Best Technical Death Metal Bands

The Top Ten
1 Necrophagist Necrophagist is a German technical death metal band, founded and fronted by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez.

Necrophaist is THE tech death band. They redefined the entire genre and every band now attempts to mimic them. Death is a great band who I have the utmost respect for, and are a death/melodeath band with some chops. Necrophagist redefined the entire genre, and to this day no one has surpassed them, unless Archpsire can follow up Relentless Mutation. With something else as good. Archspire is the only band that even comes close to Necriphagist, and may honestly surpass them, but as of now Necrophagist is still the king.

2 Death Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in death metal. Its debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's... read more

They were hardly a death metal band let alone Tech Death, I think people are having trouble differentiating between Prog Metal and Death Metal. They only have two death metal albums (Leprosy and Spiritual Healing)

Chuck gave birth to a new kind of music by mixing some technical death metal issues in a progressive mood. One of the best ever.

Deaths style is not ment to be technical, but they were and still are incredible!

3 Nile Nile is an American technical death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, United States, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and ancient art, as well as the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Hmm, Death, Nile & Necrophagist tied with 13%. Honestly, while I love Death, it isn't really tech-death. in my opinion I like Nile more, but Necrophagist is good as well.

Kollias is actually the greatest death metal drummer of all time. Change my mind.

4 Obscura Obscura is a technical/progressive death metal band from Germany, founded in 2002. The band became prominent when members of Necrophagist and Pestilence joined Steffen Kummerer to release the critically acclaimed second full-length album, Cosmogenesis. The band was named after the Gorguts album Obscura... read more

You could go on and on about why Necrophagist is "so good" and "so technical" but let's it face, Obscura (along with Archspire) are THE tech masters!

Orbital elements, infinite rotation and universe momentum!

Jaw dropping techniques and heavy as hell!

5 Archspire

I get why they're low, they haven't been around that long, but jesus christ Relentless Mutation is the best tech album I've ever heard. If they keep it up they will go down alongside Necrophagist as the best of all time

What!? They deserve to be in the top ten. Think I'm wrong? They only have 2 albums thus far (1/1/17) so I highly suggest you go listen to them, they are probab

Relentless Mutation is the best tech death album since Necrophagist's Epitaph.

6 Cryptopsy Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records.

One of the greatest tech death bands without having the need to constantly play as technically as possible just for shots and giggles. Provides a brutal and heavy atmosphere and throughout all their style changes have still remained the greatest tech death band. I love Death very much but I feel that they don't deserve #1. They had some tech elements in their later works but they were never tech death. It's like putting Metallica as #1 on a best death metal bands list... they're a great band, but not death metal.

7 Spawn of Possession Spawn of Possession was a technical death metal band from Kalmar, Sweden, founded in 1997. In 2017, the band announced their split up via their Facebook page.

I LOVE Death, Opeth, Meshuggah, and Between the Buried and Me is even my favorite band atm, but none are tech death. These guys are underrated, think of a more intense Necrophagist with better riffs

Quite disappointed that these guys aren't higher! I am very fond of their album 'Incurso' particularly the song 'Apparition.'

The integration of beautiful classical melodies with the brutalness of their metal riffage, whilst remaining very technically impressive is magnificent.

Spawn of Possession are a prime example of how well classical and metal can work together- like they were meant to be. As a classically-trained musician I am proud.

8 Vale of Pnath
9 Dying Fetus Dying Fetus is an American death metal band originally from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their consistently hook-laden song structures, characterized by blast beats, complex riffing, slam riffs and heavy breakdowns.

Oldschool death metal vibe laced with uncompromised technicality. Politically and socially oriented lyrics add intelectual edge to their brutality.

A death metal band that incorporates sweep picking and tapping. Pure epicness.

10 Beyond Creation Beyond Creation is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec. They are currently signed to Season of Mist records.

Incredible creativity, technical ability, vocals, lyrics, and production. Every member is one of the best modern players at their instrument. The perfect tech death band in my opinion. Should be no # 1

This band will make it big! got both CDs and every single song is killer. This band can go so hard! And slow down but be so catchy the whole time! And they sound just so good live! Wicked dudes!

The Contenders
11 Decapitated Decapitated is a Polish technical death metal band formed in Krosno in 1996. The group comprises guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski, bassist Paweł Pasek, and drummer Michał Łysejko.

Come on, they need to be at least top 5, they released a masterpiece of an album when they were still teenagers, not to mention their later work such as organic hallucinosis which is also a masterpiece and Vogg is a riff machine enough said!

Unable to reach their full potential because of unfortunate accident. Truly focused on technicality musically as well as in lyrics.

Everyone who voted Death doesn't know that Technical Death Metal means.

12 Sutrah
13 The Faceless The Faceless is an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Ever since I made this list I've been exposed to more tech-death bands old and new and these guys are one of the best bands so far. Their latest album has good songs that mix tech-death and prog metal with some jazz influences that sounded sick as hell. The album before that was just pure, ruthless tech-death

14 First Fragment

How are they not higher?! Every song these guys put out has like 5 guitar solos, not to mention insane yet refined song structures. Don't even get me started on the fretless bass playing. This band has mind blowing technicality, but also tons of groove and melody. THEY NEED to be in the top 5. Listen to their song In'El if you want to see why First Fragment is one of the best tech/prog tech death bands ever.

15 Gorguts Gorguts is a Canadian technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec. The band was formed in 1989; its only constant member has been Luc Lemay.

Truly dark places reached with technical virtuosity and ever evolving style.

16 Unhuman
17 Gojira Gojira is a progressive metal band from Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and rhythm guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on lead guitar, and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass.

Well... I am very disappointed that the most influential technical death metal band is not in the top ten, or even near it. Listen to "The Heaviest Matter in the Universe" for something heavy, "Flying Whales" for like eighteen movements, and "L'ephant Sauvage" for a beautiful representation of their unique sound.

I love this band, really, but for me, it is not technical death, it is much more a prog/death band. So I understand why they are so low. (But this is clearly the best metal band of all times)

Why is Gojira so low? Seriously one of the heaviest bands out there. And not a single bad album at that!

18 Allegaeon Allegaeon is an American death metal band from Fort Collins, Colorado, founded in 2008. They have released one EP and three studio albums.

In my opinion should be op the top of the list. Best Albums: Fragments of Form and Function and Proponent of Sentience, but basically they are all good.

19 Suffocation Suffocation is an American technical death metal band that was formed in 1988 in Centereach, Long Island, New York, United States.

Classic death metal, sharpened over the years into a true tech machinery. Killer breakdowns and best live bass ever.

One of founders of subgenre. Why so low?

20 Diskreet
21 Wormed
22 Virvum
23 Brain Drill Brain Drill is an American technical death metal band formed in 2005 from Ben Lomond, California. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and released their full-length debut album entitled Apocalyptic Feasting on February 5, 2008. In support of their debut, disagreements were engaged and members began... read more
24 Cytotoxin
25 Atheist Atheist is a progressive/technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984 by drummer Steve Flynn and singer/guitarist Kelly Shaefer.

These guys are insanely technical and underrated, piece of time was probs the first technical death metal album, if you want a good example of this band listen to "piece of time" and "no truth".

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