Editing Death metal (section)

===Vocals and lyrics===
[[File:Cannibal Corpse @ 70000 tons of metal 02.jpg|thumb|right|[[Cannibal Corpse]] vocalist [[George Fisher (musician)|George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher]]]]

Death metal vocals are referred to as [[death growl]]s; which are coarse roars/snarls. Death growling is mistakenly thought to be a form of screaming using the lowest vocal register known as [[vocal fry]], however vocal fry is actually a form of overtone screaming, and while growling can be performed this way by experienced vocalists who use the fry screaming technique, "true" death growling is in fact created by an altogether different technique.<ref>Interview with Samuel Deschaine, Death Metal Vocal Instructor 2011</ref> Growling has been called [[Cookie Monster]] vocals, tongue-in-cheek, due to the vocal similarity to the voice of the popular ''[[Sesame Street]]'' character of the same name.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cookie Monster Vocals|url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/glossary/g/gl_cookiemonste.htm|publisher=[[About.com]]|access-date=January 21, 2006|archive-date=February 5, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205192652/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/glossary/g/gl_cookiemonste.htm|url-status=unfit}}</ref> Although often criticized, death growls serve the aesthetic purpose of matching death metal's aggressive lyrical content.<ref>Sharpe-Young, Garry. ''Death Metal'', {{ISBN|0-9582684-4-4}}</ref>

The lyrical themes of death metal may invoke [[slasher film]]-stylised violence,<ref name="Moynihan, Michael 1998 p. 272" /> but may also extend to topics like [[religion]] (sometimes including [[Satanism]]), [[occultism]], [[Lovecraftian horror]], [[nature]], [[mysticism]], [[mythology]], [[theology]], [[philosophy]], [[science fiction]], and [[politics]].{{sfn|Purcell|2003|p=39-42}} Although violence may be explored in various other genres as well, death metal may elaborate on the details of extreme acts, including [[Graphic violence|blood and gore]], [[psychopathy]], [[delirium]], [[mutilation]], [[mutation]], [[dissection]], [[exorcism]], [[torture]], [[rape]], [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]], and [[necrophilia]]. Sociologist [[Keith Kahn-Harris]] commented this apparent glamorisation of violence may be attributed to a "fascination" with the human body that all people share to some degree, a fascination that mixes [[desire]] and [[disgust]].{{sfn|Kahn-Harris|2007|p=}} Heavy metal author [[Gavin Baddeley]] also stated there does seem to be a connection between one's degree of [[mortality salience]] and "how much they crave images of death and violence" via the media.<ref>Baddeley, Gavin. ''Raising Hell!: The Book of Satan and Rock 'n' Roll''</ref> Additionally, contributing artists to the genre often defend death metal as little more than an extreme form of [[art]] and [[entertainment]], similar to [[horror film]]s in the [[Film industry|motion picture industry]].<ref name="hbj"/> This explanation has brought such musicians under fire from [[Activism|activists]] internationally, who claim that this is often lost on a large number of [[Adolescence|adolescents]], who are left with the glamorisation of such violence without [[social context]] or awareness of why such imagery is [[Stimulation|stimulating]].<ref name="hbj"/>

According to [[Alex Webster]], bassist of [[Cannibal Corpse]], "The gory lyrics are probably not, as much as people say, [what's keeping us] from being [[Popular culture|mainstream]]. Like, 'death metal would never go into the mainstream because the lyrics are too gory?' I think it's really the music, because violent entertainment is totally mainstream."<ref name="Cannibal Corpse Alex Webster">{{Cite web|url=http://www.waytooloud.com/2007/10/23/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-and-george-%E2%80%9Ccorpsegrinder%E2%80%9D-fisher/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604092255/http://www.waytooloud.com/2007/10/23/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-and-george-%E2%80%9Ccorpsegrinder%E2%80%9D-fisher/|url-status=dead|title=Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) interview|archivedate=June 4, 2008}}</ref>

[[Christian death metal]] bands often utilize the gory themes of death metal to invoke violent imagery against Satan, [[demon]]s, [[sin]] and sinners,<ref name=":442">{{Cite book |last=Partridge |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qdD0AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA215 |title=The Lyre of Orpheus: Popular Music, the Sacred, and the Profane |date=2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press|OUP USA]] |isbn=978-0-19-975140-2 |location=New York |pages=215–216 |language=en}}</ref> much of the violent imagery being drawn from the [[Bible]].<ref name=":422">{{Cite web |last=Kiryushkin |first=Alexander |date=October 26, 2019 |title=10 Bands You Won't Believe Are Actually Christian |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/10_bands_you_wont_believe_are_actually_christian-98774 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=[[Ultimate Guitar]] |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613003207/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/10_bands_you_wont_believe_are_actually_christian-98774 |url-status=live }}</ref> Satanic and [[Anti-Christian sentiment|anti-Christian]] imagery is also frequently inverted.<ref name=":47">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-15 |title=Catholic death metal band 'Voluntary Mortification' proudly reclaims aspects of faith that confound non-Christians |url=https://thedialog.org/national-news/catholic-death-metal-band-voluntary-mortification-proudly-reclaims-aspects-of-faith-that-confound-non-christians/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=The Dialog |language=en |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821034431/https://thedialog.org/national-news/catholic-death-metal-band-voluntary-mortification-proudly-reclaims-aspects-of-faith-that-confound-non-christians/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Félix-Jäger |first=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtwoDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT76 |title=With God on Our Side: Towards a Transformational Theology of Rock and Roll |date=2017-01-11 |publisher=[[Wipf and Stock Publishers]] |isbn=978-1-4982-3180-0 |location=Eugene |pages=76 |language=en |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113115853/https://books.google.com/books?id=MtwoDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT76 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Strother|2013|pp=152-153}}