The 20 Most Popular Death Metal Bands in 2025 (According to Spotify)

Death metal has been making heads bang and hearts race for decades, and in 2024, the genre is stronger than ever. Whether you’re a die-hard fan who lives for blast beats and guttural growls, or you’re just dipping your toes into the heavy abyss, this list is for you.

Spotify is the world’s most used streaming platform and while monthly listeners aren’t the end all be all of a band’s popularity, its generally a pretty great metric to see what bands are popular right now. So, crank up the volume, prepare for some neck-snapping headbanging, and let’s dive into the dark, crushing world of death metal’s finest.

20: Nile – 171K Monthly Listeners

Nile is known for blending ancient Egyptian mythology with brutal technical death metal and they have carved out a unique place in the genre. With their complex song structures, fast tempos, and deep guttural vocals, the band continues to captivate extreme metal fans globally. Albums like “Annihilation of the Wicked” and “Those Whom the Gods Detest” have cemented their reputation as death metal innovators.

19: Deicide – 196K Monthly Listeners

Few bands in death metal have stirred as much controversy and acclaim as Deicide. With frontman Glen Benton’s provocative lyrics and the band’s relentless speed and aggression, Deicide has been a staple of the genre since the early ‘90s. Tracks like “Once Upon the Cross” and “Dead by Dawn” have become anthems of blasphemy in the metal world, leading to the band’s continued success.

18: Decapitated – 199K Monthly Listeners

Poland’s Decapitated has become synonymous with technical precision and modern death metal brutality. Formed in the late ‘90s, their early albums helped shape the technical death metal genre. In 2024, Decapitated continues to evolve as their 25 year career continues blending death metal with grindcore and black metal influences.

17: Dying Fetus – 208K Monthly Listeners

Dying Fetus is death metal at its most politically charged and technically proficient. With their combination of slam riffs, blast beats, and guttural vocals, this Maryland trio has even achieved mainstream success with billboard-charting albums, “Reign Supreme” and “Wrong One to Fuck With”. Known for their relentless touring schedule and powerful live performances, Dying Fetus remains a heavyweight in the brutal death metal scene.

16: Kataklysm – 235K Monthly Listeners

Canadian death metal legends Kataklysm have been delivering their brand of racing death metal labeled “Northern Hyperblast” since the early ’90s. With albums like “Shadows & Dust” and “Meditations” they’ve earned a powerful following for their melodic yet crushing sound keeps them a favorite in the global death metal community.

15: Napalm Death – 243K Monthly Listeners

Grindcore pioneers Napalm Death may have started the extreme metal revolution, but they continue to thrive in death metal. Known for their blistering speed and politically charged lyrics, they’ve kept their music relevant for over three decades. The band’s influence on extreme music is undeniable, and interestingly, according to Guinness World Records Napalm Death’s song “You Suffer” is the record holder for the shortest recorded song at 1.316 seconds.

14: Entombed – 276K Monthly Listeners

Entombed is credited with inventing the Swedish death metal sound, characterized by its buzzsaw guitar tone and thrash-inspired aggression. Their debut album “Left Hand Path” is hailed as a classic that helped pioneer the death metal revolution in Europe. Entombed’s mix of death metal with groove elements keeps them a respected and beloved act in the metal world.

13: Morbid Angel – 286K Monthly Listeners

Morbid Angel is often credited with helping to shape and push American death metal to its limits in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Morbid Angel remains one of the most respected names in the genre, blending dark atmospheres with technical guitar work and gruesomely heavy vocals.

12: Obituary – 291K Monthly Listeners

Florida’s Obituary remains one of the most consistent and iconic death metal bands, with their slower, groove-heavy approach setting them apart. Albums like “Slowly We Rot” and “Cause of Death” helped define the genre. With an early raw death metal sound, Obituary has evolved over the years changing their vocal styles to be more extreme.

11: At The Gates – 314K Monthly Listeners

At The Gates are one of the bands known for pioneering the “Gothenburg” style of melodic death metal that has influenced countless bands. Their groundbreaking album “Slaughter of the Soul” is still considered a genre-defining release — it was a turning point for Swedish death metal and was an inspiration for many metalcore bands to come.

10: The Black Dahlia Murder – 319K Monthly Listeners

Melodic death metal veterans The Black Dahlia Murder are known for their high-energy performances and intricate guitar work. Their blend of melody and brutality has earned them a dedicated following. After 2022’s lead to the tragic death of the (then) current frontman Trevor Strnad, the band and fans were unsure if The Black Dahlia Murder would continue. Fortunately the band decided to continue their music career and honor the legacy of Strnad, as they returned with their 2024 album “Servitude”.

9: Behemoth – 430K Monthly Listeners

Hailing from Poland, Behemoth seamlessly blends death and black metal, creating a dark, grandiose sound that has won them legions of fans. Known for their controversial imagery, relentless live shows, and blasphemous themes, Behemoth’s albums like “The Satanist” and “I Loved You at Your Darkest” continue to push boundaries in extreme metal.

8: Carcass – 583K Monthly Listeners

Trailblazers of both grindcore and melodic death metal, Carcass has played an influential role in shaping extreme music. Their early albums helped define grindcore, while later releases like “Heartwork” brought melody into the mix.

7: Dethklok – 655K Monthly Listeners

Dethklok may have started as a fictional band from the Adult Swim animated show Metalocalypse, but their real-world impact is no joke. Known for their brutal yet melodic sound and satirical lyrics, Dethklok is one of the most recognized names in death metal thanks to the TV Show Metalocalypse bringing the genre to mainstream cartoon entertainment.

6: Cannibal Corpse – 691K Monthly Listeners

Few bands represent death metal as well as Cannibal Corpse. With their gore-filled lyrics and punishing riffs, they’ve become the face of the genre for many. Certainly one of the essential death metal bands, Cannibal Corpse is back with the latest iteration of the band with their 2023 album “Chaos Horrific”.

5: Death – 764K Monthly Listeners

Death is widely considered the “father of death metal” and kickstarted the genre’s origins. Founded by the late Chuck Schuldiner, their music has influenced generations of metal bands. With classics like “Symbolic” and “Leprosy”, Death has cemented their legacy as an essential artist of extreme metal.

4: Children of Bodom – 799K Monthly Listeners

Finland act Children of Bodom took the death metal genre in a melodic—verging on power metal—direction, making them one of the most unique bands in the scene. Even after the tragic passing of frontman Alexi Laiho, the band remains a beloved name in the extreme scene, continuing to inspire fans and musicians alike.

3: Arch Enemy – 886K Monthly Listeners

Arch Enemy’s distinct brand of Swedish melodic death metal has gained a massive global following. With over 800,000 monthly listeners in 2024, the band’s signature mix of powerful vocals (courtesy of Alissa White-Gluz) and technical guitar work continues to resonate with fans, making them one of the most popular acts in the genre.

2: Amon Amarth – 1.1 Million Monthly Listeners

Also from Sweden, Amon Amarth’s Viking-themed brand of melodic death metal has become hugely popular worldwide. Their epic live shows and catchy yet heavy sound have made them a favorite, with over 1.1 million monthly listeners. Albums like “Twilight of the Thunder God” and “Berserker” continue to dominate playlists as Amon Amarth charges forward into 2024 as one of the biggest names in death metal.

1: Gojira – 2.7 Million Monthly Listeners

Undeniably the biggest death metal band of all time Gojira is approaching 3 million monthly listeners—numbers that may have previously seemed impossible for a death metal act.

The French acts progressive blend of technical death metal and environmental themes has won them fans across the globe. Following their performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Gojira has gained an incredible amount of attention and is at their career peak. Although some of the band’s latest work is more melodic and less heavy, Gojira stays true to their technical death metal roots and their earlire work is nothing short of utter brutality.

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