Death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the 1980s. It is characterized by fast tempos, distorted guitar riffs, growled or screamed vocals, and complex song structures. The lyrics often deal with themes of death, violence, and the occult.
Death metal is known for its aggressive and extreme sound, which is often achieved through the use of heavily distorted guitar tones, fast and complex drumming, and guttural or growled vocals. The genre emerged in the 1980s and has since evolved and splintered into various subgenres, such as blackened death metal, melodic death metal, and deathcore.
Death metal is often associated with a "dark" image, and many bands in the genre use horror or gore-themed imagery in their artwork and stage shows. However, it is important to note that death metal, like any other music genre, is a form of artistic expression and should not be judged solely based on the themes or imagery it employs.