Blackened Death Metal
Blackened Death Metal fuses the relentless aggression of death metal with the raw, often atmospheric grimness of black metal, characterized by blast beats, tremolo picking, guttural vocals, and a pervasive sense of darkness. This hybrid genre emerged from the late 1980s and early 1990s, drawing heavily from the "first wave" of black metal pioneers like Venom and Bathory, alongside the burgeoning death metal scene. Seminal artists include Behemoth, Dissection, and Belphegor. Its influence extends to various extreme metal subgenres, often incorporating symphonic or melodic elements.
More about Blackened Death Metal
Blackened death metal was born in the early 1990s at the confluence of black metal and death metal, two forms of extreme metal that shared sonic radicalism but diverged aesthetically and ideologically. Bands like Sacramentum, Akercocke and above all BEHEMOTH pioneered this hybrid territory, combining black metal's tremolo-picked guitars and anti-Christian themes with death metal's deep growls, frenzied blast beats and low guitar tunings. The result is music of absolute brutality and darkness.
Musically, blackened death metal is defined by extreme tempos, abrupt tempo changes, tremolo-picked riffs inherited from black metal, cavernous growls sometimes alternating with sharp screams, and a production that is often deliberately dense and cold. GAEREA from Portugal adds an atmospheric, post-black dimension, while BLOODBATH, the Swedish supergroup, embodies the style closest to old-school death metal. KANONENFIEBER stands out for its historical lyrics focused on World War I.
The current scene is extremely active: 1914, a Ukrainian band, continues to explore the theme of war with rare emotional power, and SCOUR, an American project uniting members of Cattle Decapitation and Pig Destroyer, pushes the limits of brutality. SINSAENUM brought together musicians from Slipknot and DragonForce around this extreme aesthetic.
Blackened death metal festivals are cult gatherings for extreme metal fans: Maryland Deathfest, Killtown Deathfest and Dark Easter Metal Meeting regularly programme these artists alongside acts from black metal and death metal, in an atmosphere of intense, uncompromising communion.