The albums that define
brutal death metal.
Our picks for where to start with brutal death metal — with a one-line read on why each one matters.
Top brutal death metal artists
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The brutal death metal essentials
Twenty-four picks. Press play on any of them.
Aborted
The Necrotic Manifesto
Brutal riffs and guttural growls converge in a relentless barrage of visceral storytelling and intricate musicianship.
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Aborted
Strychnine.213
A relentless barrage of guttural vocals, blistering guitar riffs, and intricate drumming defines this brutal death metal onslaught.
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Cryptopsy
Once Was Not
Technical musicianship meets relentless aggression in a cacophony of intricate riffs and guttural growls.
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Cryptopsy
The Unspoken King
A relentless barrage of brutal riffs and technical precision pushes the boundaries of death metal into unsettling territory.
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Devourment
Butcher the Weak
Brutal riffs collide with guttural vocals, creating an unrelenting sonic assault that defines the slam death metal genre.
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Benighted
Asylum Cave
A relentless assault of guttural growls and frantic riffs, laced with dark, atmospheric undertones that create an unsettling experience.
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Benighted
Identisick
A relentless onslaught of guttural vocals, rapid-fire drumming, and chaotic guitar riffs that define the brutal death metal genre.
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Devourment
Conceived in Sewage
Relentless and guttural, this album embodies brutal death metal's most savage extremes with visceral intensity and unyielding precision.
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Severe Torture
Misanthropic Carnage
Brutal riffs and guttural growls collide in a relentless assault of sonic violence that defines the essence of death metal.
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Severe Torture
Feasting on Blood
A relentless barrage of guttural vocals and bludgeoning riffs creates an unyielding sonic assault that defines brutal death metal.
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Beneath the Massacre
Mechanics of Dysfunction
A relentless barrage of technical riffs and guttural vocals captures the bleakness of modern existence in brutal death metal form.
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Beneath the Massacre
Evidence of Inequity
A relentless barrage of sonic chaos, blending intricate riffs with guttural vocals to create an unyielding auditory assault.
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Kronos
The Hellenic Terror
Ruthlessly aggressive riffs and guttural vocals intertwine with complex time signatures, creating an overwhelming auditory experience.
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Kronos
Colossal Titan Strife
A relentless onslaught of guttural vocals and blistering riffs intertwine with intricate compositions steeped in mythological themes.
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Brodequin
Methods of Execution
Relentlessly aggressive riffs collide with guttural vocals, creating a visceral exploration of death and suffering.
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Siksakubur
Tentara Merah Darah
Frenetic rhythms and guttural vocals collide with lyrical themes of war and existentialism in this brutal death metal offering.
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Brodequin
Instruments of Torture
A relentless barrage of guttural vocals and blast beats creates a suffocating atmosphere of sonic brutality.
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Disgorge
Parallels of Infinite Torture
A relentless barrage of guttural vocals and machine-like rhythms create an unyielding landscape of sonic brutality.
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Disgorge
Cranial Impalement
Brutal riffs and guttural vocals combine to create an unrelenting soundscape of violence and decay.
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Visceral Bleeding
Remnants of Deprivation
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Visceral Bleeding
Absorbing the Disarray
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Blood Red Throne
Imperial Congregation
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Blood Red Throne
Monument of Death
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Avulsed
Gorespattered suicide
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Adjacent sounds
By decade
Where brutal death metal landed in each era.