10 Best Death Metal Bands

AOL Radio recently compiled a list of the top 10 best death metal bands as rated by AOL listeners. How did the list end up? Find out below:

10. Suffocation

Best Album: "Pierced From Within"

About the band: Suffocation are credited with the invention of the subgenre "Brutal Death Metal" and introducing the "Death Growl." Death Metal magazine commented on their 1991 EP by saying it was the first death metal album to fuse elements of punk, hardcore, grindcore and doom metal together.

09. Six Feet Under

Best Album: "Death Rituals"

About the band: Originally formed as a side project by Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes, Six Feet Under have released nine studio albums during the past 14 years. Barnes created the band so he could break away from the speedy sound of Cannibal Corpse and make something more "grooving."

08. Nile

Best Album: "Ithyphallic"

About the band: Lead singer Karl Sanders' interest in Egyptology has been a strong influence on Nile's music and lyrics. Horror novelist H.P. Lovecraft is also an influence in the band and many of its lyrics are based on his works. This accounts for the grammatical peculiarities found in the songs.

07. Kataklysm

Best Album: "Shadows & Dust"

About the band: Kataklysm calls their sound "northern hyperblast," which they adopted after seeing a commercial describing the band Fear Factory as "hyperblast." The "blast" refers to the typical death metal use of "blast beats" provided by their drummer. The band is also known for incorporating movie quotes into its music.

06. Bloodbath

Recommended Album: "Nightmares Made Flesh"

About the band: Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup that has had different members from album to album. "Nightmares Made Flesh" is the only album without lead singer Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth. Akerfeldt was replaced by Peter Tagtgren from Hypocrisy, who stayed only long enough to record this album.

05. Amon Amarth

Best Album: "Twilight Of The Thunder God"

About the band: Formed under the name Scum, the band changed its name to Amon Amarth, which is an alternate name for Mount Doom from J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," meaning "mountain of fate." Playing off its name nicely, the band's lyrics often refer to Norse mythology and the Viking Age.

04. Morbid Angel

Best Album: "Gateways To Annihilation"

About the band: Created in 1983, the band is considered crucial in the development of death metal. They hold the current record for best-selling death metal album in the United States with the album "Covenant."

03. Vader

Best Album: "The Art Of War"

About the band: This Polish band adopted their name from the villain of the "Star Wars" movies, as the forming members were fans. As of now, the current lineup features only one original member - the other three have all joined in 2008.

02. Cannibal Corpse

Best Album: "Bloodthirst"

About the band: Because of their horror-based lyrics and gruesome image, Cannibal Corpse has been banned in several countries, namely Australia and Germany. In response to the violence in their songs, vocalist George Fisher said, "There's nothing ever serious. We're not thinking of anybody in particular that we're trying to kill ... The people doing the killing in our songs are zombies."

01. Death

Best Album: "Symbolic"

About the band: Chuck Schuldiner created the many variations of the Death lineup over the years and is known as the "Father Of Death Metal." In response, Schuldiner said, "I don't think I should take the credits for this death metal stuff. I'm just a guy from a band, and I think Death is a metal band." In 2001, Schuldiner passed away from pneumonia after being weakened by a recently diagnosed brain tumor.

Comments

[im not mental]

wow, they put actual death metal on there.

i don't like six feet under though

[Mootallica]

im not mental wrote:

wow, they put actual death metal on there.

i don't like six feet under though

If it was a Gibson list, not one of those bands would've been listed there.

[euan_soad]

Gateways is never Morbid Angel's best

[Sylvanus]

For Nile, the best album should be in their darkened shrines, ithyphallic was good, but not their best. I was hoping to see Atheist on here as well.

It's still awesome that they put a death metal list on here, I think it's safe to say death metal is the most misunderstood genre aside from black metal.

[watsee]

Nice to see that Cannibal Corpse placed quite high, pretty deservedly I'd say.

[FearOfTheDuck]

Cannibal Corpse are awesome, they don't take themselves too seriously, like other death metal groups

[SuicidalFreak]

euan_soad wrote:

Gateways is never Morbid Angel's best

Altars of Madness is actually better than that record.

[Xanadu_ROCK]

good list! although instead of Amon Amarth i would've put Necrophagist

[Lion_Slicer]

When I saw this was a list related to AOL, I expected suck... but was pleasantly surprised! I don't listen to some of these bands, but I love others and DEFINITELY agree with their no. 1 being Death! Nile, Amon Amarth... nice!

[98Timberwolf]

Dethklok.

[xxxFMDxxx]

I think its a good list. It's nice to see real death metal bands on a death metal list instead of seeing metalcore/deathcore bands even though I love those genres.

[whoa_backoff]

I could have sworn that the Dethalbum by Dethklok was the best selling death metal album in the states and not Covenant.

[blommen]

amon amarth doesn't belong there neither does Six feet under

[PurpleDinosaur]

This list needs moar Opeth.

[KnotParkDay]

I was suprised to see that Cannibal Corpse were only No.2- before I saw Death at No.1. Pretty good list overall, but disappointed by the lack of Entombed. And I much prefer Tomb of the Mutilated to Bloodthirst.

[nevermore97]

Amon Amarth is melodeath

[YourMessiah666]

Necrophagist should be on here instead of Amon Amarth

[Cheeseman Jay]

If we allow for generalisation of the genre, can I put the name Behemoth up for discussion?

[neozeke]

whoa_backoff wrote:

I could have sworn that the Dethalbum by Dethklok was the best selling death metal album in the states and not Covenant.

The Dethalbum is the highest charting.

[vIsIbleNoIsE]

AOL? i'm impressed.

[nightraven]

checked

[postmortem2006]

I'd agree with all except Amon Amarth.Terrible band.

Epic in for Death at #1 though, its only right

[henkka_potku]

Niles best is not ithyphallic. I hate kataklysm.

[Bombardana]

I'd prefer The Bleeding to Bloodthirst

[Divinephyton]

Piss off, terrible idea and a terrible list (especially ''best album'' listings; which arse-for-brains wrote that?).

Just because they actually listed death metal bands doesn't make it a good list; have expectations gone down so low?
It's a terrible terrible idea in the first place.

[Revrend.]

amon amarth doesn't belong there neither does Six feet under

Nice to see Death there, but where is Cynic?

[Metal Onslaught]

for all the peeps saying Amon shouldn't be there, you are wrong. While they might be melodic death metal, they are still death metal. Not only that, but those guys are seriously amazing. However, "Twilight..." is not their best, album although it is pretty damn good!
also, while Dethklok does in fact rule, they have not been around long enough to be on a list of best death metal bands ever.

[billybob321]

i was about to discredit this list because i thought it wouldnt have death on it but then i saw it at the top. SICK

[jeremycrackcorn]

I know these guys are fairly newer but Black Dahlia Murder, Winds of Plague and Born of Osiris are all pretty sick.

[hawkdude9]

bloodthirst - best CC album? no.

[freedomdeceptiv]

PurpleDinosaur wrote:

This list needs moar Opeth.

Everything needs more Opeth.

[Dr Funkenstein]

freedomdeceptiv wrote:

PurpleDinosaur wrote:

This list needs moar Opeth.

Everything needs more Opeth.

Yes they should have been listed at least twice.

[Ali-b912]

Mootallica wrote:

im not mental wrote:

wow, they put actual death metal on there.

i don't like six feet under though

If it was a Gibson list, not one of those bands would've been listed there.

Gibson would have listed a bunch of Metalcore bands and Metallica.

[Rajah]

Ironic that Cannibal Corpse are "banned" in Australia, yet they are touring here in September.

[metallica144]

Cheeseman Jay wrote:

If we allow for generalisation of the genre, can I put the name Behemoth up for discussion?

win, behemoth should definately be up there in that list the way they combine death metal with black-metal is awesome

[HammettFTW]

KnotParkDay wrote:

I was suprised to see that Cannibal Corpse were only No.2- before I saw Death at No.1. Pretty good list overall, but disappointed by the lack of Entombed. And I much prefer Tomb of the Mutilated to Bloodthirst.

yea same when i saw cannibal corpse at no.2 i couldnt believe it, then i scrolled some more and got my answer. woulda liked to see behemoth in there,even if it is a bit "blackened"

[xMetal-Headx]

what about death!? chuck is the father of DEATH METAL!

[RyoujokuNoAme]

xMetal-Headx wrote:

what about death!? chuck is the father of DEATH METAL!

Erm...Death are number one :/

Anyway, I think Cannibal Corpse should have been number one, but if any band had to beat them, it should be Death. Overall, good list.

[jrmeh41]

cannibal shoulda been #1 but death also deserves it too. why isnt children of bodom on here?

[Metal_Edog]

jrmeh41 wrote:

cannibal shoulda been #1 but death also deserves it too. why isnt children of bodom on here?

Because Children of Bodom are the Backstreet Boys of metal.

[scithe37]

Dr Funkenstein :
freedomdeceptiv wrote:

PurpleDinosaur wrote:

This list needs moar Opeth.

Everything needs more Opeth.

Yes they should have been listed at least twice.

Every band on this list needs more Opeth.

[N031]

six feet under suck. the rest of these bands rule

[N031]

Metal_Edog wrote:

jrmeh41 wrote:

cannibal shoulda been #1 but death also deserves it too. why isnt children of bodom on here?

Because Children of Bodom are the Backstreet Boys of metal.

I contest that. AVENGED SEVENFOLD are the Backstreet Boys of metal. COB are the Backstreet boys of Death Metal.

[MXFNCK]

Obituary???!!! damn, i agree with Death being number one and all, but Obituary and Deicide really need to be in there (unlike Amon Amarth, IMO)

[koirala]

why isnt children of bodom on here?
Because Children of Bodom are the Backstreet Boys of metal.
I contest that. AVENGED SEVENFOLD are the Backstreet Boys of metal. COB are the Backstreet boys of Death Metal.

TOTALLY Agree avenged sevenfold r da backstreet boyz of metal....hahahahahah

[crocoscar]

I think it would not be possible to make a more common, unoriginal death metal top 10 ...
+ Amon Amarth and Six Feet Under are NOT death metal ...

[cal1]

crocoscar wrote:

I think it would not be possible to make a more common, unoriginal death metal top 10 ...
+ Amon Amarth and Six Feet Under are NOT death metal ...

Calm down. Remember, it's AOL we're dealing with here.

[Banana Wedgie]

You fotgot the best of the lot, Carcass. They made death metal surprsingly more popular, and At The Gates. Although you can argue that they aren't as "Death" To the Death Metal as some of these. Cannibal Corpse FTW