seven Churches
Death - Scream Bloody Gore
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness

I should get more if I am liking this type of style, as it's very interesting and well, I'd like to say a great way to get a lot off your mind.

Ya sorry about that Manuscriptreplica, I'm just not used to someone actually including everything on their first post. Usually it takes a few edits.

And my friend is really into some form of metal and some songs have a lot of keyboards and synthesizers or something like that. Does Technical Death Metal have stuff like that, or is it mainly guitars/bass for rhythms and melodies?

With your username it's understandable :lol:

Not many death metal bands use keyboards and synths, in fact I can only list a few off the top of my head, Mithras use them a lot, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Pestilence (in the Spheres album) (they proudly proclaim in the booklet that 'no keyboards are used on this album - but guitar synths are), and that's all I can think of right now.

That was awesome.

Great job.

Wait a minute, my e-mail to you and DM was invalid? That blows... :(

Great job, thanks for the info. The part about Possessed was especially informative, I didn't know anything about them.

Demilich is sweet, as are lots of the other bands you named, so I will be checking out all of the recommendations that I have not yet heard.

[QUOTE=AntiHero3314]Wait a minute, my e-mail to you and DM was invalid? That blows... :([/QUOTE]

Sorry that wasn't my decision. Fast fingers made the rules that you had to dib after the FG was posted, sorry :(

See, I didn't see that :upset:

I just e-mailed both of you when he posted the rules the first time.

Do I have to dib again now?

rep++
i still cant get into athiest :confused:
i mean some of its cool, but its just weird sometimes, but i find myself liking it a bit more every listen so yeah... and good job man :thumb:

[QUOTE=AntiHero3314]See, I didn't see that :upset:

I just e-mailed both of you when he posted the rules the first time.

Do I have to dib again now?[/QUOTE]

i guess. Just make sure you're online when Badmoon posts his FG!


I'm uploading the songs I recommended as we speak, shouldn't be too long.

Very excellent but you missed one huge band. Quo Vadis.

Wow great job! This site already helps expand people's musical tastes and now even that should be more streamlined thanks to these types of threads. I'll be checking out the Jazz/death metal catergory for sure.

[QUOTE=Berner]Very excellent but you missed one huge band. Quo Vadis.[/QUOTE]

Oh yea :( I don't have any Quo Vadis albums though, only random songs, so you can forgive me.

Ok the download section is up, It's nearly finished except for one song.

nice work, rep++:thumb:, i'll be checking out the highly recommended bands

Nice job man. Of those, I've got Death's first and last albums, Morbid Angel's Covenant, and Cryptopsy's None So Vile. I've been meaning to check out Necrophagist, thanks for the download.

Really good work dude

Can you please explain why I should listen to this genre?

[QUOTE=clown_phobia]Can you please explain why I should listen to this genre?[/QUOTE]
Its full of talent?


Anyways, why the hell do you think people listen to it in the first place?


Listen to that Necrophagist song, listen to the music, its incredibley talented. If you're not a person looking for talent, then you probably won't like this.


Good job Manuscript

Excellent work, Ryan.

I got busted last time I called him that on mx...

:lol: nice avatar

[QUOTE=R. Blythe]Im begining to learn a lot around here, i had no idea that Possesed started [b]heavy metal.[/b][/QUOTE]
:rolleyes:

A genre that i've really neglected so far. Good job with the description and the downloads.

I thought I´d expand the download section a bit ;)

brutal death:
[url]http://www.timetombs.net/abhorrence/[/url]
techdeath:
[url]http://demilich.doesntexist.com/[/url]

[QUOTE=Ve Das]I thought I´d expand the download section a bit ;)

brutal death:
[url]http://www.timetombs.net/abhorrence/[/url]
techdeath:
[url]http://demilich.doesntexist.com/[/url][/QUOTE]
For a second there I thought that link was to the Abhorrence from Brazil, who totally hammer the sh[I]i[/I]t out of every other poseur band on the face of the planet.

I've heard of this Abhorrence, but I never checked them out.

Good job manu :)

question: what type of death metal would nile fit in?

666 posts :evil: ...again...!~!! twice due to the deletion of the stronghold in the guitar forum :)

[QUOTE=UnknowN Doodl3.2]question: what type of death metal would nile fit in?

666 posts :evil: ...again...!~!! twice due to the deletion of the stronghold in the guitar forum :)[/QUOTE]
Brutal. Somewhat technical, but I wouldn't classify them as full-blown.

^folkish pseudo old-school/brutal death metal

BTW,got another one for ya:

[url]http://www.accelerator.ch/contents/news/whatsnew.html[/url]

progressive death/thrash

Excellently done. I commend thee.

i like the download part. thats a good addition, i hope all of the featured genre's have it.

Good job, although I would of highly recommended Cryptopsy - None so Vile :P

For those people still having doubts about this/these genre(s) of death metal, as I saw in a few posts above, I'd really recommend Atheist....the vocals aren't too harsh, and you really can see the heavy jazz influences in their songs, especially Unholy War and I Deny.