Death Metal: What it is and How to Understand It

Music has established its way into being categorized into many diverse arrays of sounds. One of the most loved and ignored sound has been Death Metal. Death Metal has been loved and ignored because of it's vocal presentations.

This category of music genre is frequently branded with its rhythm guitars, fast percussion that includes blast beats and drum patterns which introduce to the strength of the genre. (Blast beats are drum beats consisting of rapid alternating or coinciding strokes on the snare and hi-hat or cymbal.

The snare drum and hi-hat/cymbal forms the focus of such a beat, with bass drum often played beneath the snare to create a sound that feels as though there is more instruments or more sound then there is because it creates the illusion that it is bouncing off of the walls.

The hi-hat or a ride cymbal is often played simultaneously with the bass drum or with the snare drum; however, crash cymbal or china cymbals can often be featured as well, for an even heavier effect.)

Death Metal is also known for its grunts, growls, snarls, and hard to understand vocals. Death Metal is considered a major subgenre of Trash Metal which is an extreme metal that is characterized by high speed aggression.

The harsh sounding vocals may just seem like the above stated growls and screams however because of the constant repeated sound the singer has to learn how to produce the needed sound by balancing the force from their diaphragm and the vocal chords. If the artist only uses their vocal chords, the pressure that is put on them will guarantee that there can be lasting damage that will not heal as time goes on.

Death Metal has been around since the 1980's and since has created its own subgenres which include: Melodic Death Metal, Scandinavian Death Metal, Florida Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Brute Death Metal, Slam Death Metal, Death/Doom Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Deathrash, and Deathgrind. All of which carry the primary characteristic of Death Metal with other added types of rifts that classify them into their own type of subgenre.

A lot of people don't give Death Metal Bands and artists the appreciation they deserve. A lot of people think that if they can't understand what someone are singings then they are going to not listen to it. You have to actually listen beyond the loud, piercing guitars and harsh singing and you can hear the melodies and patterns that are being created.

It's more than just noise that you are hearing. If you watch these artists play their instruments, you will be amazed with how skillfully they can play and realize how much practice and dedication that it takes to be a so called metal head.

I think everyone also has to realize that with all types of music, even with Death Metal, it takes a certain type of talent to write your own music and learn how to play the instruments, which obviously if they are taking so much time and practice to do this, that they are not being lazy or careless.

When people hear the words Death Metal, some quickly think that the music is designed to talk about serial killers or death itself; however there are many bands that are considered Death Metal that cover topics such as religion, society, love, and mythology.

All and all, in order to appreciate this type of music, you need to have respect for the artists and realize that they didn't just become what they are overnight. As well as understanding that every person has a different way of expressing themselves.

In conclusion, stay open minded, and take a listen to a death metal band, you never know, you may be able to relate to their lyrics or their emotions.