Editing Death metal (section)

===Growing popularity (late 1980s to late 1990s)===
By 1989, many bands had been signed by eager record labels wanting to cash in on the subgenre, including Florida's [[Obituary (band)|Obituary]], [[Morbid Angel]] and [[Deicide (band)|Deicide]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Andy|title=Death metal, the sound of Tampa, won't be heard at Republican convention|url=https://news.yahoo.com/death-metal-sound-tampa-wont-heard-republican-convention-113030167.html|agency=Reuters|publisher=Yahoo News|access-date=August 25, 2012|date=August 25, 2012|quote=When they convene in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney for president next week, Republicans will not hear a note from the city's most notable musical exports: death-metal bands such as Deicide and Obituary.|archive-date=August 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829044633/http://news.yahoo.com/death-metal-sound-tampa-wont-heard-republican-convention-113030167.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This collective of death metal bands hailing from Florida are often labeled as "[[Florida death metal]]". Morbid Angel pushed the genre's limits both musically and lyrically, with the release of their debut album ''[[Altars of Madness]]'' in 1989.{{sfn|Purcell|2003|p=18}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://decibelmagazine.com/hall-of-fame/2015/3/19/morbid-angel-altars-of-madness|title=Morbid Angel - "Altars of Madness"|work=Decibel Magazine|access-date=May 1, 2017|archive-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125195403/http://decibelmagazine.com/hall-of-fame/2015/3/19/morbid-angel-altars-of-madness|url-status=live}}</ref> The album "redefined what it meant to be heavy while influencing an upcoming class of brutal death metal."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/morbid-angel-altars-of-madness-best-debut-metal-albums/|title=No. 4: Morbid Angel, 'Altars of Madness' – Best Debut Metal Albums|website=Loudwire|date=June 6, 2013|access-date=May 1, 2017|archive-date=July 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709185325/https://loudwire.com/morbid-angel-altars-of-madness-best-debut-metal-albums/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Jason Birchmeier of [[AllMusic]], "[[Venom (band)|Venom]] and [[Slayer]] redefined the extent to which a metal band could align itself with all things evil during the beginning of the decade, but Morbid Angel made these two groups sound like [[children's music]]."<ref>{{Citation |title=Altars of Madness - Morbid Angel {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/altars-of-madness-mw0000311214 |access-date=2025-01-09 |language=en}}</ref>

Following the original death metal innovators, new subgenres began to develop the end of the decade, such as [[melodic death metal]]. Death released their fourth album ''[[Human (Death album)|Human]]'' in 1991, which has become a hallmark in [[technical death metal]]. Death's founder Schuldiner helped push the boundaries of the genre with uncompromising speed and technical virtuosity, combining intricate rhythm guitar work with complex arrangements and emotive guitar solos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emptywords.org/|title=Welcome to Empty Words|website=www.emptywords.org|access-date=September 5, 2007|archive-date=April 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406010555/http://www.emptywords.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Earache Records, [[Relativity Records]] and Roadrunner Records became the genre's most important labels,<ref>'Death Metal Special: Dealers in Death' ''Terrorizer #151''</ref> with Earache releasing albums by Carcass, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, and Entombed, and Roadrunner releasing albums by Obituary, and [[Pestilence (band)|Pestilence]]. Although these labels had not been death metal labels, they initially became the genre's flagship labels at the beginning of the 1990s. In addition to these, other labels formed as well, such as [[Nuclear Blast]], [[Century Media Records|Century Media]], and [[Peaceville]]. Many of these labels would go on to achieve successes in other genres of metal throughout the 1990s.

In September 1990, Death's manager [[Eric Greif]] held one of the first North American death metal festivals, ''Day of Death'', in [[Milwaukee]] suburb [[Waukesha, Wisconsin]], and featured 26 bands including Autopsy, [[Broken Hope]], Hellwitch, Obliveon, Revenant, Viogression, Immolation, [[Atheist (band)|Atheist]], and [[Cynic (band)|Cynic]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100325022446/http://www.officialatheist.com/index.php?item=biography ''Biography'', Official Atheist site]}}. Retrieved December 10, 2008</ref>

[[File:Jungle_Rot_performing_in_Chula_Vista,_CA_on_Mayhem_Fest_2015.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Death metal band [[Jungle Rot]]]]

Death metal's popularity achieved its initial peak during 1992–1993, with some bands such as Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse enjoying mild commercial success. However, the genre as a whole never broke into the mainstream. The genre's mounting popularity may have been partly responsible for a strong rivalry between [[Early Norwegian black metal scene|Norwegian black metal]] and [[Swedish death metal]] scenes. [[Fenriz]] of [[Darkthrone]] has noted that Norwegian black metal musicians were "fed up with the whole death metal scene" at the time. Death metal diversified in the 1990s, spawning a rich variety of subgenres that still have a large "underground" following at the present.<ref>{{cite video|first=Bill|last=Zebyb|year=2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZd13-dSrAc| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414005145/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZd13-dSrAc&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2012-04-14|title=Black Metal: A Documentary|medium=motion picture}}</ref>