Lecture Notes: Brutal Death Metal

Introduction to Brutal Death Metal

• Definition:
  • Subgenre of death metal.
  • Focuses on heaviness, speed, and complex rhythms.
  • Less emphasis on melody and timbres.
• Origins:
  • Pioneered in early 1990s.
  • Key pioneer bands: Suffocation, Mortician, Skinless, Malignancy.
  • Geographically rooted in New York, USA.

Key Characteristics

• Musical Elements:
  • Use of death growls, often deeper ("gutturals").
  • Groove-driven or high tempo rhythms.
  • Downtuned guitars and pinch harmonics.
• Style influences:
  • Blend of death metal and grindcore.
  • New York hardcore influences.

Subgenre: Slam Death Metal

• Description:
  • Emphasizes mid-tempo groove sections and breakdowns.
• Notable Bands:
  • Internal Bleeding, Devourment, Cephalotripsy.
• Characteristics:
  • Focus on slam riffs over solos and blast beats.
  • Rhythmic elements influenced by hip-hop.
  • Often features syncopation between guitar and drums.

Historical Development

• 1980s and Early Precursors:
  • Term "brutal" used since the genre's origins.
  • Early works by Krabathor and Carnage.
• Influential Albums:
  • "Altars of Madness" by Morbid Angel (1989) influenced heaviness.
  • Cannibal Corpse's "Eaten Back to Life" (1990) and "Butchered at Birth" (1991) as precursors.

Evolution into Technical and Slam Variants

• Mid-1990s:
  • Technical focus with bands like Cryptopsy, Nile, Origin.
  • Increase in rhythmic complexity and technical proficiency.
• Mid-2000s Revival:
  • Renewed interest in brutal death metal and slam.
  • New productions by Katalepsy and Ingested.

Global Spread and Modern Scene

• International Expansion:
  • Formation of scenes in Russia, Netherlands, and the UK.
  • Russian bands like Katalepsy leading the modern scene.
• Digital Influence:
  • Social media platforms like Facebook aiding in genre promotion (e.g., Slam Worldwide).

Impact on Other Genres

• Derivative Styles:
  • Influenced beatdown hardcore and deathcore.
  • Shared elements with nu-metal in terms of groove.

Conclusion

• Cultural Impact:
  • Brutal death metal remains a pivotal part of the extreme metal scene.
  • Continues to influence and evolve with new technological and cultural trends.