Death Metal

Death metal is a form of Heavy Metal that evolved out of Thrash Metal, and is a natural extension of thrash. Death metal typically includes heavy, downtuned guitars, fast tempo drums with an emphasis on d-beat and double bass patterns, backing bass, and harsh vocals.

History
Because of its similarities with thrash, especially in earlier stages, it is difficult to pin down an exact date for the invention of death metal. It is generally agreed that the pioneers of the sound are Death (known then as Mantas), Possessed, and early Morbid Angel. The name "death metal" was first heard in Mantas' demo "Death by Metal" in 1983. Other bands later added more dissonant and "brutal" sounds. Morbid Angel is credited with the first use of blastbeats in the genre with the album Altars of Madness.

Popularity
Death metal currently enjoys worldwide popularity throughout the underground. It is generally considered to be one of the most popular of the extreme genres, and is one of the four largest (Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Death Metal).