The three types of music known as melodic death metal



There are three kinds of music which are known by the name "Melodic death metal".
To begin, here are definitions for some relevant concepts that will be touched upon:

- Melody: A sequence of tones.
- Rhythm: A pattern of binary recursion.
- Harmony: The meeting of simultaneous, continuously emitted sound waves.

A correct observation is that the above three are intertwined. A melody has its own rhythm, and it produces harmony. Changing
the pitch of a melody's notes changes its harmony. Changing the timing and amount of a melody's notes changes
the melody's rhythm.

Roughly speaking, there are three different styles of music called melodic death metal.
The oldest of the three is a variant of death metal which places more emphasis on melody, over rhythm and percussion.

Listen first to this piece by Deicide. Notice how the rhythms not only of the drums, but
of the guitar riffs themselves change many times. Notice how a riff is defined not only by
which tones are in it, but by its internal rhythm.
Ringing a tone for two seconds is not the same as striking the same tone eight times during two seconds.
The same principle applies to sequences of tones, to melodies.
When a tone is struck is often as important as which tone is struck.
Deicide knows this, and makes good use of it. This is common in percussive and in standard death metal.

https://youtu.be/rtLZqp8SXsQ?t=14m37s

Now listen to this piece by Amorphis. Notice that melodies are longer. Rhythms are simpler and change less often.
A riff is defined more by which tones are in it and by which tonal steps are taken, than by any intricate rhythmical pattern.
Living up to its title of melodic death metal, it is undeniably as much death metal as Deicide is, but with more
focus on melody.
It is like a more melodic version of the Florida death metal style. For a more melodic version
of the Swedish style, hear The Red In The Sky Is Ours by At The Gates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U6VkpIfwZs

In the music of Amorphis there is also more consonant harmony between the two guitars, which leads to the
next style: Heavy metal with death metal technique.


This heavy metal/death metal hybrid combines surface traits and techniques of death metal with the structures of classical heavy metal.
Beneath the exterior, it has more in common with Judas Priest and Iron Maiden than with Obituary or Death;
The two guitars often take up different positions of a consonant chord, and dual melodies in which the guitars
form parallel fourths, or fifths, are common.

The music is melodic, but it's also very harmonic, indulging in consonant harmonies more than strict melodic death metal,
such as At The Gates. Song structures tend to be more straight forward than the mazes of death metal.

Romantically, it is closer to the brighter; more overtly glorious side of metal, since it's
so heavily based on classical heavy metal. Here is a piece by Kalmah which illustrates some of the common
characteristics of this style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnrjHUvTEyo


The third category is newer metalcore, often called melodeath (the original founders of the genre are rarely called melodeath).
This genre owes a lot to metal, is usually melodic, and tends to have surface elements of death metal.
For this reason, many call it melodic death metal. However, underneath the timbre of the instruments, and some of the common
smaller scale patterns, a different spirit is revealed.
The way that the songs progress narratively is not the same. The way that past riffs affect present riffs is related to death metal,
but not the same.
The romantic themes described, and emotional tones expressed, are related but not the same.
The following piece by a later At The Gates has some some of these elements, providing a sample of what was to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URhmC865SGI