Technical Death Metal

[deathstorm]

Now I found a awsome death metal band. The name alone Grand Surpeme Death court.

[BlutAusNerd]

Alter Beast isn't bad from what I remember; I've discovered one hell of a lot of relatively new and unknown technical DM groups that really kick ass: Gigan' date=' Oblivion, First Fragment, Omnihility, Inanimate Existence, and Excruciating Thoughts are all great. Fallujah's new album was great as well.[/quote'] Oblivion the old Canadian tech death/thrash band? I dig those guys, need to pick up their albums. Inanimate Existence is going to be opening for Cannabis Corpse and Mammoth Grinder next month, so I'll be sure to check them out then. I heard the last couple of minutes of Gigan's set when they were opening for Immolation, but I was still at the entrance of the venue and couldn't hear much. In any case, I'll try to remember to give them all a listen.

[fourrobert13]

I like Alterbrast, Conducting From the Grave, and Revocation. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[fuckedtodeath]

rings of Saturn and the faceless are the only two i now and listen to

[Iceni]

Oblivion the old Canadian tech death/thrash band? I dig those guys' date=' need to pick up their albums. [/quote'] No, I think that's Obliveon with an E and I like them too. I was talking about a new Californian group: CALLED TO RISE | OBLIVION

[BlutAusNerd]

rings of Saturn and the faceless are the only two i now and listen to

Kvlt. 10char

[ODMKING]

I think the only technical death metal bands I really listen to here and there are Atheist and Cynic. Cynic more though.

[BlutAusNerd]

I think the only technical death metal bands I really listen to here and there are Atheist and Cynic. Cynic more though.

I'm not big on the modern style of tech-death either, but I'm sure that you can find a number of other old-school bands like those that you would enjoy. Off the top of my head, try Hellwitch, Disincarnate, Monstrosity's Millenium album, etc...

[ODMKING]

I'm not big on the modern style of tech-death either' date=' but I'm sure that you can find a number of other old-school bands like those that you would enjoy. Off the top of my head, try Hellwitch, Disincarnate, Monstrosity's Millenium album, etc...[/quote'] Wow I forgot about Hellwitch and was trying to remember the name of the band the other day to find their music again. Thanks haha. I'll check the others too.

[BlutAusNerd]

Wow I forgot about Hellwitch and was trying to remember the name of the band the other day to find their music again. Thanks haha. I'll check the others too.

Those are just more Florida bands off the top of my head, for more awesome old school tech-death, be sure to check out Atrocity's first two albums, Gorguts' first two albums (later albums are also excellent, but certainly not old school), Kataklysm's releases with Sylvain Houde, Utumno, Sentenced's North From Here, etc... Also from Florida, I somehow also forgot to mention two of my favorites, Brutality and Nocturnus, the debut from the former ranking as perhaps my favorite release from the scene.

[ODMKING]

Those are just more Florida bands off the top of my head' date=' for more awesome old school tech-death, be sure to check out Atrocity's first two albums, Gorguts' first two albums (later albums are also excellent, but certainly not old school), Kataklysm's releases with Sylvain Houde, Utumno, Sentenced's North From Here, etc... Also from Florida, I somehow also forgot to mention two of my favorites, Brutality and Nocturnus, the debut from the former ranking as perhaps my favorite release from the scene.[/quote'] Nocturnus is great. Reminds me of early Slayer somehow, in some ways, with a more death metal feel. I've heard a good amount from Gorguts so far, and like it. I'll have to check out the rest tomorrow while I walk to university or something, but I appreciate the recommendations.

[dontrushurshot]

Terrestrial (drummer from Jungle Rot) makes death metal that is technical

[robmoore675]

Hey guys. So, I didn't really feel this question warranted a new thread post, so I am asking it here. What is the difference between technical death metal and just regular death metal. I can easily see the difference between tech and melodic, but not for other subgenres. Also, if you could perhaps give a definitive example of both genres, and perhaps even progressive, it would be greatly appreciated.

[RelentlessOblivion]

The major difference is in the songwriting. Tech-death places a much greater emphasis on technically correct, flashy, instrumentation (often at the expense of coherent song structure) whilst the traditional variant of death metal places more of an emphasis on riffs and is generally more organised. There are bands which showcase their technical prowess without falling into the tech-death category which makes things a little more confusing. The easiest way to show the difference is comparing Death's Spiritual Healio to their later The Sound Of Perseverance​.

[FatherAlabaster]

The major difference is in the songwriting. Tech-death places a much greater emphasis on technically correct' date=' flashy, instrumentation (often at the expense of coherent song structure) whilst the traditional variant of death metal places more of an emphasis on riffs and is generally more organised. There are bands which showcase their technical prowess without falling into the tech-death category which makes things a little more confusing. The easiest way to show the difference is comparing Death's [i']Spiritual Healio to their later The Sound Of Perseverance​.

I disagree. Especially with the Death comparison, I think that's off base. It's not songwriting, it's technique. It's got more to do with riff writing than song structures. "Technical" bands use more different techniques (sweeping arpeggios, tapping, complicated alternate picking and tremolo picking patterns) and typically (though not always) place a greater emphasis on clarity and precision. For modern bands that do it cleanly, check out Necrophagist's "Epitaph" or Origin's "Echoes of Decimation". For a grittier and more organic take on it, try Demilich's "Nespithe" or Pavor's "Furioso"; for an example of sloppy and imprecise, chaotic yet enjoyable and coherent tech death, !T.O.O.H!'s "Rad a trest". For unique technical exploration, check out Gorguts' "Obscura". While it's true that many tech bands also have chaotic song structures, there are technical bands that use a more predictable or logical format (Anata's "The Conductor's Departure"), and certainly lots of DM outside of tech death makes use of chaotic structure (Deicide's "Legion", early NYDM). For an example of the kind of empty flash that Relentless is talking about, look no further than Braindrill, although there are many other bands that fit the bill. I've never considered Death to be a "tech" band, always placing their later material in the "progressive" camp along with Cynic and Atheist. Their influences from progressive rock got more apparent as they went along. The "progressive" label is contentious and widely applied, but you can hear the influence in bands as different as Opeth and Akercocke. Also, as I've said before, there's a difference between stuff that's "technical", like the Origin album I mentioned, and stuff that's just "fast and hard to play" like some Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation. If you want an album that just rocks hard, with no pretense of technicality or confusing song structure, listen to Grave's "You'll Never See".

[RelentlessOblivion]

Maybe I'm confusing tech and prog again. I can do that. Hey no one's perfect right? You actually said what I meant by the way.

[robmoore675]

Thanks to you both anyway. Ok, so the distinction makes a bit more sense to me, even though I'd probably have to listen to it as attentively and repetitively as possible to hear the difference (though maybe I just have to acquire the skill to instinctively hear it). It sounds like an interesting enough genre. I'll have to take a listen to the songs you listed. Can you talk a bit about progressive now? I listen to one band, Opeth, that has been called progressive sometimes, and even the confusing title of "progressive rock." I do agree it sounds a bit different than normal death metal. Is progressive just a term for death metal that tries to take on a unique sound?

[FatherAlabaster]

Like I said, "progressive" is a contentious label, and it's been tossed around a lot in the past few years. It's gotten to the point where a lot of people I talk to don't even want to use it anymore. Look up "progressive rock" and check out any number of bands including King Crimson, early Genesis, Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd, Camel, Uriah Heep... then listen to those bands I listed above and see if you can hear the influence. Prog rock was noted for its jazz and classical influences, unusual sonics/instrumentation, musicianship, and less use of standard rock song structure. Plenty of bands playing different kinds of metal were inspired by those bands, as well as directly by jazz and classical. Opeth definitely displays those 70s prog rock influences, more and more openly lately; for a band showing similar influences in a different context, check out any recent Enslaved album, they're well worth it. I think "progressive" is best used as a modifier to describe part of a band's sound, rather than as a standalone genre term. You can definitely have bands that are "progressive" and "technical" (and "brutal", "melodic", "blackened", "symphonic", the list goes on ad nauseam); they aren't mutually exclusive. There are plenty of people who use the term "prog" as shorthand to refer to "progressive heavy metal", and inevitably the observation gets made that hardly any of those bands are doing anything truly "progressive" in the sense of being unique or forward-thinking, but that's a case where (in my opinion) the semantic argument against using the term ignores decades' worth of music history and a lineage of influences. I'll be interested to see what the term "progressive" refers to in five or ten years.

[robmoore675]

Ah, I appreciate the detail. I've always loved Enslaved due to their unique sound of black metal, but I never knew they were considered progressive black. Perhaps I simply need to listen to more progressive rock in the first place in order to truly notice the specific differences, but I believe it to be incredibly present in RIITIR album by Enslaved. You're absolutely right, however, to say that in the future, progressive metal won't be the same at all. Perhaps it would be beneficial to start replacing the term "progressive" as used in today's sense in reference to 70's progressive rock. Thanks again for the help guys. I really appreciate it.

[KSMASH]

Good points all around, and i personally recommend any Origin album in between their first and most recent ones.

[RelentlessOblivion]

And here I thought Enslaved were Viking Metal...

[BlutAusNerd]

And here I thought Enslaved were Viking Metal...

They are, and starting with Mardraum they became progressive viking metal.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Oh good my genre nazism wasn't misguided...

[monkeydog]

check out ALKALOID-The Malkuth Grimoire it has bunch of guys from obscura and is pretty diverse Cthulu and Funeral For a Continent are some great tracks in my opionion. Also Bodysnatch - Universe of Gory Tales is an awesome album even though its only three tracks long it rips especially if you like low guttural vocals.

[Laihoard]

I second The Malkuth Grimoire. Some damn good stuff, some of my favourite this year thus far.