My Top 20 Technical Death Metal Bands

I'm very ambivalent about "Top X" lists. On the one hand, they work very well as primers to the best of their subject, and making them forces you to think critically about the material in question. On the other hand, those lists are inherently reductive and arbitrary, especially for something as multifaceted as music. Still, I like them, and consequently, I've decided to make one about my favorite kind of music, technical death metal.

Now I'm going to acknowledge some problems so I don't have to fix them. It should go without saying (but doesn't) that this is subjective, and I missed a lot of very good bands because of my own preferences. I love Cynic, to use one conspicuously missing example, but not as much as these bands. Furthermore, while some of these bands aren't considered tech death universally, I only put them on here if I have a citation for tech death, or if they play prog and death metal of some kind. I think that qualifies them all, but some may reasonably disagree.

Feel free to list your own favorites in the comments.

20. Krisiun - Combustion Inferno
19. Pestilence - Stigmatized
18. Necrophagist - Intestinal Incubation
17. Neuraxis - Phoenix
16. Lykathea Aflame - Shine of Consolation
15. Becoming the Archetype - End of the Age
14. Wormed - Dehydrating
13. Decrepit Birth - Sea of Memories
12. Nile - Churning the Malestrom
11. The Faceless - Leica
10. Gojira - In The Wilderness
9. Atheist - Enthralled in Essence
8. Augury - Faith Puppeteers
7. Quo Vadis - I Believe
6. Arsis - Progressive Entrapment
5. Psycroptic -Initiate
4. Gorguts - Nostalgia
3. Cryptopsy - Cold Hate, Warm Blood
2. Vital Remains - Dechristianize*
1. Death -Empty Words

* I find it rather incongruous that I have the very Christian Becoming the Archetype and the...decidedly less Christian Glen Benton on the same list.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Top 10 metal bands
• Top 20 metal bands
• Technical Death Metal
• Progressive Death Metal
• Heavy Metal
• Death Metal
• Technical Deathgrind
• Krisiun
• Pestilence
• Necrophagist
• Neuraxis
• Lykathea Aflame
• Becoming the Archetype
• Wormed
• Decrepit Birth
• Nile
• The Faceless
• Gojira
• Atheist
• Augury
• Quo Vadis
• Arsis
• Psycroptic
• Gorguts
• Cryptopsy
• Vital Remains
• Death

[Powermachine123]

Isn't Wormed more like a Brutal Death Metal band?

[Eupator5]

@Powermachine123 I think that it's probably both tech and brutal death. The drumming in particular is highly technical, and the lyrics are more obscure and philosophic than graphic or violent. Neither label is good enough by itself, so I'd personally consider them technical brutal death metal.

[Weetodd1000]

this needs Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura and Decapitated but other than that its a kick ass list

[Eupator5]

@Weetodd1000 Fleshgod and Obscura are fantastic IMO. Personally though I've never thought Decapitated was especially great, just that it's a pretty good band. I'm thinking I really need to give them another chance. What would you say is their best album? I've heard the First Damned BTW.

[MetalReigns2]

DUDE THIS IS THE BEST LIST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eupator5]

@MetalReigns2 Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[Unrated48]

I watch those kind of lists just to find bands haha :)

[polillitah17]

1 deathcore fan see the video :)

[chipinativo]

Krisiun no Technical Death metal

[BalleBaest]

@Eupator5 As when it comes to brutal, listen to the 'Winds of Creation' album.

Then go and find their albums Organic Hallucinosis and Nihility. They really show how much different they are from other death metal bands

[CyberWastedSLAYER]

Necrophagist is the Shit! Technically brilliant & catchy = Long time addiction.

[8ball3456]

Opeth is technical death metal too!

[bigboom24times]

ok the singer of wormed sounds like a fuckin pig literaly

[GreatRevanger93]

@Powermachine123 Im not sure but I always think about wormed like a Brutal death metal band, not technical; despite of the experimental and innovative that wormed is.

[funnystonervideos]

Pestilence sounds like Iron Maiden....

[Sulfur555]

Gojira friend? o.O

[DevilMetalDeath]

Thought Krisiun was kinda Brutal Death Metal

[GregTehGoose]

Decapitated???