Death metal is an extreme heavy metal subgenre. The genre is typically characterized by the use of heavily-distorted guitars, harsh vocals that are low-pitched and/or growled, morbid lyrics, fast-paced rhythms and melodies, and unconventional song structures.
Building off the speed and complexity of thrash metal, and the raw extremities defined in early black metal, death metal came to true prominence by the mid 1980s. Bands like Slayer, Possessed and pioneer death metal bands such as Death and Morbid Angel are considered prime influences in the genre. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as popular record labels like Earache Records and Roadrunner Records began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate. Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning a rich variety of subgenres.
Death metal has been met with considerable hostility from mainstream culture, mainly because of the violent themes, imagery and stage personae surrounding many bands. It is typically seen as an underground form of music, in part because it does not appeal to mainstream tastes and because its musicians often choose to remain obscure.
