An overarching style of death metal with a few separate sub-styles within it. Overall, though, the music can be defined wholly as death metal with the extremity factor turned up in multiple ways. Triggered blastbeats, grind(core) influences and chunky, fast riffing characterize a good number of bands playing brutal death metal, but there are some bands, as early as Suffocation and as purely as Devourment who emphasize "slam" riffs which are often featured in breakdowns. This type of riff is often noted as being almost purely rhythmic, syncopated with the drumming or general pattern of the song and muted for maximum heaviness. Bands playing brutal death metal are often known to write shorter songs, emphasizing how much damage can be done in a brief period of time, though some also write longer, complex songs with a multitude of different, often slow, breakdowns and compositional techniques.

The three main styles seem to be a technical death style with slam-sounding breakdowns and grinding riffs as the aforementioned Suffocation did on their earliest material, a more purely rhythmic style such as the also previously mentioned Devourment or a complex, chaotic and constantly shifting yet unwaveringly fast and oppressive style like Deeds of Flesh. Most bands play in one of these styles or combine two or even all three with their own variegated influences to produce their own sound.

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  弑主
   
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  Suffocation
   
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  Craniotomy
   

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  殉葬真我(Ep+现场)
  弑主
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  It's Not Cut Out-It Can't Be Eaten
  Craniotomy