| Technical death metal | |
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| Other names |
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| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1980s, United States, Canada and Europe |
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Technical death metal (also known astech death) is a musical subgenre ofdeath metal with particular focus on instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Technical and progressive experimentation in death metal began in the late 1980s and early 1990s, largely driven by four bands that, according toAllmusic, are "technical death metal's Big Four" –Death,Pestilence,Atheist, andCynic. All but Pestilence are part of theFlorida death metal scene,[2][3] to whichNocturnus, another influential band, also belongs.[4]
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Technical death metal has been characterized as "a real madhouse."[5] Distinct features of the subgenre include dynamic song structures, complex and atypical rhythmic structures, abundant use of diminishedchords andarpeggios, frequent employment ofodd timechord progressions, and consistent use of techniques such asstring skipping in the guitar work.Bass lines are usually complex, anddrumming is complex including techniques such asblast beats, odd time signatures anddouble kicks. The technical death metal genre has also been influenced by mostlyjazz fusion,[1] as well asthrash metal andprogressive/technical-inspired heavy metal bands like Death,[6][7]Megadeth,[8]Slayer,[6][9]Voivod,[10]Kreator,[7]Dark Angel,[8]Coroner,[7]Sadus,[11] andWatchtower, the latter of whose second albumControl and Resistance (1989) is often considered to be one of the sources of inspiration for the genre.[12][13]
Despite the increasingly sophisticated songwriting, technical death metal has been noted for having more commercial appeal than traditional death metal. According to music journalist T Coles, "Thoughdeath metal songwriters weren't moving away from the grim subject material, there was a growing desire for clarity, with bands tightening up to better communicate weird orabstract ideas ofdeath, and to court some of the more lucrative commercial possibilities. This moreprofessional approach, forged fromrecording engineers and musicians working to refine the sound, would be the spark that finally ignited the interest oflarger organizations."[14]
Sociologist and music criticKeith Kahn-Harris stated the belief that death metal bands began performing what he called "more technical or listenable" music because playing traditional death metal eventually became "less artistically satisfying" for some musicians. He wrote: "Within the confines of a genre there's always a tension: Where do you go with extreme music? What limits are left to explore?"[15]
The 1990 albumThe Key byNocturnus has been cited as the first progressive death metal album.[16] One of the key works that cemented the subgenre wasAtheist's debut albumPiece of Time, also released in 1990, which took death metal into a more intricate level while incorporating influences ranging fromjazz fusion toprogressive metal. In 1991, New York death metal groupSuffocation released their debut albumEffigy of the Forgotten, which focused on pairing speed and brutality with a "sophisticated" sense of songwriting. Atheist's second albumUnquestionable Presence,Pestilence's third albumTestimony of the Ancients, and Death's fourth albumHuman were all released the same year, forging a path for more intricate and refined releases within the death metal genre.[3]
