technical death metal
what it is
Technical death metal (sometimes called tech-death or misstated as progressive death metal) is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Nocturnus, Suffocation and Cryptopsy. In 1991, New York's brutal death metal-influenced Suffocation released the Effigy of the Forgotten debut album, which focused on speed and brutality with "sophisticated" sense of songwriting and subsequently became groundbreaking in the genre.
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level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
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questions
What is technical death metal?
Technical death metal (sometimes called tech-death or misstated as progressive death metal) is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Nocturnus, Suffocation and Cryptopsy. In 1991, New York's brutal death metal-influenced Suffocation released the Effigy of the Forgotten debut album, which focused on speed and brutality with "sophisticated" sense of songwriting and subsequently became groundbreaking in the genre.
What are good technical death metal albums to start with?
Try Those Whom the Gods Detest by Nile, Pierced From Within by Suffocation, The Erosion of Sanity by Gorguts, and Planetary Duality by The Faceless.
Who are some women making technical death metal?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/technical-death-metal/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making technical death metal, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20