death metal
C1Informal, specialist (music)
Definition
Meaning
An extreme subgenre of heavy metal music, characterised by heavily distorted guitars, blast-beat drumming, deep growled or screamed vocals (death growls), and dark lyrical themes exploring death, violence, and the macabre.
A cultural label referring to the associated music scene, fashion, aesthetics, and community. May be used loosely to describe anything perceived as sonically or thematically extreme, dark, and aggressive.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A compound noun, uncountable when referring to the genre as a whole, but countable when referring to bands (e.g., 'a new death metal', 'several death metals' is unnatural; prefer 'a new death metal band'). The term is a hypernym, with subgenres like 'melodic death metal', 'technical death metal'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is always 'death metal', not 'death *metre*'.
Connotations
Similar associations with extreme music, counter-culture, and sometimes adolescent rebellion. No notable regional variance in connotation.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties within music-related discourse. Broader public recognition likely similar.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Band/Person] plays death metal.[Song/Album] is (a) death metal.a [adjective] death metal [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As brutal as death metal (informal simile for extreme intensity).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in music industry contexts: 'The label's death metal roster is profitable.'
Academic
Used in cultural studies, musicology, or sociology: 'The lyrical tropes of 1990s Scandinavian death metal.'
Everyday
Used when discussing music tastes: 'I used to listen to a lot of death metal as a teenager.'
Technical
Precise usage within music journalism, fan communities, and genre taxonomy: 'The track uses dissonant harmonies typical of atonal death metal.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The band death-metalled their way through a ferocious set. (informal, non-standard)
American English
- They totally death-metalled that classic riff. (informal, non-standard)
adverb
British English
- The guitarist played death-metal fast. (informal)
American English
- The drummer was hitting death-metal hard. (informal)
adjective
British English
- He has a very death-metal aesthetic with his band t-shirts and long hair.
American English
- That breakdown was death-metal heavy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I don't like death metal. It is too loud.
- My brother listens to death metal music every day.
- Although death metal sounds aggressive, many fans appreciate its musical complexity.
- The seminal band Death is often credited with pioneering the death metal genre in the mid-1980s.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Death + Metal': The 'metal' is the heavy metal music, and 'death' describes its dark, aggressive, and often morbid themes.
Conceptual Metaphor
MUSIC IS A PHYSICAL FORCE (brutal, crushing), DARKNESS IS A SUBSTANCE (lyrics are soaked in darkness).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'смертельный металл', which implies a lethal material. The established calque is 'дэт-метал' (det-metal). 'Death metal' itself is widely understood.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (*'He death-metals').
- Misspelling as 'death medal'.
- Confusing it with similar subgenres like 'black metal' or 'doom metal'.
Practice
Quiz
What is a primary vocal characteristic of death metal?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are distinct subgenres. Death metal typically focuses on deeper growls, technical riffing, and themes of physical death/violence. Black metal uses higher-pitched shrieks, often a 'rawer' production, and frequently explores anti-religious or pagan themes.
Yes. While historically male-dominated, there are many female vocalists in death metal (e.g., Angela Gossow formerly of Arch Enemy) who use the same growled vocal technique.
Standard rock instrumentation: electric guitars (often down-tuned), bass guitar, drums (with extensive use of double bass pedals and blast beats), and vocals. Keyboards are less common but appear in some subgenres.
The name originates from the band 'Death', led by Chuck Schuldiner, and the genre's lyrical preoccupation with themes of mortality, violence, and the macabre.