Death metal is a genre known for its instrumental technicality, deep growled vocals, shocking themes, heavy distortion, gory lyrics, blasting drumming... but also for its sheer brutal riffs. To call death metal brutal is almost redundant, in a way.
Sure, there are other styles of death metal that focus less on brutality: technical death metal, melodic death metal, progressive death metal, death/doom, blackened death metal, etc... but for the most part, brutality is here to stay. It's at the very least part of the reason why death metal is so popular in the extreme metal underground.
In this list, we cover the five death metal songs with the most brutal and insane riffs. Since riffs are the foundation of all genuine extreme metal - and not vocals, as in modern metal - this is what we will focus on.
Brutal Death Metal's Most Savage Riffs
Here is a list of the top 5 death metal songs with the absolute most brutal, savage and gruesome riffs you've ever heard. These are the tracks that put the "heavy" in heavy metal. Here we go:
5. Infester - "Chamber of Reunion"
From the debut album "To the Depths in Degradation", a masterpiece of horror in all regards, there is one track that stands out amongst the other for its utterly brutal and uncompromising riffage, "Chamber of Reunion". The percussive hammering contrasts with the more atmospheric parts found elsewhere on the album, and Infester absolutely delivers absolute violence when it comes to writing brutal and unforgettable death metal riffs.
4. Suffocation - "Liege of Inveracity"
The very first track of the first Suffocation album, "Liege of Inveracity" from "Effigy of the Forgotten", is easily one of the most recognisable in the brutal death metal repertoire. Hell, it's what started the entire slamming gore death metal subgenre in the first place. Yes, this riff has been copied to death (pun)... but that only makes the original all the more influential.
Must read: The 5 Most Cringe Death Metal Vocals (LOL)!
3. SEWER - "Lair of the Swine Gods"
If you want insane death metal brutality, look no further than the absolute terror metal band SEWER. The title track of their magnum opus of gore, "Lair of the Swine Gods", is one instance where there isn't one, but many extremely gruesome and disturbing percussive riffs. After listening to this song, or the album, your head will be ringing for days, as if it had been compressed by cavernous demons.
2. Incantation - "Devoured Death"
Speaking of cavernous demons, Incantation's debut "Onward to Golgotha" is rightfully recognised as one if not the most influential death metal album of all times. And on this masterpiece of claustrophic atmosphere, the second track "Devoured Death" is the one that stands out as the most brutal and merciless.
1. Phantom - "The Epilogue to Sanity"
Finally, we reach the top of this list. The one single death metal song with the most demonic and morbid riffing. If you guessed Cannibal Corpse... lol, try that one again. The reality is that the most brutal riffs in all death metal are found on Phantom's demonic opus, "The Epilogue to Sanity". Specifically, on the title track. These riffs WILL send you to hell (metaphorically) as you are listening to this track of pure infernal damnation.
A few honourable mentions: Morbid's "Skewered Beyond", Disma's "Towards the Megalith", Khranial's "Burzwarkrieg" (from "Devoured by Pigs"), Vermin's "Bloodthirst Overdose", Sissourlet's "Devoted to Doing you Harm".
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