Top 10 Death Metal Subgenres

This list includes all the metal genres derived from death metal, even if they are fusion genres.
The Top Ten
1 Melodic Death Metal

This is the most accessible Death Metal subgenre and may open the door to other Death Metal subgenres. Amon Amarth was the band that made me a death metal fan because they helped me overcome the barrier of death growls.

Children of Bodom are great. Also, Arch Enemy, Insomnium, and more.

The first melodic death metal songs I liked were In Flames songs, but the band that made me a fan of melodic death metal was Amon Amarth. Then I became interested in other great bands such as Arch Enemy and Scar Symmetry.

Melodic and tech/prog are my two favorites.

2 Technical Death Metal

Technical death metal is absolutely amazing. It makes an already amazing genre so much better. With bands like Death, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Beyond Creation, Necrophagist, Archspire, Nile, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Spawn of Possession, Decapitated, Origin, and Obscura, technical death metal is by far the best death metal subgenre.

Currently, it's the #1 metal subgenre for me - some of my favorite metal bands are namely from this subgenre: Nile, Obscura, Cryptopsy, Brain Drill, Gorguts, Necrophagist, Beyond Creation, and more.

If you want to hear some exceptional musicianship (insane drumming, a lot of sweep picking, fretless bass playing, etc.), this is the right subgenre to check out. But I have to admit it's one of the heaviest and most complex Death Metal subgenres, so it isn't easily accessible.

3 Old School Death Metal

Yeah melodeath and technical death metal are great, but are they really better than bands like Carcass and Morbid Angel? OSDM is, without a doubt, the GOAT genre.

The best death metal is the old school as every metal. Old school is the best.

Although I prefer technical death metal, I'm voting for this because it deserves to be #2. Also, OSTDM is absolutely amazing.

4 Progressive Death Metal
5 Brutal Death Metal

The reason why death metal is still alive.

6 Blackened Death Metal

Fusion genre of Black Metal and Death Metal. Slow, ominous, and shrieky vocals with fast drumming and low-tuned guitars are the main characteristics of this genre.

7 Death/Doom
8 Deathcore

Technically not metal (more of a hardcore punk subgenre), but I think it has some contribution. There are a couple of songs that I do enjoy.

I voted for deathcore. Now I'm just going to wait for all the elitists to start rolling in, giving my comment a thumbs down because I'm so "emo and ruined metal."

Some deathcore is not bad. My favorite deathcore band is Make Me A Donut. They do a good job without all the gore.

9 Symphonic Death Metal

This one is not a specific subgenre of Death Metal, but bands like Nightfall, Septic Flesh, etc. created this genre by mixing symphony materials into Death Metal.

This is not a particular genre, but some bands like Nightfall, Septic Flesh, etc. combined symphonic elements with Death Metal, and this subgenre was created.

Codex Omega by Septicflesh is awesome. Fleshgod Apocalypse is great, too. Mayan is good as well.

10 Brutal Technical Death Metal

Nile and Suffocation would fall under this category (Brutal-Tech), Atheist and Gorguts are Fusion-Tech, while Cynic and Death are Prog-Tech.

Brutal vocals, sweep picking, and blast beats galore.

The Contenders
11 Deathgrind

Obviously the best subgenre. Brutal Death Metal comes close, but the heaviness and brutality of death metal combined with the intensity of grindcore is utterly amazing.

12 Slam Death Metal
13 Death 'n' Roll

Entombed was the creator of this genre. This is a typical Death Metal sound with Garage Rock (Rock 'n' Roll) elements.

14 Death/Thrash

The quick intensity of thrash combined with the brutality and darkness of death metal.

15 Christian Death Metal

Immortal Souls and Becoming the Archetype are worth checking out.

16 Industrial Death Metal

Basically, it's early Fear Factory.

17 Grindcore

The perfect synthesis of Hardcore Punk and death metal.

18 Avant-Garde Metal
19 Blackened Melodic Death Metal

Dark, brutal, melodic, and powerful.

Bands include Naglfar and Dissection.
Dark, brutal, and melodic!

20 Blackened Technical Death Metal
21 Pornogrind

This isn't a music subgenre - it's goregrind/grindcore with specific lyrics. I'm not even sure these bands are metal.

22 Goregrind
23 Thrash Metal Thrash Metal is a Heavy Metal subgenre developed during the early 1980s and an early precursor of Extreme Metal. Thrash Metal features a faster and more aggressive guitar work than Traditional Metal with shredding and double-bass drums and can range from melodic singing to loud shouts... read more

Best subgenre, in my humble opinion. Vader rules!

24 Funeral Doom
25 Dissonant Death Metal
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