Top Ten Countries With the Best Death Metal Bands

Death Metal bands come from just about everywhere, let's look at the countries who have brought us the best death metal.
The Top Ten
1 Sweden Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund. At 450,295 square kilometers (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of 10 million.

Swedish Death Metal bands tend to play Melodic Death Metal. Melo-Death is an extremely popular form of metal, so there are some big names here.

Bands like Opeth, Amon Amarth, Bloodbath, Entombed, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy, In Flames, Repugnant, Edge of Sanity, Grave, Dismember, Katatonia (early), Unleashed, Carnage, & Dissection.

Sweden is good at making music, not just death metal but other genres too.

2 United States The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the British Empire in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. They won their independence in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Its capital, Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings including the iconic ones that house the federal government's 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Though it has no official language, English and ...read more.

Not only did Death Metal originate here, but some of the biggest names in Death Metal are American.

Some notable examples are Death, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Possessed, Nile, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Atheist, Obituary, Suffocation, Six Feet Under, Dethklok, Job For a Cowboy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Cattle Decapitation, Immolation, Jungle Rot, Vital Remains, Turbid North, & Hate Eternal.

This is a very good list - I agree with the order / ranking, although Sweden and Canada are very close. Swedish bands are more popular because they play melodeath whereas Canadian bands play mostly technical death metal, which is a more demanding version of death metal. Technical death metal is also heavier and can't become as popular as melodeath.

3 Canada Canada is a country in North America that is next to the United States, and it's the 2nd largest country in the world by area (size is 9.985 million km²). This country has 10 provinces, and 3 territories. Canada became a dominion on July 1, 1867. Its 10 provinces are: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Its 3 territories are: Yukon, Northwest territories, and Nunavut. Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, St. John's, and Fredericton are major cities in the country. Canada's capital city, Ottawa, is in the southeastern province of Ontario, near the city of Montreal ...read more.

Dream theater is not a death metal band. You're are off the subject.

A few big names have come from Canada, the music is similar to America's

Bands like Cryptopsy, Gorguts, Kataklysm, Blasphemy, Slaughter, Mitochondrion, & Martyr

4 Netherlands The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country located in north-western Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces, and borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coast-line to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium in the North Sea. The country's official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish are recognised regional languages, while Dutch Sign Language, Sinte Romani, and Yiddish are recognised ...read more.

Why are the Netherlands so low?
They have much good death metal bands like Gorefest, Pestilence, Asphyx, Severe Torture, God Dethroned, Sinister, Houwitser, Altar, Inhume, Thanatos, Prostitute Disfigurement, Sisters Of Suffocation, Legion Of The Damned, Portall, Dead Head, Eternal Solstice, Celestial Season, Nembrionic, Detonation, Callenish Circle, The Gathering, The Monolith Deathcult, Brutus, Hail Of Bullets, Morphia, and so much more!

The Netherlands is a real death metal country, should be in the top five of this list.

Pestilence, Asphyx, Gorefest, Sinister, Very good death bands from the Netherlands.

5 Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland across Estonia to the south. Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometres (130,678 sq mi) with a population of 5.5 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city, forming a larger metropolitan area with the neighbouring cities of Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns; Finnish, alongside Swedish, are the official languages. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal ...read more.

Demilich, Demigod, Abhorrence, Pertinence, Carnifex, and Depravity. The local scene produced some of the best death metal, inspiring bands from countries higher on this list.

6 Germany Germany was formally united in 1871 under the initiative of Bismarck with King Wilhelm of Prussia as emperor. The previous 'Holy Roman Empire', basically a continuation of the empire of Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse was dissolved in 1806.

Some territory was lost after World War 1 and a lot more after World War 2, basically started by Hitler's Nazi dictatorship. Then the Soviets kept their zone - the 'DDR', East Germany, separate with a wall through the middle of Berlin, until 1990 when the country was reunited. ...read more.

In death metal Germany stands out thanks to quality and not quantity - Necrophagist and Obscura are enough to make me put Germany in the top 5.

Germany is more well known for Thrash Metal and Power Metal. Some pretty good death metal acts came from here.

Bands like Necrophagist, Fleshcrawl, Obscura, Heaven Shall Burn, and Dew-Scented

7 Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north. With a population of approximately 38.5 million people, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw. Other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Szczecin. It is currently led by President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. ...read more.

Apart from the legendary Vader and the piece of crap Behemoth (that is not even death metal), Poland has excellent bands such as Imperator, Armagedon, Supreme Lord and many others. And of course the amazing first to albums of the mighty Decapitated.

Not a lot of great metal bands come from Poland, but this country brought 2 absolutely legendary bands, Behemoth & Vader.

Bands like Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, Hate, & Sceptic

8 Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a sovereign and unitary monarchy in Northern Europe whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula plus the island Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard. Oslo is the capital of Norway. Norwegian is the official language of Norway.

When people think of Norwegian Metal, the first thing that comes to mind is Black Metal. There aren't a lot of death metal bands from Norway due to the deep history with Black Metal.

Notable bands are Blood Red Throne, Kraanium, Abhorrent, and Gruesome

9 United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly shortened to United Kingdom, UK or Britain is a Sovereign State located of the Northwestern coast of Europe. It is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy currently lead by Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and its current prime minister is Boris Johnson. The UK is a Unitary State consisting of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is currently a member state of the European Union, but as of 2016 has start the withdrawal process, and is set to leave the Union in October 2019. ...read more.

The UK is legendary when it comes to metal. Metal originated here, it brought us the NWOBHM, early Grindcore, but was never known for death metal.

Notable bands are Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death Akercocke, My Dying Bride, Benediction, Gorerotted, and early Anathema.

10 Italy Italy, (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe.

Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2. With almost 62 million inhabitants, it is the 3rd most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City. The Capital and largest city is Rome. Other major cities are Milano, Naples, Turino, Venice, Florence. Italy's official language is Italian. ...read more.

Italy deserves an honorable mention for their band Fleshgod Apocalypse (technical death metal). I truly believe the drummer - Francesco Paoli - is currently one of the best drummers.
Check out: Fleshgod Apocalypse - The Violation.

Great death metal scene, Hour of Penance, Septycal Gorge, Hour of Penance for brutal death.
Dark Lunacy for melodic death!

The Contenders
11 Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation (RF), is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across eleven time zones and borders sixteen sovereign nations, the most of any country in the world. It is the ninth-most populous country and the most populous country in Europe, with a population of 145.5 million. The country's capital and largest city is Moscow, the largest city entirely within Europe. Saint Petersburg is Russia's cultural centre and second-largest city. Other major urban areas ...read more.

Not a place you'd expect to find good metal, but most Slam Death Metal bands come from Russia. Slam isn't popular, it's probably the most brutal form of death metal. If you are a Dying Fetus fan, these bands are definitely worth checking out.

Examples include Abominable Putridity, Katalepsy, Human, Broken Trust, Inhuman, & Dirt

12 Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in the south-east.

Number 13? Australia has Be'lakor, ne obliviscaris, parkway drive, thy art is murder, make them suffer, mortification, disentomb, mortal sin, LORD, Aversions Crown, Northlane, Karnivool, Feed her to the sharks, pegazus, Alchemist and more...

13 France France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European part of France, called metropolitan France, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. France spans 675,000 km2 (251,000 mi2) and has a total population of 67 million (data from 2017). ...read more.

I would add Gojira.

14 Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring thousands of islands. The country consists of nine traditional geographic regions, and has a population of approximately 10.7 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest ...read more.

Greece has one very popular death metal band, and that is Septicflesh.

Besides them, there are some good bands like, On Thorns I Lay, and Inactive Messiah

15 Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia in the Pacific Ocean. It lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland (east of China, Korea, Russia) and stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and near Taiwan in the southwest.

Japan has a huge capital city called Tokyo, other cities in Japan include Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya and Sendai. It's close to South Korea, which is on the North West of it. It has a large population of 126.86 million people (Statistics Bureau of Japan. Retrieved April 27, 2016). ...read more.

Japanese death metal, anybody?

16 Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.5 million, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe, with a density of 376 per square kilometre (970/sq mi). The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. ...read more.
17 Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. ...read more.
18 Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia. Ruled by the Dutch for over 300 years and Japan for 3 years and 6 months, the country gained independence in 1945, or exactly in 17th August 1945. Jakarta is the capital city, located in the island of Java. Major languages include Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian), Javanese, Sundanese and Minangkabau. Islam is the largest religion, being over 80% of the entire population. Indonesia is an archipelago, consisting of around 17,000 islands distributed along the marine country. Known for agricultural mountain-paddy fields, this thought is a common stereotype. Indonesia also hosts the largest Muslim population in the world. ...read more.
19 Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3,300,000 sq mi) and with over 214 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world; as well as the most populous ...read more.
20 Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 163 million people in an area of either 148,460 square kilometres (57,320 sq mi) or 147,570 square kilometres (56,980 sq mi), making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast; to the south it has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. It is narrowly separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor; and from China by 100 km of the Indian state of Sikkim in the north. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, ...read more.

Dripping gore and

21 Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also called Czechia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.
22 Vatican City Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is the smallest nation on Earth, and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.
23 Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries with Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. The country is encircled by seas on three sides with the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which together form the Turkish Straits, divide Thrace and Anatolia and separate Europe and Asia. ...read more.
24 Estonia
25 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a country in the Transcaucasian region, situated at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Southeastern Europe. It is a part of the Caucasus region, and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city.
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