The heaviest death metal bands on Spotify you need to hear right now
#31 LIK
Lik (which means corpse in Swedish) were formed in 2014. Their first old school death metal release ‘Mass Funeral Evocation’ came out in October 2015, with their second album released May 2018 through Metal Blade Records. Recording for the newest album took place in the Dugout studios, Uppsala. LIK’s aim has always been to record as much of their music live as possible and keeping editing to a minimum to deliver an authentic and aggressive old school death metal sound. LIK deliver slow, neck-snapping segments with fast and ferocious riffs.
#30 HATE
Formed in 1991, HATE have been pummeling death metal fans for years. Their 2017 release ‘Tremendum’ offered a more blackened death metal approach with their newest release ‘Auric Gates of Veles’ carrying on in that creative direction. Blending sharp rhythms and dark ambient undercurrents, HATE create a wall of sound to be reckoned with.
#29 FROZEN SOUL
Frozen Soul deliver straight up Death Metal, no apologies. The band formed in 2018 and dominated the underground scene with a sound paying homage to death metal’s roots. Their four-song Demo, ‘Encased In Ice’ was released in early 2019 on Maggot Stomp Records, culminating in their first full length ‘CRYPT OF ICE’. Brutal to the last drop, this album cements Frozen Soul as a must-listen band for old school death metal fans.
#28 JUNGLE ROT
Deriving their sound from early-'90s bands like Sodom, Unleashed, and Bolt Thrower, Jungle Rot create a heavy and high energy blend of old-school thrash metal, death metal and punk. Formed in 1993 they’ve had releases on Pulverizer Records, Century Media, Napalm, and Victory Records.
#27 DEATH DECLINE
Death thrashers Death Decline were formed in 2008 in France. Their Debut EP ‘Bloodstained Redemption’ was released in 2012 with their album debut ‘Built for Sin’ released in June 2015. After years of touring the band returned to the studio to record ‘The Thousand Faces of Lies’, earning them a slot at Hellfest Open Air 2019. Death Decline gained notable exposure through a (hilarious!) feature in the animated series “South Park”. The band are now in the studio recording their third album.
#26 PSYCROPTIC
Formed in Tasmania, and island state off the coast of Australia, Psycroptic have released 6 albums since their formation in 1999. Technical mastery and out-and-out aggression are what separate Psycroptic’s sound from the pack.
#25 MISERY INDEX
Misery Index have released 6 albums since their formation in 2003. Featuring ex-members of Dying Fetus the band have major releases across Nuclear Blast Records, Relapse Records and Season of Mist. In 2019, their best-known and best-selling album ‘Rituals of Power’ was release, catapulting the band to the forefront of modern death metal music. The band have recently signed a deal with century media records to release their hotly anticipated next album.
#24 CREEPING DEATH
Creeping Death combine neck-snapping heaviness with full-throttle intensity to create a modern death metal sound that pays its respects to the old-school of death metal and thrash. Sludgy guitar tones, solid groove and unrelenting aggression feature throughout on their latest release ‘Wretched Illusions‘, a must-listen for Death Thrashers the world over.
#23 INFERI
INFERI, a technical melodic death metal band forged from Nashville, Tennessee were formed in 2011. Their debut "The Path of Apotheosis" gained them underground following which caught fire with their 2018 release “Revenant” that saw them break major rock and metal charts in the US. Touring alongside bands such Rivers of Nihil, Archspire, Shadow of Intent, Signs of the Swarm, Brand of Sacrifice, Obscura, and more, Inferi have cemented their position within the list of techdeath titans.
#22 SKELTONWITCH
Skeletonwitch’s albums blend death, blackened elements, thrash and heavy metal into their own trademark sound that appeals to big 4 thrash fans and beyond. While they released their debut EP ‘White Light’ in 2016, it feels like this band have been plying their trade a lot longer - prolific producers of new material, there’s already an extensive back-catalogue of death thrash from this band that is a testament to their accomplishments within the genre.
#21 UNLEASHED
Unleashed released their newest album on Napalm Records in 2021. This Swedish band have created a modern death metal sound that has that distinguishable Swedish touch and are the founding fathers of the Viking-Death-Metal movement. Uncompromising and relentless, Unleashed are a force to be reckoned with.
#20 TRIBULATION
Another Swedish entry in this list, Tribulation add a gothic element to the mix. Their newest album ‘Where the Gloom Becomes Sound’ delivers an unnerving soundscape that fuses many genres into their own unique sound.
#19 BENIGHTED
BENIGHTED was formed by members from across a number of underground of french extreme metal bands in 1998 with the aim of creating a brutal sound which was proven out in their debut self-titled album released in 2000. While death metal as a genre ventured further and further into more esoteric grounds, Benighted released ‘Necrobreed’ in 2017 to harken back to the roots of the genre. Their latest release ‘Obscene Repressed’ is nothing short of a masterclass in brutality and is a must-listen for all fans of the genre.
#18 IMMOLATION
Formed in February 1988, IMMOLATION have been pushing forward the boundaries of the extreme metal since inception. Their latest studio album (their 11th release) proves their continued ability to push the boundaries of the death metal underground, balancing a commitment to the old school death metal roots while pushing boundaries in increasingly fascinating new dimensions.
#17 REVOCATION
Revocation create a dark and progressive death metal sound that manages to maintain aggression throughout. Immense technicality abound in all their releases, with their latest album no exception - cosmic horror pushing the boundaries musically and lyrically into twisted new dimensions.
#16 OBSCURA
Obscura are a German progressive Death Metal band founded in 2002. Creating an instant sensation as an underground act when they toured with the mighty Suffocation, they independently released their debut album off the back of that touring success and haven’t looked back since. Releasing ‘Cosmogenesis’ on Relapse Records in 2009, Obscura cracked the US Billboard Charts and saw them embark on their first worldwide tour. Technical mastery, revolutionary polyrhythms and outstanding virtuosity, Obscura’s progressive technical death metal sound is some of the best this genre has to offer.
#15 BAEST
BAEST, from Denmark have established themselves with a sound rooted in the old-school death metal camp drawing heavy inspiration from bands like Entombed and Bolt Thrower. Touring with Abbath and Decapitated the band were catapulted from the underground to find the wider fanbase their aggressive breed of death metal deserves. After pounding the festival circuit the band followed up their well received debut album ‘Danse Macabre’ with their 2019 release ‘Venenum’, leaving fans waiting with bated breath on their next offering.
#14 THE FACELESS
The Faceless, re-signed to Sumerian Records having been the labels very first band back in 2006, have constantly aimed to break the mold and push the boundaries of the genre. While they haven’t released anything since 2017’s ‘In Becoming a Ghost’, there’s still plenty to pore through on their 4 studio albums to date for death metal fans across the spectrum and their polished sound is one that stands out, with the hope that they hit us with a new release soon.
#13 BLOOD RED THRONE
Like many, 2020 was a pivotal year for for the band with Blood Red Throne finding themselves awash with inspiration. This culminated in their 2021 release of their epic album ‘Imperial Congregation’ - and old-school death metal sound with a lyrical reflection on the ills of controlling societal institutions and the mass ignorance they produce - the album is a powerhouse from beginning to end.
#12 BENEDICTION
Formed way back in 1989, Benediction were signed by Nuclear Blast Records and have been releasing records in partnership with the label ever since. Their debut album ‘Subconscious Terror’ was released in 1990, with “Organised Chaos” released in 2001, the band’s first album with Dave Hunt as vocalist. “Killing Music” was released in 2008 and in 2019 the band announced the return of vocalist Dave Ingram. With this line-up, BENEDICTION returned to the studio to release their latest (and long awaited) album ‘Scriptures’ in 2021 that demonstrates perfectly this band’s ability to still produce some of the most crushing death metal being made today.
#11 ANAAL NATHRAKH
Anaal Nathrakh have always stated the core purpose of their music ‘to be the soundtrack for Armageddon’, and their sound cannot be more perfectly summed up. Prolific musicians and writers, they’ve have released a sizable corpus of material since their formation in 1999 and have collaborated over time with some of the biggest names in the death metal genre. Their 2006 album ‘Eschaton’ is, and remains, once of the most dark and influential extreme metal albums of all time, and their latest release, 2020’s ‘Endarkenment’ shows that the band have not lost any of their ability to convey ultimate evil, hatred, violence and aggression.
#10 INGESTED
Founded in 2006, Ingested have deservedly come to dominate the brutal death metal sub-genre with their insanely heavy sound packed with groove. Their debut into the underground metal scene via Grindethic Records split CD release “North-West Slam Fest” featured fellow British death metal bands Crepitation & Kastrated. Aggressive gutturals and heavy slam, 2018’s ‘The Level Above Human’ was the band’s stand out album that put them ahead of the pack, and their 2020 release ’Where Only Gods May Tread’ has cemented their position as one of Brutal Death Metal’s most exciting acts.
#9 ARCHSPIRE
Archspire’s trademark blasting extremity and rapid gunfire vocals has set them apart from the pack. Breakneck speeds combine with immense technicality to deliver a brutal sound that Archspire has made their own and influenced many more modern death metal bands in the process. The latest album, their 4th studio release ‘Bleed the Future’ is a shining example of this technical aggression, and features the standout track ‘Drone Corpse Aviator’ (which has an incredible music video you should check out if you haven’t already!).
#8 CATTLE DECAPITATION
Vegetarian brutality at its finest! Cattle Decapitation deliver a dark, atmospheric technicality that makes their sound stand out as truly unique. Their newest album ‘Death Atlas’ is their bleakest offering to date, exploring the depths of humanity’s insignificance. A melancholic record, this newest release sees a broadened and more developed vocal style and a melting pot of genre influences from grindcore to doom metal.
#7 DECAPITATED
DECAPITATED, formed in 1996, have released 7 studio albums over their long career and have firmly established themselves as international leaders of the death metal scene. Their fan favorite track ‘Spheres of Madness’ has as many aspiring musicians creating YouTube drum covers as there are double-kicks in this epic track itself, and their latest release ‘Anticult’ is probably their most polished of the lot, really honing in and condensing on their trademark sound while exploring some newer, diverse elements and genre influences to deliver a brutal aural assault.
#6 KATAKLYSM
With 14 studio album’s under their belt, Kataklysm have proved themselves an uncompromising force in the death metal world. More melodic than most on this list, but far too heavy to be considered Melodeath per se, Kataklysm continue to do what they have always done in their own unique trademark style, and their latest album ‘Unconquered’ proves no exception.
#5 HYPOCRISY
After 8 years of silence, Hypocrisy released their latest album ‘WORSHIP’ inn 2021. The Swedish band have journeyed through 30 years of twelve albums, each an interesting and innovative offering to the death metal genre in their own right. Melodic riffs and vocal versatility abound in each album and with such an extensive and diverse back-catalogue there’s certainly something for every death metal fan to appreciate.
#4 FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE
Fleshgod Apocalypse have become synonymous with the Orchestral Death Metal sub-genre and are its leading lights. Painstakingly and meticulously crafted and composed, their latest album ‘Valeno’ brings together the epic nature of full orchestral support with bludgeoning brutality, developing both opposing concepts into an intricate and atmospheric whole. This latest album is, by the bands own admission, their defining masterpiece to date.
#3 THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
Cut-throat riffing packed with hooks, The Black Dahlia Murder create intricately technical songs that spread out further and further with each and every listen. Their latest album ‘Verminous’ is their most dynamic release to date and sees them more deeply explore some of the elements from the previous offering ‘Nightbringers’. Complex, technical, layered and uncompromising, The Black Dahlia Murder are out for blood!
#2 CARCASS
Carcass are a unique band able to create arguably some of the more ‘accessible’ death metal music in the genre while refusing to back down in terms of aggression and darkness. It’s a tight balance to walk, but one that Carcass have been walking with aplomb over their 30+ year career. ‘Torn Arteries’, their 2021 release is everything you’d expect from the band and more besides, with ‘Kelly’s Meat emporium’ a standout track.
#1 CANNIBAL CORPSE
There’s very little to say about this band that hasn’t been screamed already. Arguably the most successful and well recognised death metal band in existence, their latest album ‘Violence Unimagined’ re-enforces exactly why this band stake their claim as the kings of the death metal genre. You’d think after 15 albums the band might be slowing down a little, but you’d be wrong - brutal aggression at its maximum in the way only Cannibal Corpse can deliver.
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