Technical death metal is a musical subgenre

Music genre

A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...

 of death metal

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 that focuses on complex rhythms, riff

RIFF

The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....

s and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Death, Atheist

Atheist (band)

Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...

 and Cynic

Cynic (band)

Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...

. In 1990, Nocturnus

Nocturnus

Nocturnus was an American progressive death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning . They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal...

 released their debut album, The Key, which was followed by Sarcófago

Sarcófago

Sarcófago was an influential Brazilian extreme metal band. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli. They have been described as Brazil's most controversial metal band....

's third album, The Laws of Scourge

The Laws of Scourge

-Sarcofago:*Wagner Lamounier - vocals, rhythm guitar*Fabio "Jhasko" - lead guitar*Geraldo Minelli - bass, backing vocals on Midnight Queen, Screeches from the Silence and Crush, Kill, Destroy, acoustic guitars*Lucio Oliver - drums...

, featuring a change in their musical style, black metal

Black metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

/thrash metal

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 to technical death metal. Atheist's second album, Unquestionable Presence

Unquestionable Presence

Unquestionable Presence is the second album by the death metal band Atheist. It was released in 1991 and added a new sound by using jazz-like harmonies, subtle latin rhythms and unusual time signatures.-Album information:...

, Pestilence

Pestilence (band)

Pestilence is a death metal band from the Netherlands founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz and fusion elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008...

's third album, Testimony of the Ancients

Testimony of the Ancients

Testimony of the Ancients is the third album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. After each song on the album, there is an outro track. The eight outros range from twenty five seconds to a minute and eleven seconds in length....

, and Death's fourth album, Human, were all released the very next year. Human and later Death albums have proven especially influential on later '90s technical death metal bands. In 1991, New York's grindcore

Grindcore

Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....

-influenced Suffocation

Suffocation (band)

Suffocation is an American death metal band that was formed in 1989 in Long Island, New York. The band comprises vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, drummer Mike Smith and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for...

 released the Effigy of the Forgotten

Effigy of the Forgotten

-Personnel:Suffocation*Frank Mullen: All Vocals*Doug Cerrito: Lead & Rhythm Guitars*Terrance Hobbs: Lead & Rhythm Guitars*Josh Barohn: Bass*Mike Smith: DrumsProduction*Produced, Engineered & Mixed By Scott Burns*Mastered By Eddy SchreyerGuest Musicians...

debut album, which focused on speed and brutality with "sophisticated" sense of songwriting and subsequently became groundbreaking in the genre.

Phil Freeman, ex-editor of Metal Edge

Metal Edge

Metal Edge was a magazine covering heavy metal music published by Zenbu Media. It was founded in the summer of 1985, during the height of Glam metal's success.Both Metal Edge and its sister publication, Metal Maniacs, ceased operations in 2009....

, has described the sub-genre of technical death metal as "the hidden side of its genre, having more in common with prog-rock and jazz fusion

Jazz fusion

Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...

 than with the mechanistic, Satan-obsessed grinding that's the music's dominant public image."

List of technical death metal bands

Band	Country	Formed	Notes
Aborted Aborted Aborted is a Belgian death metal band formed in Waregem, Belgium in 1995. The group comprises vocalist and founder Sven de Caluwé, guitarists Eran Segal and Mike Wilson, bassist J.B. Van Der Wal, and drummer Ken Bedene. The band members of Aborted are from Belgium, France, Israel, United Kingdom,...	Belgium	1995
Aeon Aeon (band) Aeon is a death metal band that formed in Östersund, Sweden in 1999. The band comprises vocalist Tommy Dahlström, guitarists Sebastian Nilsson and Daniel Dlimi, bassist Marcus Edvardsson and drummer Arttu Malkki. The band released its debut album, Bleeding the False, in 2005; and the second album...	Sweden	1999
Anata Anata Anata is a technical death metal band from Varberg, Sweden that formed in 1993.To date, they have released two demos, four albums and a split album with Bethzaida. In 2005, they completed recordings for an album titled The Conductor's Departure, released in June 2006 on Earache Records/Wicked World...	Sweden	1993
Arsis	USA	2000
Atheist Atheist (band) Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...	USA	1984
Augury Augury (band) Augury is a progressive death metal band from Montreal, Canada who released their debut album, Concealed in September 2004 on Galy Records, and a follow-up, Fragmentary Evidence, in July 2009 on Nuclear Blast Records.-History:...	Canada	2001
Beneath the Massacre Beneath the Massacre Beneath the Massacre is a Canadian death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Their debut album, Evidence of Inequity, was released in 2005, under Galy Records. In early 2006, the band signed with Prosthetic Records and has since released their first full-length album, Mechanics of...	Canada	2004
Born of Osiris Born of Osiris Born of Osiris is an American progressive death metal band from Palatine, Illinois. Formed in 2003, the group has undergone a number of name changes including Your Heart Engraved, DiminisheD, and Rosecrance before finally settling with Born of Osiris in 2007, basing the name off the Egyptian deity...	USA	2003
Brain Drill Brain Drill Brain Drill is an American death metal band formed in 2005 from Ben Lomond, California. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and released their full length debut album entitled Apocalyptic Feasting on February 5, 2008...	USA	2005
Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...	USA	1988
Cephalic Carnage Cephalic Carnage Cephalic Carnage is an American grindcore band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos...	USA	1992
Coprofago Coprofago Coprofago is a technical death metal band formed in Santiago, Chile, in June 1993. The name of the band is taken from Greek "copro", or "feces", and "fago", meaning "eat." Sebastián Vergara, Pablo Alvarez, Pablo Solari, and Ignacio Suit founded the band....	Chile	1993
Cryptopsy Cryptopsy Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records.-Necrosis :...	Canada	1992
Cynic	USA	1987
Death	USA	1983
Decapitated Decapitated (band) Decapitated is a death metal band that formed in Krosno, Poland in 1996. The group comprises guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski and Austrian drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner. Decapitated have gained recognition as one of the genre's most widely respected...	Poland	1996
Despised Icon Despised Icon Despised Icon was a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is notable for the use of two vocalists; Alexandre Erian, takes use of a mid-range screaming technique, and Steve Marois for the low growling vocals, and high pitched screamed vocals...	Canada	2002
Dying Fetus Dying Fetus Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...	USA	1991
Extol Extol Extol is a Christian progressive extreme metal band from Bekkestua, Norway, that was formed in 1993. In 2007, they announced they were splitting up to work on separate projects. The band is known for playing a variety of different styles of metal which include progressive death metal, melodic death...	Norway	1994
The Faceless The Faceless The Faceless is an American technical death metal band from Encino, California. They released their debut album, Akeldama in November 2006, and a follow-up, Planetary Duality, in November 2008.-History:...	USA	2004
Fleshgod Apocalypse Fleshgod Apocalypse Fleshgod Apocalypse is an Italian symphonic technical death metal band.-Biography:Fleshgod Apocalypse was formed during 2007 and recorded their first demo the same year. The demo was re-released the following year on a split CD with fellow Italian bands Septycal Gorge, Modus Delicti, and Onirik....	Italy	2007
Gojira Gojira Gojira is a heavy metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass...	France	1996
Gorguts Gorguts Gorguts is a technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The band's only constant member is Luc Lemay.-History:Gorguts were formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay , Sylvain Marcoux , Éric Giguère and Stephane Provencher...	Canada	1989
In Battle In Battle In Battle is a Viking/black/death metal band from Sundsvall, Sweden. The main lyrical themes of the band focus on Norse mythology and war.-Biography:...	Sweden	1996
Into the Moat Into The Moat Into the Moat is an American mathcore band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It first achieved national acclaim when profiled in Alternative Press Magazine...	USA	2001
Knights of the Abyss Knights of the Abyss Knights of the Abyss is an American deathcore band from Glendale, Arizona, formed in 2005.-Biography:Knights of the Abyss was formed in 2005 after drummer Andy Rysdam had left his former band Job for a Cowboy. They have recorded two full-length albums, which were released by Siege of Amida Records...	USA	2005
Meshuggah Meshuggah Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...	Sweden	1987
Monstrosity Monstrosity (band) Monstrosity is a death metal band originating from Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the death metal scene of the early 1990s. Vocalist, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher and drummer, Lee Harrison, were the founders of Monstrosity. Harrison had just left the band Malevolent Creation and George Fisher...	USA	1990
Necrophagist Necrophagist Necrophagist is a German death metal band, founded and fronted by Muhammed Suiçmez; a German-born, Turkish guitarist and vocalist. The band is known for its rapid and technical compositions....	Germany	1992
Neuraxis	Canada	1994
Nile Nile (band) Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...	USA	1993
Nocturnus Nocturnus Nocturnus was an American progressive death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning . They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal...	USA	1988
Obscura Obscura (band) -History:Obscura was founded in 2002 by Steffen Kummerer. The band was named after the Gorguts album Obscura. In 2006 Obscura self-released their debut album Retribution and toured alongside Suffocation within Europe. A European headlining tour through East and South Europe followed in 2007...	Germany	2002
Oceano Oceano (band) Oceano is an American deathcore band from Chicago, IL formed in 2006. The band signed to Earache Records and released their debut album, Depths on April 7, 2009. Their second album, Contagion was released on November 9, 2010.-History:...	USA	2006
Opeth Opeth Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...	Sweden	1990
Origin Origin (band) Origin is an American death metal band from Topeka, Kansas, founded in 1998. They have been recognized by music critics and metal fans alike for combining a harsh sound with a high level of technical skill....	USA	1997
Pestilence Pestilence (band) Pestilence is a death metal band from the Netherlands founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz and fusion elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008...	Netherlands	1986
Psycroptic Psycroptic -External links:**...	Australia	1999
Suffocation Suffocation (band) Suffocation is an American death metal band that was formed in 1989 in Long Island, New York. The band comprises vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, drummer Mike Smith and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for...	USA	1989
Trigger the Bloodshed Trigger the Bloodshed Trigger the Bloodshed are a British death metal band from Bath, England, formed in 2006. The band comprises guitarists and founders Rob Purnell and Martyn Evans, as well as vocalist Jonny Burgan, bassist Dave Purnell and drummer Dan Wilding...	United Kingdom	2006
The Red Chord The Red Chord The Red Chord is an American grindcore band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors. The second album,...	USA	1999