Blackened death metal

Blackened death metal also called death/black metal or black/death metal (depending on which styles is dominant) is a fusion genre of extreme metal utilising elements of

Blackened death metal also called death/black metal or black/death metal (depending on which styles is dominant) is a fusion genre of extreme metal utilising elements of death metal and black metal with bands usually hailing from Europe. Many of the bands start out as full on black metal outfits and end up adopting death metal influences and fusing the two together or becoming modern death metal artists. Although the merging of the genres can be traced back to Hellhammer, who were an important early death metal and black metal band, it wasn't until albums such as Emperor's IX Equilibrium and Behemoth's Satanica that "blackened death metal" truly took form. Some Melodic black metal bands have a style similar to Blackened Death metal because it owes much from Death metal, more precisely Melodic death metal.

Often cited musical characteristics of blackened death metal are relatively high pitched death grunts, technical death metal riffs which are often repeated or lots of simplistic Black metal riffs, and extremely fast and often repetitive drumwork with a more groovy approach than in Black metal which is obviously a Death metal influence. It must be noted that Morbid Angel are not considered Blackened Death metal, even though they are a Death metal band who exhibits or exhibited Black metal traits.