I'm having a debate going on with a friend after we saw this review by Falconsbane, who says that Demilich's Nespithe is "the last word in death metal". For the people out there who don't understand this statement, most old school freaks agree that death metal lost it's power and magic after 1994/1996, so I want to find out, which old school death metal album, or albums, was, or were, the last anthems for this mighty genre and who deserve a cenotaph for being the last words in old school death metal!

First, I wanted to make a poll, but I thaught it's better to open a standart topic were we can talk about our opinions, I'm not a fan of polls where random people vote for well-known bands.

Right now, the list I made with him looks like this (all released in 1994):

[ THIS LIST WAS EDITED ON THE 2nd APRIL (REMOVED ALL 1993 ALBUMS) ]

Cianide - A Descent Into Hell
Gorement - The Ending Quest
Uncanny - Splenium For Nyktophobia
Insanity - Death After Death
Cryptopsy - Blasphemy Made Flesh

.

Albums that didn't make it to the list, because they aren't really "old school", rather awesome in my opinion include:

Unanimated - Ancient God of Evil (1995)
Caducity - The Weiliaon Wielder Quest (1995)
Bloodstone - Hour of the Gate (1996)
At The Gates - Terminal Spirit Disease (1994)

You can tell us which album or which 2-3 albums were the last words in death metal in your opinion, if the album(s) you're thinkin' of aren't in this list, you can still name them.

I don't really understand...death metal is still going strong today. But, you're asking what the last good old school death metal album is, or do you just want the best death metal albums from 1993 and 1994? Thank god the old school sound has progressed in a more brutal fashion!

uhm, I like the majority of the albums that were listed, but I would add Six Seconds Kill by Panzerchrist, Eternal by Malevolent Creation, and most importantly, Voracious Contempt by Internal Bleeding.

you didn't get it.

ONLY old school death metal albums, sure we can argue about how good death metal is today and stuff, of course we have still some great albums, but I was talking about the last album, the last chapter in old school death metal, and pazerchrist and internal bleeding aren't old school at all, i don't just mean the date of the album, i mean the music, but I can agree with malevolent creation's eternal, that was their last good album from the pat decade with an old school touch in my opinion.

Man, that decomposed shit is outstanding, "Hope Finally Died" is one of the greatest death metal releases ever. I had seen it classified as death/doom but they're pure death metal on its filthiest, darkest form.

An album that should be added is "Osculum Obscenum" by Hypocrisy, 1993... probably my favourite manifestation of the swedish old-school, with extraordinary vocals and a rotten atmosphere.

Written by Guest on 18.01.2008 at 02:43

you didn't get it.

ONLY old school death metal albums, sure we can argue about how good death metal is today and stuff, of course we have still some great albums, but I was talking about the last album, the last chapter in old school death metal, and pazerchrist and internal bleeding aren't old school at all, i don't just mean the date of the album, i mean the music, but I can agree with malevolent creation's eternal, that was their last good album from the pat decade with an old school touch in my opinion.

ok cool man, I knew that Internal Bleeding wasn't exactly in the old school genre, but I've seen them labeled as old school brutal death, just like Suffocation in the early to mid 90s, so I wasn't sure.

Written by Guest on 18.01.2008 at 06:01

Man, that decomposed shit is outstanding, "Hope Finally Died" is one of the greatest death metal releases ever. I had seen it classified as death/doom but they're pure death metal on its filthiest, darkest form.

I do consider it death/doom metal, but back in the early 90s, this was death/doom, all the death/doom stuff from this decade (except for my dying bride and that new wave of "dark-romantic" stuff) sounds like this, crushing, fast, and doomy, decomposed, cianide, autopsy's "mental funeral", sempiternal deathreign etc..

Written by Guest on 18.01.2008 at 14:32

Written by Guest on 18.01.2008 at 06:01

Man, that decomposed shit is outstanding, "Hope Finally Died" is one of the greatest death metal releases ever. I had seen it classified as death/doom but they're pure death metal on its filthiest, darkest form.

I do consider it death/doom metal, but back in the early 90s, this was death/doom, all the death/doom stuff from this decade (except for my dying bride and that new wave of "dark-romantic" stuff) sounds like this, crushing, fast, and doomy, decomposed, cianide, autopsy's "mental funeral", sempiternal deathreign etc..

but sometimes the limits of death/doom and plain death metal are not really clear. The first albums by Incantation present some of the doooomiest death metal written, but still they couldn't be labelled as death/doom

I can't see that the problem of deterioration in metal music's quality is just a problem of death genre.

I think that if we split the metal history in 1995, music made before that would easily be considered better than stuff made after, whether it is death or power genre it represents. Could well be that whole metal is coming to end of it's road or atleast as we know it. I think that the majority of the next generation has some other new music trend they will follow like metal is now for us and hopefully, for many decades to come.

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 13:42

I can't see that the problem of deterioration in metal music's quality is just a problem of death genre.

I think that if we split the metal history in 1995, music made before that would easily be considered better than stuff made after, whether it is death or power genre it represents. Could well be that whole metal is coming to end of it's road or atleast as we know it. I think that the majority of the next generation has some other new music trend they will follow like metal is now for us and hopefully, for many decades to come.

exactly my thoughts, but this topic is about death metal only.

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 13:46

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 13:42

I can't see that the problem of deterioration in metal music's quality is just a problem of death genre.

I think that if we split the metal history in 1995, music made before that would easily be considered better than stuff made after, whether it is death or power genre it represents. Could well be that whole metal is coming to end of it's road or atleast as we know it. I think that the majority of the next generation has some other new music trend they will follow like metal is now for us and hopefully, for many decades to come.

exactly my thoughts, but this topic is about death metal only.

All right, sorry, I haven't really troubled my mind with this thing. Isn't it even hard to determine, where excatly did this old-school aeon end. There is still old bands which were doing it then and still are doing it and then there is and is to come bands which play death metal the way they just to in old-school times.

But if we should line the "golden years of old-school death" That would probably be there, somewhere between 1989-1995 ? This is the time that the style was really "in" and trendy ? I ain't the guy to say that.

But isn't it hard for anybody to say which one was the last one. I think this is one of those does-god-exist kinds of discussions.

That's why I didn't mention one album, but named a few, the last albums in the golden age of death metal. We can argue about what the golden years of death metal were, but according to my collection, it was 1988 to 1995 with some nice efforts in 1996. Everything released after is just decent. You as a finnish dude should know something about death metal, after all, you're country released some of the best death metal albums in the past two decades.

What about None So Vile? I know it's an obvious one... or do you not consider it old school enough? For me that's the last word in death metal. I don't really own that many DM albums but I have enough to know that ALL the best ones were made before 1997, at the latest. Nothing beats old school, in any genre, especially extreme metal... I wish I had more DM stuff, maybe then I could a make worthy contribution to this thread.

To me, old school death is blended with a sort of thrash edge and sometimes even punk elements ( lest it be subtle ) though I think bands Kaamos or even Bloodbath ( to a lesser extent ) were good at reviving the style alittle, though too bad Kaamos broke up. But it's debatable, because I feel that Dismember and some other names from that era are still good at what they are making when compared with the classics, or the 'old school death' era.

Edit: I also consider Throneum's early album 'Old Death's Lair' to be good old school sounding DM, and from 2001 I think.

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 15:39

That's why I didn't mention one album, but named a few, the last albums in the golden age of death metal. We can argue about what the golden years of death metal were, but according to my collection, it was 1988 to 1995 with some nice efforts in 1996. Everything released after is just decent. You as a finnish dude should know something about death metal, after all, you're country released some of the best death metal albums in the past two decades.

Agreed, atleast some what I know

Nespithe (Demilich)
World without god (Convulse)
Slumber of sullen eyes (Demigod)
Dances from left (Mordicus)
Karelian Isthmus (Amorphis)
+ their demos
etc.

These are the greatest I know , rest of finnish death booms descendants are less great. But I really think that this is an impossible task due to death metal is one of the most richest metal music branches by the quantity of bands.

I would time the collapsion of death metal's golden state somewhere there 94-95, when such great old-school bands like Autopsy and Pestilence disbanded, althought they had already changed they styles to less old-school before the disbanding. Maybe the destruction of these storng pillars split through whole genre like a domino-effect and emaciated the genre badly.

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 23:34

What about None So Vile?

i personally don't consider cryptopsy an old school death metal band, infact their two first albums were more brutal death than old school, though the guitar- and drumwork is extremely technical and that's what differs them from the brutal death / ny death metal scene of today...

Written by Guest on 08.02.2008 at 16:54

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 15:39

That's why I didn't mention one album, but named a few, the last albums in the golden age of death metal. We can argue about what the golden years of death metal were, but according to my collection, it was 1988 to 1995 with some nice efforts in 1996. Everything released after is just decent. You as a finnish dude should know something about death metal, after all, you're country released some of the best death metal albums in the past two decades.

Agreed, atleast some what I know

Nespithe (Demilich)
World without god (Convulse)
Slumber of sullen eyes (Demigod)
Dances from left (Mordicus)
Karelian Isthmus (Amorphis)
+ their demos
etc.

These are the greatest I know , rest of finnish death booms descendants are less great. But I really think that this is an impossible task due to death metal is one of the most richest metal music branches by the quantity of bands.

I would time the collapsion of death metal's golden state somewhere there 94-95, when such great old-school bands like Autopsy and Pestilence disbanded, althought they had already changed they styles to less old-school before the disbanding. Maybe the destruction of these storng pillars split through whole genre like a domino-effect and emaciated the genre badly.

The finnish scene is extremely big, I can name you 35+ bands that only released demos and/ or a couple of 7'''s and split-up after that, so we gotta concentrate on full-lenghts. All albums in your list kick ass, but I'm very glad to see someone who is familiar with Mordicus, "Dances from Left" is in my top 10 list of old school death metal, and death metal in general.

Written by Guest on 08.02.2008 at 17:43

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 23:34

What about None So Vile?

i personally don't consider cryptopsy an old school death metal band, infact their two first albums were more brutal death than old school, though the guitar- and drumwork is extremely technical and that's what differs them from the brutal death / ny death metal scene of today...

Oh... it's just that you mentioned their debut in your first post and the two albums are very similar.

Written by Guest on 10.02.2008 at 02:27

Written by Guest on 08.02.2008 at 17:43

Written by Guest on 07.02.2008 at 23:34

What about None So Vile?

i personally don't consider cryptopsy an old school death metal band, infact their two first albums were more brutal death than old school, though the guitar- and drumwork is extremely technical and that's what differs them from the brutal death / ny death metal scene of today...

Oh... it's just that you mentioned their debut in your first post and the two albums are very similar.

i made the list with a friend of mine, so not everything was my decision. but i don't remeber that the first two albums were being very similar though. but i didn't listen to none so vile in years, so I can't really tell.

I'd say the "Last Words" for old school Death Metal was Deicide - Once Upon The Cross(1995). It was a Brutal album in the final years of old school Death Metal

if anyone is intersted, my friend and i have agreed that the very last word in death metal is "Crimson" by Edge Of Sanity, released in 1996.

I think death metal's classic era ended more around 1992/1993, up until then there was pretty much no such thing as "bad death metal." It's hard to say what the "last word" is, there are still good/great old school albums released sporadically. It's easier to look at the decline of the genre in as a whole...

Entombed - Left Hand Path

For the Melodic Death Metal fans... this shit is a must.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 03.04.2008 at 22:13

Entombed - Left Hand Path

For the Melodic Death Metal fans... this shit is a must.

why do you post an album from 1990? please read the first post.

Written by Guest on 03.04.2008 at 23:16

Written by X-Ray Rod on 03.04.2008 at 22:13

Entombed - Left Hand Path

For the Melodic Death Metal fans... this shit is a must.

why do you post an album from 1990? please read the first post.

Jejeje I'm really sorry XD.

Written by Guest on 03.04.2008 at 00:26

if anyone is intersted, my friend and i have agreed that the very last word in death metal is "Crimson" by Edge Of Sanity, released in 1996.

Very good...Add
1995 - Pierced From Within by Suffocation
1996 - None So Vile by Cryptopsy
1992 - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes by Demigod
1993 - Nespithe by Demilich
1995 - De Profundis by Vader