Melodic Death Metal

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Melodic death metal, also referred to as melodeath, combines elements from death metal with elements from thrash metal, more traditional heavy metal and even hard rock. A typical feature of melodic death metal is the use of Iron Maiden-like twin guitar harmonies, melodic guitar leads and inherently melodic upbeat thrash riffage, and the guitars are often downtuned to B; sometimes synths and electronica elements occur in melodic death metal, too. The vocals are typically growled, shrieked or screamed, but some artists combine these harsh vocals with clean singing. Swedish artists in and around the city of Gothenburg have been especially influential in melodic death metal, leading to the establishment of the Gothenburg sound which has also made its way into metalcore and, more recently, power metal and progressive metal. Here on MMA, metalcore artists who make use of the Gothenburg sound, such as Nothing Divine, are included under metalcore, and power metal artists that make us of the Gothenburg sound, such as Raintime and Amaranthe, are included under power metal, while progressive metal artists that make use of the Gothenburg sound, such as James Labrie, are included under progressive metal. Sometimes a division is made between “melodeath” as a genre term referring specifically to melodic death metal based on the Gothenburg sound and “melodic death metal” as a term referring to more traditional death metal which emphasizes melody, as in the case of Terra Tenebrae, Arkan, and late Bolt Thrower. Carcass’ “Heartwork” is considered to be among the first melodic death metal releases, while artists like At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and Arch Enemy are among the most influential melodic death metal artists, and other examples are late Illdisposed, Deadlock, Amon Amarth, Omnium Gatherum, and Blood Stain Child.

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melodic death metal top albums

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EDGE OF SANITY Crimson Album Cover Crimson
EDGE OF SANITY
4.38 | 119 ratings
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CARCASS Heartwork Album Cover Heartwork
CARCASS
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DARK TRANQUILLITY The Gallery Album Cover The Gallery
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AMORPHIS Tales From the Thousand Lakes Album Cover Tales From the Thousand Lakes
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4.32 | 80 ratings
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CARCASS Torn Arteries Album Cover Torn Arteries
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INSOMNIUM Heart Like A Grave Album Cover Heart Like A Grave
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INSOMNIUM Winter's Gate Album Cover Winter's Gate
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4.34 | 15 ratings
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AT THE GATES Slaughter of the Soul Album Cover Slaughter of the Soul
AT THE GATES
4.20 | 44 ratings
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DARK TRANQUILLITY Fiction Album Cover Fiction
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4.22 | 28 ratings
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OMNIUM GATHERUM Beyond Album Cover Beyond
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IN FLAMES Colony Album Cover Colony
IN FLAMES
4.17 | 48 ratings
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DISILLUSION Back to Times of Splendor Album Cover Back to Times of Splendor
DISILLUSION
4.24 | 19 ratings
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melodic death metal Music Reviews

INTERNAL DECAY A Forgotten Dream

Album · 1993 · Melodic Death Metal
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UMUR
"A Forgotten Dream" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Internal Decay. The album was released through Eurorecords in May 1993. It follows the release of the 1991 eponymously titled demo. Internal Decay formed in the Swedish capital of Stockholm in 1991. The band had however existed from 1987 under several different monickers. Internal Decay went widely unnoticed although they were a Stockholm band and the fact that "A Forgotten Dream" was recorded at Sunlight Studios, but of course not all Swedish bands from those days experienced success. None of the tracks from the 1991 demo appear on "A Forgotten Dream" in re-recorded versions, so all material on the album is new material.

While the material on "A Forgotten Dream" in some ways continue the old school Swedish death metal sound of the 1991 demo, Internal Decay have added considerable amounts of melody and a blackened touch to their music since the release of the demo. As a result "A Forgotten Dream" is a bit hard to tag correctly, but blackened melodic death metal isn´t the worst description if you ask me. The vocals are aggressive snarling rather than deep death metal growling. It´s artists like Unanimated, Dissection, and Necrophobic who come to mind, but Internal Decay are not quite as accomplished and they rely a bit more on epic atmosperic parts (with an ethnic Scandinavian edge). The often abrupt tempo changes and the slightly limb drumming are two of the features of the album which drag my rating down along with the often simplistic atmosphere enhancing keyboards.

Internal Decay are obviously a skilled band on a lot of parameters and they certainly also have some interesting songwriting ideas, but they struggle to make all the ends meet and when their drummer provides a weak link in terms of the musicianship things just don´t add up to an overall great release. But fans of melodic Scandinavian death metal with an old school blackened death metal touch may find more here to appreciate than I do. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

DAWN OF DISEASE Procession Of Ghosts

Album · 2019 · Melodic Death Metal
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UMUR
"Procession Of Ghosts" is the fifth full-length studio album by German death metal act Dawn Of Disease. The album was released through Napalm Records in November 2019. It would be the final album in their original run, as Dawn Of Disease disbanded in 2020. "Procession Of Ghosts" the successor to "Ascension Gate" from August 2017. The lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact.

Stylistically the material on "Procession Of Ghosts" is a continuation of the melodic and often epic sounding death metal style of "Ascension Gate". A further confirmation that the stylistic change from death metal to melodic death metal which happened between "Worship The Grave" (2016) and "Ascension Gate" (2017) wasn´t a one-off. These guys are now 100% a melodic death metal band (even utilizing atmosphere enhancing keyboards on this album).

"Procession Of Ghosts" features a well sounding production, which is probably the best sounding production on any of the band´s albums. Dawn Of Disease are a well playing unit too, but their lack of a unique sound and the fact that for all the melodic qualitities of their material, their songs aren´t particularly memorable, aren´t features which leave a positive impression. I have the feeling at all times that they are capable of so much more, but only reveal about 60% of their potential. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

DAWN OF DISEASE Ascension Gate

Album · 2017 · Melodic Death Metal
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UMUR
"Ascension Gate" is the fourth full-length studio album by German death metal act Dawn Of Disease. The album was released through Napalm Records in August 2017. It´s the successor to "Worship The Grave" from June 2016.

Stylistically the material on "Ascension Gate" is a change in sound from the first three albums. Dawn Of Disease have incorporated a lot more melody and they should now be labelled melodic death metal. They were never the most old school sounding death metal act to begin with and they´ve used some melodic elements before, but never to the extent that melody is used here. On "Ascension Gate" it´s a central part of the sound.

"Ascension Gate" features a decent sounding production job, and while I still don´t think Dawn Of Disease will win any contests where an original sound is part of the criterias for winning, they do what they do with skill and some conviction. I´m not blown away by their standard quality songwriting, or the many tried and true musical elements they use, but when that is said, these guys can play and deliver a decent quality product. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

AT THE GATES Slaughter of the Soul

Album · 1995 · Melodic Death Metal
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UMUR
"Slaughter of the Soul" is the fourth full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act At the Gates. The album was released through Earache Records in November 1995. It´s the successor to "Terminal Spirit Disease" from 1994 and it would be the last album release by At the Gates before their split-up in 1996. The band were at the height of their success and had their international breakthrough with "Slaughter of the Soul", but after touring heavily in support of the album (including a couple of US tours), the Björler brothers (Anders on guitars and Jonas on bass) decided to leave At the Gates, and the remaining members didn´t feel they could continue without them. The Björler brothers and drummer Adrian Erlandsson would soon after form The Haunted.

Stylistically the material on "Slaughter of the Soul" is the most powerful, trimmed, and mature version of At the Gates. Gone are the odd musical experiments of the first two albums, and the material inconsistency of "Terminal Spirit Disease" (1994), and what´s left is the sharpest, most melodic, rewarding, and intriguing release of their original run. Lead vocalist Tomas Lindberg still sounds like he has just swallowed a plateful of broken glass with his high pitched almost desperate sounding growling vocal style and the band are very well playing delivering one death/thrashy riff after another, and loads of melodic leads and harmonies. The rhythm section drive the music forward in a powerful energetic fashion, and it´s definitely one of those albums where it´s audible that the band members felt they had composed something special, and that they needed to convey that in the most intense way possible.

This may first and foremost be a melodic death metal release, but many of the riffs on the album actually belong in thrash metal territory, making "Slaughter of the Soul" quite the interesting release in terms of the fast-paced rhythm guitar riffs. While the tracks are not exactly experimental or anything in that ballpark, At the Gates still manage to incorporate enough non vers/chorus parts to keep the songs interesting, which is also helped along by the many tempo changes during the tracks. "Slaughter of the Soul" also features atmospheric parts and while it may not initially sound like it, the tracks are varied and memorable and have the potential to grow on you.

"Slaughter of the Soul" features a powerful, detailed, and well sounding production, which suits the material perfectly, and upon conclusion it´s a high quality release by At the Gates. a 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

AUTUMN LEAVES As Night Conquers Day

Album · 1999 · Melodic Death Metal
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UMUR
"As Night Conquers Day" is the second full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Autumn Leaves. The album was released through Serious Entertainment in early 1999. It´s the successor to "Embraced by the Absolute" from 1997. It would be the band´s last album before disbanding in 2001. Some of the members subsequently formed The Arcane Order.

Stylistically "As Night Conquers Day" continues the melodic death metal style with blackened vocals, which was introduced on "Embraced by the Absolute (1997)". It´s highly melodic death metal with loads of guitar leads, solos, and harmonies, but I wouldn´t call it 100% melodeath. The music on "As Night Conquers Day" has as much in common with the blackened melodic death metal of Swedish artists like Unanimated, Necrophobic, and Dissection, as it has to artists like Dark Tranquillity and In Flames. But the scale tips both ways.

Autumn Leaves are a well playing unit, and everything is delivered with tight precision, but still with the right organic touch. Lead vocalist Torsten Madsen has a powerful voice and a commanding delivery. Sometimes delivering death metal growling, and other times delivering higher pitched blackened snarling. The material on the album are well written and effective and as "As Night Conquers Day" also features a raw, detailed, and powerful sounding production job, it´s a quality release on all parameters. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

melodic death metal movie reviews

AMON AMARTH Wrath of the Norsemen

Movie · 2006 · Melodic Death Metal
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Kingcrimsonprog
Talk about value for money, from a band like Amon Amarth you wouldn’t expect them to be able to afford such a crazily generous and in depth DVD package when some of the bigger bands can’t afford anything even half this good.

The Set comes in a glorious 3 DVD digipak with detailed artwork, a full booklet and an awesome little viking crown that keeps it closed. Then you get Five full concerts (with 22, 16,13, 11 and 9 tracks respectively) and a documentary.

The main feature; a 22 track concert from Cologne in 2005 is an incredible affair with crystal clear sound, Huge guitar tones, amazingly heavy drums and nice clunky bass. The camera work is of a higher quality than even some of the biggest metal bands’ DVDs and again the sound is immense.

Then theres the performance, the band are absolutely electric delivering furious renditions of material from all eras a their career from the massive ‘Amon Amarth,’ and ‘Fate of Norns,’ to catchy closer ‘Death In Fire,’ and the crowd just lap it up.

Vocalist Johan Hegg absolutely commands the stage, engaging the crowd at every opportunity and singing his heart out while the band hammer through their classics like ‘heavy,’ is going out of style.

On top of all that you have a great light show, huge Amon Amath banners, more pyro than a kiss concert and an interlude with about thirty Viking reenactors sword fighting on stage! That feature is worth the money alone, the show is probably one of the best metal concerts on the market and I can’t stress how good the sound and picture are; then on top of all that you get the rest of the set, featuring virtually ever Amon Amarth song ever written, and performances from ‘Waken Open Air festival,’ ‘Summer Breeze Festival,’ and two more indoor concerts in Europe.

If you like Amon Amarth Buy this right now. If you don’t, you will within thirty seconds of watching this.

Artists with Melodic Death Metal release(s)

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