How to Write Brutal Death Metal Songs

You want to write something that punches the rib cage, rattles the windows, and makes necks do weird violent things on stage. Brutal death metal is about extremity in sound and conviction in craft. It is not noise for chaos sake. It is songwriting with teeth. This guide teaches riffs, drums, vocals, lyrics, arrangement, production, and practical workflows that deliver brutality without sounding like a messy garage experiment.

Everything below is written for hungry musicians who want to level up fast. Expect clear recipes, timed drills, examples you can steal, and real world scenarios that make sense for players living in small apartments, playing DIY shows, and trying to get a thousand streams on Spotify. We explain every acronym and technical term in plain language so you do not need a studio degree to follow along.

What Brutal Death Metal Actually Means

Brutal death metal is a sub style of death metal that emphasizes extreme tempos, low tunings, guttural vocals, dense riffing, and percussion that sounds like a machine with rage. It is more than loud notes. It is about texture, timing, and contrast. Think of it as extreme songwriting with extreme texture.

Common traits

• Very low guitar tuning. Guitars and bass often live several steps below standard pitch.
• Blast beats. A drum style where snare and kick hit in tight rapid patterns to create a high energy percussive wall.
• Guttural vocals. Low frequency vocal styles that emphasize throat and false cord techniques.
• Technical riffing. Fast tremolo picking, chromatic runs, palm muted chugs, and sudden time changes.
• Grooves and breakdowns. Mid tempo crushing moments that hit like a sucker punch.

Key Terms and Acronyms Explained

We will use a few abbreviations below. Here is what they mean and how they matter.

• BPM means beats per minute. It is how fast the song feels. Blast beat sections often live at very high BPM numbers but perceived speed can come from rhythmic density rather than bpm alone.
• DAW is digital audio workstation. It is the software where you record and arrange music. Examples include Reaper, Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live, and Cubase.
• EQ means equalizer. It is a tool that shapes frequency balance. Use it to carve space for bass and vocals in a dense mix.
• IR means impulse response. It captures the sound of a speaker cabinet and room. Guitar amp simulators use IRs to sound like real cabinets.
• DI means direct input. It is a clean recording of a guitar or bass signal before amplification. You will often record DI so you can reamp later.
• VST stands for virtual studio technology. It is a plugin format for amp sims, drum samplers, and effects inside your DAW.
• Blast beat is a drum pattern where kick, snare and cymbal interplay at high speed to create a driving percussive attack. We explain variations later.

Basic Tools You Need

You do not need a million dollar rig to write brutal death metal, but you do need the right basics.

• A guitar with a long scale and low tuning capability. Many players use 7 string or 8 string guitars to get down to low A or lower with string tension that still feels playable. You can also use a six string tuned to C or B with heavy gauge strings.
• A bass with good low end. Bass should lock with the kick drum. Active pickups or an amp with tight low response help.
• A decent drum kit or drum sample library. If you do not have a drummer, learn programming with drum samples that have realistic velocity layers.
• A DAW to capture ideas and arrange songs. Reaper is cheap and very powerful for recording and arranging.
• A mic or two for vocals and room ambience if you record acoustic drums. A dynamic mic for vocals and a condenser for overheads is a common minimal setup.
• Headphones or monitors with decent low end so you hear the thump and the mids where riffs live.

Tempo and Groove Choices

Tempo choices determine the emotional shape of each section. Brutal death metal thrives on contrast between hyper fast and crushing slow. Pick numbers with intention.

• Ultra fast aggression. For full blast sections you may choose 220 to 260 BPM or higher. At this speed precision matters. Many bands choose a slightly lower BPM but stack rhythmic subdivisions to achieve similar perceived speed.
• Mid tempo crushing grooves. 95 to 140 BPM give heavy impact. Use these tempos for breakdowns that make people lose their minds in the pit.
• Variable tempo. Changing BPM or using metric modulation creates unpredictability. Use these tools sparingly so songs do not feel chaotic.

Blast Beat Variations and How to Use Them

Blast beats are the backbone of extreme metal drumming. They come in a few common flavors.

Traditional blast beat

Snare and kick hit alternately while the cymbal plays steady eighth or sixteenth notes. The effect is relentless intensity. Use this for sections that need full throttle energy.

Hammer blast

The snare lands on every beat while the kick doubles. This creates maximum force and is used in synchronized riff sections for a machine like attack.

Ratamacue or blast hybrid

A hybrid where snare patterns interject fills while the kick maintains rapid pulses. Use this for transitions where you want both speed and movement.

Practice tip

• Work with a metronome inside your DAW. Start slow and build endurance. Most drummers train to double or triple a tempo rather than jump straight into a high number.
• If you program drums, create velocity variation so patterns feel organic and not robotic.

Writing Brutal Riffs That Stick

A brutal riff must be aggressive and memorable. Brutality without identity becomes white noise. Here is a step by step riff recipe.

1. Pick your tuning and string gauge. Lower tunings create a thick atmosphere. If you use 7 string tuned to low B or low A, choose strings heavy enough to maintain tension. For example choose a set with a 10 or 11 gauge on the high E equivalent and a 60 or 70 on the low string depending on string scale and playing preference.
2. Choose the rhythm before the notes. Tap a two bar rhythmic cell on your lap. Make it interesting with rests and accents. Brutal riffs live in tight rhythmic identity.
3. Anchor the riff. Choose a low root note for gravitas. Build a motif that returns so listeners have something to hum after the song ends.
4. Add chromatic approach notes. Chromatic slides or neighbor notes create tension that resolves to the root. They are a staple in extreme riffing.
5. Mix tremolo picks and palm muted chugs. Use tremolo picking for sustained aggression and palm muted chugs for punch. Contrast is your friend.
6. End phrases with a hook. A pinch harmonic, a sudden stop, or a chug that lands on an unexpected syncopated accent makes the riff memorable.

Real life scenario

You are on the bus with headphones and a riff idea pops into your head. Instead of trying to remember a sequence of notes, tap the rhythm and hum the low note. When you get home, recreate the rhythm in your DAW and layer a low motive with a chromatic approach. You will have a working riff before dinner.

Rhythmic Tricks That Add Brutality

• Syncopation. Move accents off the downbeat to create a lurching feel that sounds heavy and smart.
• Polyrhythm. Play a 3 against 4 figure between guitars and drums for a disorienting hit. Keep it simple and repeat the cell for maximum impact.
• Metric modulation. Use a repeated figure that changes perceived tempo when you change note subdivision later in the song.
• Silence. A well placed rest makes the next attack land like a physical hit.

Song Structures That Work for Brutal Death Metal

Brutal death metal rarely follows verse chorus verse patterns like pop. Still, you need form so listeners can latch onto recurring ideas. Here are structures you can steal.

Riff block structure

• Intro motif
• Main riff A
• Main riff B
• Blast section with tremolo riff
• Groove breakdown
• Return to riff A with variation
• Outro motif

Through composed with motifs

• Intro motif
• Sequence of distinct sections connected by short transitional fills
• Each section returns to a motif so the ear recognizes the song

Bridge heavy map

• Riff A to set tone
• Riff B for variation
• Bridge with slowed down crushing groove
• Blast drop that returns to A
• Final blowout with combined motifs

Tip

Map your song in the DAW using markers. Name each marker with the riff and a short descriptor. When you revisit the song weeks later you will not need to relearn the structure.

Vocals: Growls, Gutturals and Safety

Vocal brutality is a craft. You do not need to destroy your throat to sound monstrous. Learn techniques and warm ups that protect your voice.

Common techniques

• False cord. Involves vibrating the false vocal folds above the true cords. It yields a thick low growl.
• Fry technique. Uses the vocal fry register to produce low distortion with less strain when done correctly.
• Inhaled gutturals. A technique where the sound is produced on the inhale. Use with caution and professional instruction because it can strain the throat.

Safety checklist

• Warm up gently with humming and lip trills.
• Learn diaphragmatic breathing. Support from the diaphragm reduces throat strain.
• Record in short passes. Take breaks. Hydrate and avoid screaming raw without training.
• Consider a vocal coach who specializes in extreme techniques. Investing in lessons will pay off with longevity and better tone.

Recording tips

• Use a dynamic microphone like an SM7B for close aggressive vocals. It handles high energy and cuts sibilance.
• Record multiple passes for layering. Double the main line and record an octave or harmony to add texture.
• Use a gate sparingly to remove bleed then automate breaths for natural feel.

Lyrics That Fit the Genre Without Being Lazy

Brutal death metal lyrics often explore gore, horror, mortality, and existential dread. If you want to avoid cliché and stand out, write with specific imagery and perspective.

Approaches

• Microscopic detail. Instead of generic gore describe an object that tells a story. A rusted scalpel on a cold tile does more work than a broad violent line.
• Unreliable narrator. Write from the perspective of someone losing sanity. It creates tension and allows irony.
• Allegory. Use graphic imagery to discuss real life topics like mental health, corruption, or industry greed. The brutality becomes metaphor.
• One image per line. Keep lines sharp. Each line should deliver a new image or a twist on the previous detail.

Real life rewrite

Before: Bones crush underfoot. After: A pocket of rainwater reflects a bone like a clock face. The difference is the image that readers can visualize.

Creating Hooks in Brutal Death Metal

Hook does not have to be a singable chorus. A hook can be a riff that returns, a percussive pattern, or a vocal cadential phrase. Design hooks so they appear at predictable moments so listeners can latch onto the song.

• Introduce the hook in the intro or within the first 30 seconds.
• Bring the hook back in the third section with an added layer.
• Make the hook playable on air guitar so fans remember it. You want them to mimic the gesture in the pit.

Arranging for Impact

Arrangement is where composition becomes performance. Use space and contrast like a director uses lights.

• Use a sparse intro that grows into the full wall of sound. Add layers one at a time so each section gains weight.
• Leave emptiness before a huge downbeat. A single bar of silence amplifies whatever hits next.
• Let the bass and kick dance together. Lock them tightly at low frequencies and use EQ to separate them so low end does not turn to mud.

Guitar Tone and Production Choices

Guitar tone in brutal death metal is thick, scooped in mids sometimes, and heavy in low end. You can achieve a modern tone with amp simulation plugins or with real tube amps and mic placement. Both work if you understand the core elements.

Core elements of tone

• Low end control. Tight low end is essential. Use a high pass on guitars to avoid clashing with bass below 60 hertz.
• Presence. Add a small mid boost around 800 to 2k hertz for definition. Too much mid will sound boxy. Use ear as judge.
• High end. Add a touch of presence around 5 to 8k hertz for attack and pick definition. Too much causes harshness.
• Cabinet IRs. High quality impulse responses simulate speakers and rooms. Try multiple IRs and choose one that gives low focus while keeping pick attack.

Practical chain for DI recording

1. Record DI clean with good preamp.
2. Use amp sim plugin with matching IRs and low end compensation options.
3. Blend the DI and amp sim for clarity. Reamp if needed.
4. Compress lightly to control peaks before distortion in the plugin stage.

Real life tip

If you cannot afford a real cabinet for mic recording, buy a good IR pack and learn to EQ the DI so it behaves like a real amp. Many modern records use this method and it sounds excellent.

Mixing Dense Extreme Music

Mixing brutal death metal is about carving space so every element hits. You want maximum impact with clarity. Here are practical mixing steps.

1. Gain staging. Set rough levels so nothing is clipping. Save loudness chasing for the final master.
2. High pass guitars. Remove unnecessary sub frequencies below the lowest bass note plus some margin.
3. Mid side processing. Use it on guitars or synths to widen the sides a little while keeping the low center tight for the bass and kick.
4. Parallel compression. Use it on guitars and drums to add density without killing transients.
5. Bus processing. Glue groups of guitars with gentle compression. Use saturation to add harmonics that help the mix translate to small speakers.
6. Vocal chain. Gate, de ess, EQ, compression and saturation are common. Use a slight low cut to remove rumble and a presence boost for clarity.

Programs and Plugins Worth Learning

You do not need every expensive tool. Learn a few and master them.

• Amplitube, Bias FX, or Neural DSP for amp simulation.
• Superior Drummer, Addictive Drums, or EZDrummer for drum samples if you cannot record a real kit.
• FabFilter EQ and Pro Q are excellent for surgical equalization.
• Slate or Waves plugins for bussing and compression. Many provide good presets to learn from.

Collaboration and Workflow Options

Writing brutal death metal in a modern context often involves remote collaboration. Here are workflows depending on your situation.

Band writing together live

• Bring a riff to rehearsal. jam it with a click inside your phone or your drummer will call pocket tempo with kick patterns on a practice pad.
• Record the rehearsal rough on a phone or a simple recorder. Capture ideas even if fidelity is low.
• Repeat until the riff becomes a habit for the band. Tightness beats complexity every night.

Writer at home with programmed drums

• Create rigid drum patterns in the DAW and write guitars to them.
• Export stems and send to the drummer for real play or to a producer for arrangement help.
• Use annotated markers in the DAW to show where fills and transitions should be placed.

Remote demo exchange

• Record DI guitars and dry vocals and share compressed stems. Keep one version with tempo maps and click track.
• Use cloud storage or platforms like WeTransfer to send files. Keep filenames consistent so nothing gets lost.

Promotion and Release Tips for the Digital Age

Writing brutal death metal is only half of the job. Getting heard matters. Use modern tools to amplify your reach.

• Create a short video of the riff or breakdown for social platforms such as TikTok or Instagram Reels. Short visceral clips convert better than long explanations.
• Release a lyric video or a waveform video on YouTube. Brutal genres often have fans who watch for guitar parts and lyrics.
• Pitch songs to Spotify playlists and to channels that feature extreme metal. Build relationships with playlist curators before release.
• Use Bandcamp to sell music and merch directly to fans. Bandcamp audiences are loyal and supportive of extreme music.

Practice Drills and Writing Exercises

Here are exercises that will sharpen your brutal writing skills quickly.

Tight Riff Drill

1. Set a metronome at a tempo you are comfortable with.
2. Create a two bar riff that repeats perfectly for 16 bars with small downbeat accents.
3. Play it with a drum machine and tighten the accents. The goal is absolute groove tightness not complexity.

Blast Tolerance Build

1. Drum or program short burst of blast beats at a comfortable speed for 30 seconds.
2. Rest and repeat. Gradually add two seconds each session to build endurance.

Hook Discovery

1. Write four short motives that are different in rhythm and tone.
2. Pair them randomly and see which pairing sounds like a song. Keep the best two and build transitions.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Too many ideas. If a section contains five different motives it will confuse listeners. Cut to one or two ideas and repeat them with variation.
• Muddy low end. Fix with high passing guitars and a tight low frequency focus on bass and kick.
• Vocals lost in the mix. Fix by carving mid range space with EQ and using parallel compression or saturation to bring out texture.
• Unfocused arrangement. Map the song with markers and give each section a clear role in the story of the song.

Examples and Before After Lines for Lyrics

Theme example: Inner decay disguised as normal life.

Before: I am rotting inside.

After: Breakfast burns because my hands forget how to stir. The mirror keeps my face but not my name.

Theme example: Surgical horror as metaphor for corporate greed.

Before: They cut us up for profit.

After: A ledger replaces skin. Minimal entries bleed dividends while the flesh waits for a signature.

Real World Scenario: From Idea to Demo in One Evening

1. Start with a two bar percussion loop at 140 BPM. Program a simple kick snare pattern with a steady cymbal in your DAW.
2. Create a low riff idea for two bars and repeat it for eight bars. Keep palm mute tight and add a chromatic approach to the last note.
3. Build a contrasting mid tempo groove for eight bars. Swap the drum pattern to a groove that emphasizes the kick on beats one and three.
4. Record a vocal rough pass with low growls and a shouted hook. Keep takes short.
5. Export a rough mix and post a 30 second clip on social media. Ask for early feedback and use comments to refine the arrangement.

How to Finish a Song Without Overwriting

Finish a song by limiting changes late in the process. Set a rule like you can only change one element after feedback. This forces decisive edits instead of endless tinkering.

Ask three listeners one question. The question could be Which riff stuck with you or Which moment feels too long. Use their answers to make surgical changes only.

Legal and Ethical Considerations for Lyrics

When using graphic imagery be mindful of platform rules, venue policies, and context. Graphic violence may be removed from some services. Consider using metaphor if you want broad distribution or a second version for streaming platforms.

Resources for Further Learning

• Vocal coaches who specialize in extreme techniques for one on one training.
• Online courses on mixing heavy music and amp simulation tutorials.
• Communities on Reddit and Discord where players critique riffs and mixes. Feedback from other extreme musicians is invaluable.

FAQs

What tuning is best for brutal death metal

There is no single best tuning. Many bands use low B, A, or drop A on seven string guitars. Eight string guitars allow lower ranges like F or low E with tighter tension. Choose a tuning that fits your vocal range and groove. If you play in a small room test tunings with thicker strings so notes do not get floppy.

How fast should blast sections be

BPM is only part of speed. Some blast sections sit at 220 BPM while others at 180 feel faster because of subdivision choices. Focus on rhythmic density and clarity. Practice at lower speeds and increase tempo gradually while maintaining articulation.

Can I program drums and still sound real

Yes. Use high quality drum sample libraries that include velocity layers and humanized timing. Add small variations in velocity and slight timing offsets. Blend programmed drums with live cymbal overheads or room samples for natural ambience.

How do I avoid sounding generic lyrically

Write from a specific perspective and add tiny details. Replace broad words with objects and actions. Use time stamps and places in lyrics so they feel lived in. A single unique image can make a verse feel original.

How should I approach recording guitars at home

Record DI and use amp simulation so you can reamp later. If you have a real amp and cabinet use a dynamic mic on axis then experiment with off axis placement for air. Blend DI and amp tones for clarity and power.

Is growling bad for my voice

When done incorrectly it can cause strain. When trained it is sustainable. Warm up, learn proper breathing, and take lessons. If you feel pain stop immediately and seek professional advice.