Who was the FIRST Death Metal Band?

[Drew]

The first Death Metal band is Possessed. they formed in 1983, and released their first full length album in 1985. They coined the term "death metal" to my knowledge, with a song by the same name. Their first demo, in 1984 was titled "Death Metal" as well.

Also worth noting, thier guitar player was Larry LaLonde of Primus fame.
Woth noting also: Joe Satriani produced their EP, "Eyes Of Horror"

Hahaha, that's awesome. I'd LOVE to hear his thoughts on that experience...

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Now that the first death metal band is revealed, MY first DM band, was Cannibal Corpse. Stripped, Raped and Strangled got me hooked.

 

[Nats]

the band that had Larry Lalonde in it

 

[distressed_romeo]

I'd say Death, just because if you start dragging in Venom and the grindcore bands it all becomes a little convoluted. Death were the ones who really crystalised and defined the genre in concrete terms.
In terms of my first...Morbid Angel. The solo on 'Rapture' made my head spin the first time I heard it.

the band that had Larry Lalonde in it

That would be Possessed.

 

[Vegetta]

How about Venom's 'Welcome to Hell' released in 1981?

That is my Guess as well

 

[eaeolian]

Death was originally just conisdered thrash, as were Possessed. At the time, the first band I actually recall the "Death Metal" tag being used heavily on was Sepultura, believe it or not. Possessed is definitely one of the progenitors, since the seperation was originally just the vocal style, with the low grunting/growling making it death metal, and Possessed were really the first to do that.

Larry was one of Joe's students, which is how he ended up doing "The Eyes of Horror". Larry also went on to do one album with the infamous Blind Illusion, which is where he and Les met and started Primus.

The first album I can think of that sounded like "modern" death metal, though, was the first Morbid Angel album - although an argument could be made for Deathstrike/Master, and Death's "Spirtual Healing", the first MA was really the one that combined the grindcore ideas of blasting and extreme speed with thrash-ish complex riffing.

 

[zimbloth]

All that matters is Nile perfected it

 

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

All that matters is Nile perfected it

+1 to that haha

 

[Cancer]

Death released Scream Bloody Gore in 1987.
Chuck Schuldiner was pretty much the father of death metal I think. He was involved with DM since 1983.

+1

The first Death Metal band is Possessed. they formed in 1983, and released their first full length album in 1985. They coined the term "death metal" to my knowledge, with a song by the same name. Their first demo, in 1984 was titled "Death Metal" as well.

Also worth noting, thier guitar player was Larry LaLonde of Primus fame.
Woth noting also: Joe Satriani produced their EP, "Eyes Of Horror"

Wow, I actually forgot about Possessed, I still have a copy of Seven Churhces around here somewhere, which yes, I did buy before Death. For a band that was literally shit on a stick, Seven Churches did have its moments, the song "The Exorcist" being a particularly fun jam.

Apparently Cannibal Corpse agreed, as they would later go on to cover of "The Exorcist" making a mockery out the original.... Good times.

 

[bostjan]

Ahem, I mentioned Possessed on page one of this thread.

It's always hard to say who was "the first," though. I'd say that Possessed and Death set the roots of the genre in the mid eighties, then Atheist and Cynic took the genre into the technical direction. There are a lot of other important bands in the history, as well.

 

[Dive-Baum]

The first Death Metal band is Possessed. they formed in 1983, and released their first full length album in 1985. They coined the term "death metal" to my knowledge, with a song by the same name. Their first demo, in 1984 was titled "Death Metal" as well.

Also worth noting, thier guitar player was Larry LaLonde of Primus fame.
Woth noting also: Joe Satriani produced their EP, "Eyes Of Horror"

Works for me but you can't credit who coined the phrase for that reason alone. It was Stepenwolf who coined the phrase Heavy Metal but I sure as shit wouldn't call them the first Heavy Metal band.
I had a feeling that this would be a convolouted question as genres of music tend to form at once and there is seldom a missing link to the new type

 

[Metal Ken]

Larry was one of Joe's students, which is how he ended up doing "The Eyes of Horror". Larry also went on to do one album with the infamous Blind Illusion, which is where he and Les met and started Primus.

Sane Asylum \m/

If Les and Larry still made music like that, i'd be a Primus fan, lol.

You are correct sir next up would have to be Morbid Angel's not-so-well-known "Abominations of Desolation" released in 1986.

IMO, Bathory were large contributors to black metal but had very little to do with death metal.

Yep, i got that. It rules pretty hard. Hard to believe they came up with shit like Chapel of Ghouls and Angel of Disease all the way back in 1985-6.
I agree with you on Bathory, for the record, btw.

Works for me but you can't credit who coined the phrase for that reason alone. It was Stepenwolf who coined the phrase Heavy Metal but I sure as shit wouldn't call them the first Heavy Metal band.
I had a feeling that this would be a convolouted question as genres of music tend to form at once and there is seldom a missing link to the new type

I wasn't, entirely. They still put out the first death metal record ;p

 

[Shawn]

Death released Scream Bloody Gore in 1987.
Chuck Schuldiner was pretty much the father of death metal I think. He was involved with DM since 1983.

I've always thought of that album being the first death metal album to ever come out, but i'm sure there were bands doing it before them, the underground scene throughout the US, etc...

Obituary's Cause Of Death was the first death metal album I ever bought, I was already listening to Sepultura at the time in early 1992. Morbid Angel became my favorite band in 1993 throughout 1995 along with Suffocation, Immolation, etc. I was huge into death metal from '92 to even now, although I listen to various types of music about the same.

 

[Metal Ken]

Its been too long and i've bought too many CDs to remember what my FIRST death metal album was.. i think it was probably the first Deicide record or Sound of Perserverance from Death. Testament's The Gathering is the album that let me get 'into' death metal vox, cause even though the album isnt truely a death metal disc, there's death metal vox in a lot of parts.

 

[Shawn]

Its been too long and i've bought too many CDs to remember what my FIRST death metal album was.. i think it was probably the first Deicide record or Sound of Perserverance from Death. Testament's The Gathering is the album that let me get 'into' death metal vox, cause even though the album isnt truely a death metal disc, there's death metal vox in a lot of parts.

I remember the first time I heard these two albums, I said to myself that you couldn't get any heavier or more evil than this.

However, shortly after Legion came out, I stopped listening to Deicide for some odd reason, it could be that I was more impressed with Suffocation.

 

[Metal Ken]

Really? you need to get once upon the cross from deicide, it came out after Legion and totally is just as badass. Of course, everything they've done aside from Inseniratehymn and In Tormnet In Hell RULES. SCars Of the Crucifix is awesome as well.

 

[Shawn]

Really? you need to get once upon the cross from deicide, it came out after Legion and totally is just as badass. Of course, everything they've done aside from Inseniratehymn and In Tormnet In Hell RULES. SCars Of the Crucifix is awesome as well.

Actually, I heard Once Upon The Cross many times and remember liking it, a guy I was in a band with at the time, played it constantly, I just never went out and bought it or any of their albums after Legion.

 

[Metal Ken]

oh, i see. lol.
Once upon The Cross has a couple of my all time fav. Deicide songs, Christ Denied and When Satan Rules His world (one of the catchiest Deicide songs ever)

 

[Shawn]

My favorite Deicide song will always be Lunatic Of Gods Creation. \m/

 

[Metal Ken]

Totally badass song.. if i had to pick ONE deicide song ... It would be Serpents of the Light.