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Salutations all! Welcome to yet another Bizarre entry! It's been such a long and beautiful journey this project, so much so it ends up looping on itself at times and now is one of those times. Way back when in blog No. 17 I introduced you to the brutally brilliant mess that is death metal and now, 50 blogs later, we come back to this topic and I'll introduce you to one of its most important offspring. A subgenre that evolved into an entirely different beast and took on a life of its own, leaving a massive impact on all of metal for decades to come. A more mellow heaviness that speaks to the soul. Let me tell you how a bunch of 90s Scandinavian teenagers changed musical history forever. Let me tell you all about melodic death metal!
As you may surmise, melodic death metal (or "melodeath" for short) takes a lot of its core elements from the main subgenre it spawned from - death growls or harsh vocals in general, low tuned guitars with lots of tremolo and other crazy techniques, fast songs with blast beat drums and overall heaviness and technical prowess. However, as the name implies, melodeath bands injected a lot more melody and catchy hooks into their songs. In particular they took heavy inspiration from Iron Maiden, incorporating their iconic style of riffs and solos and especially their harmonized dual guitar passages into death metal. Melodeath is also most often much more mid tempo and more prone to follow simpler and more typical song structures with catchy choruses. Vocalists can often mix in clean singing with their growls and screams and keyboards for added melody and atmosphere are not uncommon. The lyrics differ noticeably too, replacing the violent horror themes of death metal with more introspective topics covering personal struggles, emotional experiences and darkness. So you can see how this presumably simple subgenre ended up as something completely different from what it spawned from. So let's see how it all went down!
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The earliest glimmers can be found back in classic death metal. The iconic Death who pioneered the genre diversified their sound a lot over their career and in their last few records included lots of melody and progressive elements. Their bloody slasher movie lyrics were also substituted for philosophical dilemmas and introspections, so the core ideas were already starting to show! Many other oldschool death metal bands, especially in Sweden, also experimented with a groovier and more melody driven style and would go on to be huge influences on the genre's formation!
One of the earliest examples of proper melodic death metal came from an unexpected place - British titans Carcass! Known for their disturbing medical lyrics and merciless heaviness, they helped spawn the goregrind genre in the late 80s and established themselves as one of the heaviest bands in existence. By the 90s however, they began to change and showed a radical new sound with 1993's Heartwork! Full of melodic hooks, plenty of dual guitar and much more approachable lyrics, it's a vastly different beast and became a nexus point for the newly emerging genre. Their subsequent albums proved influential too, even as some of their trademark brutality came creeping back in!
Now let me take you to a magical place in a magical time, namely the city of Gothenburg, Sweden in the early 90s. Death metal had been huge in the country for a while now, but many found it growing a bit stagnant. So many youngsters of the local scene began to brew ideas of an evolution for the genre. Arguably the most influential would be At the Gates, who created the distilled perfect formula for what melodic death metal needs to be. More mid tempo and full of catchy melodic lines, memorable lyrics and wholly different aesthetic from the main genre. Their 1995 opus Slaughter of the Soul is basically a template for this new style and popularizing the iconic songwriting and techniques it would become known for. And thus, the "Gothenburg sound" was born! Very quickly, it spread like wildfire, not only giving a new lease on life to death metal, but spawning a whole new scene around itself with At the Gates in the center of it! RIP Tomas Lindberg.
Second to mention are ATG's neighbours from In Flames! Known for their multilayered guitar work that blends death metal heaviness with more classic riffs and solos, as well as their rich keyboard sound, their main guitarist Jesper Strömblad is a huge Iron Maiden fan that brought their dual guitar work into the genre. His playing style has informed the approach of countless melodeath bands! In Flames' early records are unmatched and to this day are some of the best that melodeath has to offer.
And to round out the Holy Trinity, we have Dark Tranquillity! Always known as the most bold explorers of the big three, DT loved evolving their sound while keeping the core sound of epic guitar melodies, soaring synth and the amazing Mikael Stanne's rich vocals intact. Their unique name is also very befitting of the comfort they can provide to those souls that like to dwell in the shadows! They are easily the most consistent, putting out countless iconic records that not only kept the flame of the Gothenburg sound alive, but brought it into the modern era. Together, these three bands changed the course of metal's evolution! And to think that they were just friends and neighbours that met while discussing music on bus rides to school and sharing drinks on benches!
Thus, Gothenburg and later Sweden as a whole became the largest hotbed of this incredible new genre and many bands brought their own unique approaches. One of the biggest names to come of it are the unstoppable Amon Amarth! Retaining a lot more death metal elements and lead by the beastly guttural growls of the mighty Johan Hegg, they also set themselves apart with their unique Viking lyrics and imagery, fully embracing their Scandinavian heritage! Their sound is generally much heavier than most melodeath bands, while still being infectiously catchy and full of some of the most beautiful and enchanting guitar melodies ever conjured! Truly, nobody does it like them!
For a completely different approach, try the one and only Peter Tägtgren Hypocrisy. Initially they were a core pillar of the Swedish death metal scene before transitioning into a more melodic style that still retained a lot of heaviness, these lads are known for their rich and layered sound and especially their unique lyrical themes and aesthetics, dealing with aliens, the occult, the supernatural and various conspiracy theories! All set to some kickass riffs and unforgettable hooks! The truth is out there and the truth is that Hypocrisy absolutely rule!
And to swerve once again, give Arch Enemy a shot. After some foundational work, they became the premier female-fronted melodeath band, first thanks to the German beast Angela Gossow and afterwards by the charismatic Canadian Alissa White-Gluz! Their songs are known for being very anthemic and memorable, fittingly inspiring action and rebellion, all fueled by punchy riffage and incredible solos mainly courtesy of founder and mastermind Michael Amott (often with help from his brother Christopher, another legend!). He's a vital figure to melodic death metal! Remember that Carcass album I mentioned at the start? Yeah, he played on that and a lot of the new melodic elements came from him. So while Arch Enemy are seen as somewhat newer compared to the Gothenburg greats, they have been instrumental in the genre's formation and still remain flagbearers for its continued growth!
All of this is just a snippet of what the Swedish melodeath scene has blessed us with! There's also the brilliant Soilwork from humble Helsingborg, blending pop catchiness with proggy instrumentality and poetic lyricism sung by the brilliant Björn "Speed" Strid. The sci-fi epics of Scar Symmetry. Or any number of old and new bands with a classic or modern sound!
This was just the tip of the iceberg though and if you ask me, melodic death metal truly began to peak when it spread eastward and Sweden's neighbour Finland got their hands on it! One of the earliest and brightest stars would come in the form of the virtuosos Children of Bodom. To this day, their sound is unlike anything else in melodeath, presenting more of a heavier, more intense version of power metal than any extrapolation of death metal. Utilizing lots of tremolo and Yngwie Malmsteen style arpeggios and enchanting melodic leads by the late great Alexi Laiho, punctuated by the brilliant keyboard symphonies of Janne Wirman, C.O.B. songs are epic, uplifting and wild, while also being intensely emotional and melancholic. A unique cocktail that only melodic death metal can offer! With this grim reaper at the helm, Finnish melodeath quickly conquered the world!
Soon, many masterful bands rose up to craft the quintessential Finnish melodeath sound. Probably the best example of this are the brilliant Insomnium, combining crushing death metal riffs and rhythms with exquisite musicianship and layered instrumentals. Niilo Sevänen's incredible gutturals also rattle you to your bones and provide an excellent contrast to the beautiful melodies. Equal parts heavy and heavenly with dark and melancholic lyrics rooted in nature, it's a glorious combination like no other and Insomnium's music is just magical to experience!
A similar case can be made for their friends at Omnium Gatherum. Their songs are equally as incredible, both bombastic and introspective at the same time. They also take a more straightforward approach to their sound, making them sound even more anthemic and personal. They're a perfect example how Finnish melodeath pushes the envelope with even more incredible vocals and guitars and a rich, varied sound!
From here on, Finland would bless us with countless amazing melodeath bands that have become the genre's gold standard, bringing a variety of new approaches! From the layered and intense winter anthems of Wolfheart to the satirical bangers of Belzebubs, these brilliant Finns keep a strong core sound that is instantly recognizable while also never being afraid of taking their music wherever their hearts desire. The results are impressive!
One such crazy outlier are the noble masters Whispered! Their core sound is firmly rooted in melodic death metal, but this is the backdrop to epic lyrics about Japanese folklore and mythology, supplemented by rich symphonic elements and authentic Japanese instruments (that the band made and learned themselves!). Despite being a folk metal band, Whispered are in no way inferior to their melodeath compatriots, as their rich dual guitar work is powerful, epic and enthralling. All these elements combined with some absolutely incredible songwriting lead to their albums being these dramatic samurai tales that are damn near cinematic! When Japan couldn't deliver a folk metal band to make anthems about honour and Bushido, Finland did and in a way that only they could!
For another wild example, try the incredible Kalmah! Their sound combines the core tenets of Finnish melodeath with more power and symphonic metal elements for something truly spectacular. And they have some awesome lyrics about nature, fantasy, mysticism, war...and swamps! Yes, Finland is very marshy and wet, so this is a core part of their culture and Kalmah's self-styled "melodic swamp metal" is easily the most magical way to immerse yourself in it!
While Sweden and Finland continue to the biggest powerhouses in the field to this day, melodic death metal naturally spread worldwide and everybody wanted in! From Germany, to the US, to Canada, to Japan, to Bulgaria, to Italy, to Australia and beyond, this fine blend of heaviness and melody was infectious and proved a fertile ground for bountiful expression. Only a few years after coming into existence, melodeath had evolved into an entirely separate beast from the death metal it spawned from and garnered a subculture and influence all to its own. By the 2000s, these melancholic bangers had become the anthems to a generation and a core part of the soundtrack of the era!
It would go on to inspire even things you'd never imagine. The iconic Metalocalypse animated series is a classic in metal culture, being both a brilliant satire of our own eccentricity and just genuinely hilarious as a whole. The stars of the show though, the incredible Dethklok, are a perfect example of peak melodic death metal! Taking lots of ques from both the Swedish and Finnish sound, as well as some quirks from the likes of Amon Amarth, and using all that to craft something unique and memorable! Even without the lore and the fact that the greatest band of all time made them, Dethklok albums are a must listen for any melodeath fan and stand toe-to-toe with any of the Northern greats!
While melodic death metal's peak was in decades past, this is one subgenre whose popularity never waned! Even as all the new genres and styles it inspired were at their zenith, the veterans were right there showing that the original sound remains unmatched! And over the years, many new bands have come about that embrace the classic approach and continue to evolve and improve it! It's come to the point that melodeath by itself is a core part of metal in general and a staple of any self-respecting metalhead's playlist and the lineup of any festival worth its salt!
But the big players stay on top and a recent example of a young band following the classic sound are the young Finnish phenomenons Horizon Ignited. Incredible riffs, enchanting melodies, amazing guitar work, layered keyboard work, emotionally potent lyrics with a pinch of mythology and a singer that pivots between one of the deepest growls you've ever heard and cleans that will make leave R'n'B singer impressed. Yeah, I'm thinking the genre is in good hands!
And don't worry, the veterans are still going strong too! A prime example are the Swedish superpower The Halo Effect, a dream team composed of current and former In Flames and Dark Tranquillity veterans like the aforementioned Stanne and Strömblad that assembled with the sole intent of revisiting the classic 90s Gothenburg sound but modernized for the new age! The result is absolutely magnificent - both a blast from the past and a fresh new sound to captivate anew! Even decades later, it still rocks all the same! I imagine this is what people felt like when they heard the genre for the first time way back when!
As I said several times, melodic death metal has gone on to become hugely influential on the entire landscape of modern metal. Just listen to any new-ish band from the last ten or even fifteen years and you can see the same style of riffs, dual guitar, synth use, mix of melody and heaviness and songwriting style all over the place. The "beauty and the beast" vocal style that has become so prominent today also came from them. Many iconic bands from the prog Gods Amorphis, to folk metal pioneers like Ensiferum or Eluveitie, to the tri-vocalist genre-fusion party of Amaranthe have taken a huge part of their core sound from melodeath. Even veteran bands from other genres such as thrash metal deities Kreator or the technical death metal masters Obscura have decided to diversify and incorporate some very Gothenburg-y sound into their later albums.
For a prime example, let's take the young phenomenon The Raven Age! A potent band taking the world by storm, they are very catchy and melodic and have no death metal elements to speak of. Nonetheless, the melodeath influence is clearly audible. The guitar techniques, dual solos, riffing style, lyricism, the elements are all there. Plus, come on, this band was founded by George Harris, son of Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris, who where the ones that the melodeath pioneers took their sound from to begin with, so this is all a proper full circle moment!
Now usually in these genre blogs I like to talk about subgenres derived from the main one we're discussing, but given that we're already talking about a subgenre of a subgenre, this mostly doesn't apply here. But, there's still a few! We have to give a shoutout to melodic black metal, an inevitable evolution that melodeath helped bring on. Black metal in general tends to include a lot more melody and atmosphere than death metal, introspective and personal lyrics are already commonplace and the bands aren't shy about including synths or clean passages either. So a dash of dual guitar, catchier tunes and punchier riffs is all it took for melodic black (meloblack?) to be born! Unlike melodeath, the line between the standard and melodic variety is a lot thinner, but over the years many artists have leaned harder into it and created some dark and hauntingly beautiful compositions in the process!
But when we're talking about melodic death metal, we have to mention their most prominent disciple - metalcore! I mean, the pioneering bands of the latter basically copied their homework from melodeath, using the exact same riffs and melodies, mixed harsh and clean vocals, song structures, keyboard use, lyricism, all the good stuff but with hardcore style punchy guitar work and breakdowns to boot. The influence was immediately apparent and accusations of "At the Gates worship" were not uncommon. Metalcore would quickly become one of the biggest and most popular genres of its time and it alongside its teacher defined the soundtrack of a generation. This is also a huge reason why melodeath casts such a long shadow on all of modern metal, as all these sounds and techniques have just become ingrained in the psyche of everyone that was around for it!
And what better way to wrap up this journey than with the incredible Darkest Hour! These Washington DC based lads are among metalcore's earliest pioneers and were naturally among the first to import the melodeath sound across the pond. They strayed away from pure copycat work though and crafted a unique sound all their own. With lots of evolution from album to album, they straddle a perfect middle ground between melodic death metal and metalcore, fully showcasing all the best aspects of both. Incredible musicianship, bold and varied songwriting and deep, fascinating lyrics have solidified Darkest Hour as a force to be reckoned with and for over two decades now, they remain atop their game in both American melodeath and oldschool metalcore alike!
There you have it a thorough exploration into the wonderful world of melodic death metal! Like I said, this has become far more than just some other subgenre. It evolved into its own thing far removed from the death metal it spawned from, therefore absolutely warranting a blog all to its own! Melodeath is like the perfect intersection of all the best aspects of metal - fantastic musicianship, relentless heaviness, captivating melodies, dark lyricism and free spirited exploration of sound. Even though it exists outside of death metal by now, it still does its pappy a solid, because melodeath is one of the most vital gateway genres that helps first get people into extreme metal by showing them all the good stuff in a much more palatable package. I know this, because that's what happened to me! I wouldn't listen to all the wild stuff I do today if I didn't come across Children of Bodom and In Flames some twenty odd years ago! And to this day, melodic death metal is one of my favourites and it soothes the soul and invigorates the heart like nothing else! Even as the genres it inspired took hold, even as the vast majority of modern metal emulated its sound, melodeath stands unmatched and it continues to captivate people to this day. It sure keeps inspiring me in so many ways, I can tell you that much. So I hope it does the same for you too! Enjoy exploring, take care and catch you all again soon!