Death Metal

If you thought thrash left metal with nowhere to go, think again. Picking up on thrash themes of pain, despair, aggression and physical suffering, death metal went even further into the red, expressing a nihilistic take on life with an emphasis on its inevitable end. Riffs abound while bass and drums are loaded. Vocals often affect a guttural growling tone more akin to a horror film sound effect than traditional rock vocalising, with lyrics often being highly explicit in their attention to aspects of mortality and death.

Artists include Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Carcass.