as a person who listens to more genres then i can remeber none seem to hit as hard as death metal.
not only in sound but such greats as napalm death, nile, just to name a few. along in the death metal genre you may find various groups with political genres such as hatebreed and cradle of filth, these bands range from white power to the most evils of satanism. just to gather some input what do you think of the genre on a whole.

I'm fond of metal in general, but I don't know that I've ever even encountered that subgenre. I don't recognize the names of any of those bands.

I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find a white supremacist folk band.

As far as anti-social metal goes I don't stray much further than Korn, Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, so I'm probably too wimpy for death metal.

I find the genre more amusing than disturbing. For example, here are some song titles by Cannibal Corpse: Meat Hook Sodomy, Gutted, Living Dissection, Under the Rotted Flesh, Covered With Sores, Vomit the Soul, Butchered at Birth, Rancid Amputation, Bloody Chunks, A Skull Full of Maggots, and my personal favorite, F**ked With A Knife.

This kind of badly played, horribly sung, montonous grisly grinding gruel is one reason I find the genre boring. I think it's amusing that someone would actually try and write lyrics for something called "Meat Hook Sodomy." I would be a bit concerned if I heard my 13-year-old humming the lyrics at the dinner table.

However, the disturbing part of death metal comes from those whom aren't just poseurs trying to shock the old folks. They really MEAN it.

This is excerpted from an essay about the Norweigian band Emperor from the All Music Guide website:

...even as Emperor's music garnered worldwide acclaim in the heavy metal community, legal difficulties and lineup shifts ensued when a number of bandmembers became involved in the anti-Christian activism and general violence that characterized Norway's underground metal scene at the time.

Emperor's original lineup featured vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Ihsahn, bassist Mortiis (who has been credited with the band's initial interest in Norwegian folk), and drummer Samoth; this trio recorded a demo, Wrath of the Tyrant, in late 1992, and soon added drummer Faust (born Bard G. Eithun), with Samoth switching to guitar. The quartet recorded a split EP with the band Enslaved titled Hordanes Land, after which Mortiis was forced to leave the group — and the country — for unspecified reasons; he moved to Sweden and pursued a solo career, often appearing costumed as an elf. New bassist Tchort signed on for Emperor's full-length debut, In the Nightside Eclipse, which earned critical praise and an international cult following upon its release in 1994. However, around the same time, Samoth was convicted of arson after burning down a historical wooden church; Tchort was sentenced for burglary, knife assault, and desecration; and Faust was locked up for arson, burglary, and murder, stabbing a homosexual acquaintance 14 times outside the Olympic Park in Lillehammer after the man made a pass at him.

Waaaaaaay too hardcore for the kid.

I don't know where they fit in to the genre descriptions, but I really like Pantera!

I wouldn't lump Ministry in with those bands.

Heh. I've heard some of that Mortiis solo album. It's quite interesting, and probably not what you'd expect...dark, melodic, and somewhat surreal.

As far as death metal goes, it's not my cup of tea. I like gothic, industrial, and darkwave, but I require my death to be poetic and romantic. No gore for me.

I don't understand the attraction to morbidity. About as far as I go into that was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that was somewhat of a comedy.

Are these bands and fans feeling that hopeless and attracted to evil and gore, or is it just a schtick?

Badly played and horribly sung? And you like Korn? At any rate, Death metal vocalists do not *aim* to sing. Their goal is to be as brutal, abrasive, and filthy as possible.

Cannibal Corpse and a few other generic "gore" bands aside, Death metal is hardly badly played, and in fact has some of the most talented musicians playing some of the most complex music of the past 20 years. Death, Athiest, Nocturnus, Immolation, and Vital Remains are just a few examples.

Emperor are not death metal. They are Black metal, a quite different and distinct genre. Adequate genre descriptions can be found here: http://www.anus.com/metal/about/genre.html. The death metal FAQ can be found here: http://www.raging-metal.d2g.com/columns/tfnw/0008.html

The "bands and fans" of both black metal and death metal are reacting against the current Judeo-Christian values of society; they do this by promoting nihilism, as in the rejection of moral absolutes and any inherent meaning to life. An "attraction to morbidity" is one outlet. The murders and church burnings of the early 90s by various black metal participants are some examples of anti-Christian movement put to action. Mind you, most bands of the genre aren't brave enough to commit such exploits.

Yes, it seemed the same actions were going on in some nations in Europe. One story goes on about a band member killing himself and fellow members eating from his skull or eating his brain. I don’t know about all of that personally Though i do like the music very much More to the point on it, i feel that such can only exist by the social institutions we have today, that and factor in the variance you can find in listeners. You can find some correlations most definitely, really when you read chat forums, its quite interesting indeed.

I liked the old metal like Black Sabbath, but then I learned how to play guitar (smart *** NOTICE: THIS WORD IS AGAINST THE RULES. FAILURE TO REMOVE IT WILL RESULT IN A STRIKE. *** answer, I know).

Every now and then it feels good to plug in an electric, kick the overdrive and crunch a bunch of power chords consisting of thirds and fifths, let fly with fast and meaningless leads. Maybe this is like abstract art where you throw paint at a canvas?

Haven't paid much attention to current metal bands. The death rock doesn't appeal, it's too loud, and I just don't get anything emotionally or musically from it.

But if I was in my teens or early twenties, I'd probably like what's going on. Think this stuff helps people to release tensions.

What, there are metal lyrics besides "AAAAAHHHHH"? Geez, who would have known?

That would be the band Black Metal band Mayhem. Here is a short biography of the bands very sick violent history:

A legendary band that began on the forefront of Black Metal, surrounded in legend and mystery. Credited for being the "Fathers of Northern Darkness" and being a cornerstone of Black Metal, massively influncing such bands as Abruptum, Merciless, Enslaved (Nor), Emperor, Dissection (Swe), and countless other Black Metal bands.

Their band name is taken from the Venom song "Mayhem with Mercy".

Euronymous is Greek for "The Prince of Death". He opened up a small underground metal store named "Helvete", Norse for 'Hell'. The store became a major spot for many Black Metal bands and members of the scene to gather. Euronymous was the major figurehead of the groups, and created a group for the "Elite" Black Metal followers/band members to be involved in, calling themselves "The Inner Circle". The members would preach to each other on destroying and defiling churches, graveyards, and anything of christian belief. Euronymous firmly expressed his hope that Black Metal could incite young people to violence, torture, murder, and pain. They preached the will of viking philosophy, and set out to destroy Christians in hope the Norweigans would understand their role as Odin's children.

Dead commited suicide in 1991 by shooting himself in the mouth with a shotgun (ironically, the bullets used to kill him had been sent to him by Varg Vikernes, who thought this was cool but denied having any advance knowledge of the suicide). His body (wearing an "I Love Translyvannia" shirt and leaving a suicide note saying "Excuse all the Blood") was discovered in the back room of Helvete, the legendary music store owned by Euronymous. Euronymous took pictures (which later appeared in the booklets for several subsequent Mayhem releases and other band's materials) of the suicide and scene. Euronymous then cooked and ate pieces of his (Dead's) brain. Fragments of Dead's skull were collected and forged into necklaces that both Euronymous and Hellhammer wore as a tribute to Dead. Hellhammer was rumored to play the drums with Dead's bones live.

Euronymous was murdered in his on August 10th, 1993 in his apartment by Varg Vikernes (Count Grishnack) of the one-man band Burzum. Their relationship before the murder was tense, as their friend and music relationship started going downhill. He is claimed to have murdered him because "I was jealous of Euronymous's more evil reputation". (Varg had done the bass work on, among other recordings, the full-length album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The bass line was later recorded over by Stian "Occultus" Johansenn prior to the album's release, in deference to the wishes of Euronymous's family). Euronymous was found in his underwear, with 23 inflicted stab wounds with a knife. Varg was rumored to try and outdo his rival(Faust of Emperor)'s murder, wherein he led a homosexual man back to his house and stabbed him to death. At his trial, Vikernes came into court with his long hair made into pigtails, and denying his involvement in Euronymous's death. He giggled and laughed throughout the trial. He was convicted of the murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison (the maximum possible sentence in Norway). When police arrested Varg, he was found with over 150 KG of stolen dynamite and plans to destroy Nidarosdomen, a large christian church in Trondheim, on a religous holiday.

Mayhem (mostly Varg Vikernes/Count Grishnack) was also fingered for defiling/destroying 17 churches, such as (and most notably) the church Fantoft (Built in the 12th Century) on June 6th, 1992. Holmenkollen Chapel, the church that the King and Royal Family of Norway used to visit every Sunday, was soon also burnt to the ground. Varg has also been rumored to kill rabbits and throw them into churches during service. He also (during the time the Fantoft was burnt) began telling his friends his plans to rape the king's daughter and overthrow the kingdom.

Mayhem also performed other desecrations to both the country and each other. They would vandalize and destroy graveyards (knocking down tombstones, spraying '666' and pentagrams everywhere), spraypaint pentagrams on objects. The band members (along with other Black Metal band members and fans in the scene) would cut each other with ceremonial knives and broken bottles, put nails and tacks on their heads and have them hammered in, beat each other with bullwhips, etc.

Their gigs featured heavy atmospheric effects such as severed pig heads impaled on wooden spikes. The band's clothes were buried days/weeks before the show, and were exhumed decayed, soiled, and full of insects. Pieces of rotting meat were thrown into the audience and given to people to devour or rip on the spot. Dead Ravens were placed in bags so band members could continually smell decay and death. Members were also noted on slicing themselves open during the show.

Just as a side note, I think it is interesting that Korn frequently appears on pop culture's show TRL and Nine Inch Nails songs were covered by Johnny Cash.

I have been a fan of Death/Black Metal for almost a year now and am looking for new blood all the time. Honestly, I like bands such as Naglfar, Dying Fetus, Opeth, and Amorphis. I also have a distinct preference for lyrics and how they are portrayed (One example is screaming stuff that sounds much like a rabid banshee, I'm not into that.). I am more of a 'If I can hear what they're saying and can stand hearing it over and over again, It floats my boat' kind of a guy. When I reply to peoples questions about what I listen to for music, I make sure to include that some of this stuff isn't satanic in any sense (It just scares the hell out of most people). Opeth is a good example of this. Opeth tells stories with their music and they have the instrumentalism to go with it. Sadly, I have come to believe that Opeth is becoming soft (I still like them and hope for something big coming up). This is especially sorrowful seeing as that they are my favorite band. Anywho, as to the beginning proposition, I believe that Death/Black metal is wicked rad and should be known by EVERYONE!!!!