METAL HAMMER’S LIST OF THE BEST DEATH METAL SONGS EVER IS SUSPECT

I haven’t read an issue of Metal Hammer since 2006, when they did that awesome Kerry King bloodpack cover for the 20th anniversary of Reign in Blood. It’s not that I don’t like Metal Hammer – it’s just that there’s no American version, and, honestly, it’s kinda costly to buy imported magazines. But my point is this: I’m not really in any position to talk about the state of Metal Hammer as a whole. I can’t tell you that’s it great or that it sucks, because it’s been three years since I purchased an issue.

I mention this because the magazine’s German edition just did a reader’s poll to determine the best death metal songs of all time, and I find the list kinda weird. I love Arch Enemy and think “We Will Rise” is about as good a melodeath anthem as we’ve had thus far in the 21st century, but is it better than songs by Carcass, At the Gates, or Opeth? What am I to make of a list that puts Job for a Cowboy and All Shall Perish above Suffocation?

See the complete list (along with the voting percentages) after the jump. Of course it’s entirely possible that some douche bags just kept voting over and over, thereby tipping the scales, but, still, I thought it was worth having a good ol’ fashioned debate over.

• Cannibal Corpse – ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ (TOMB OF THE MUTILATED, 1992) (25%)
• Arch Enemy – ‘We Will Rise’ (ANTHEMS OF REBELLION, 2003) (15%)
• Death – ‘Crystal Mountain’ (SYMBOLIC, 1995) (13%)
• Amon Amarth – ‘Pursuit Of Vikings’ (FATE OF NORNS, 2004) (12%)
• Vader – ‘Carnal’ (BLACK TO THE BLIND, 1997) (12%)
• Sepultura – ‘Arise’ (ARISE, 1991) (12%)
• Carcass – ‘Heartwork’ (HEARTWORK, 1993) (11%)
• In Flames – ‘Only For The Weak’ (CLAYMAN, 2000) (10%)
• Kataklysm – ‘In Shadows And Dust’ (SHADOWS & DUST, 2002) (9%)
• Behemoth – ‘Christians To The Lions’ (THELEMA.6, 2000) (9%)
• Decapitated – ‘Winds Of Creation’ (WINDS OF CREATION, 2000) (8%)
• At The Gates – ‘Slaughter Of The Soul’ (SLAUGHTER OF THE SOUL, 1995) (8%)
• Morbid Angel – ‘Rapture’ (COVENANT, 1993) (8%)
• Obituary – ‘Slowly We Rot’ (SLOWLY WE ROT, 1989) (8%)
• Opeth – ‘The Drapery Falls’ (BLACKWATER PARK, 2001) (7%)
• Children Of Bodom – ‘Deadnight Warrior’ (SOMETHING WILD, 1997) (7%)
• Nile – ‘Black Seeds Of Vengeance’ (BLACK SEEDS OF VENGEANCE, 2000) (6%)
• Bloodbath – ‘Eaten’ (NIGHTMARES MADE FLESH, 2004) (6%)
• Deicide – ‘Once Upon The Cross’ (ONCE UPON THE CROSS, 1995) (5%)
• Hypocrisy – ‘Roswell 47’ (ABDUCTED, 1996) (5%)
• Entombed – ‘Left Hand Path’ (LEFT HAND PATH, 1990) (5%)
• Dark Tranquillity – ‘Punish My Heavens’ (THE GALLERY, 1995) (5%)
• Six Feet Under – ‘Feasting On The Blood Of The Insane’ (MAXIMUM VIOLENCE, 1999) (4%)
• Bolt Thrower – ‘World Eater’ (REALM OF CHAOS, 1989) (4%)
• Vital Remains – ‘Dechristianize’ (DECHRISTIANIZE, 2003) (4%)
• The Black Dahlia Murder – ‘Funeral Thirst’ (UNHALLOWED, 2003) (4%)
• Neaera – ‘Where Submission Reigns’ (THE RISING TIDE OF OBLIVION, 2005) (4%)
• Paradise Lost – ‘As I Die’ (SHADES OF GOD, 1992) (4%)
• Necrophagist – ‘Only Ash Remains’ (EPITAPH, 2004) (4%)
• Napalm Death – ‘Siege Of Power’ (SUFFER THE CHILDREN, 1990, EP) (4%)
• Job For A Cowboy – ‘Entombment Of A Machine’ (DOOM, 2005) (4%)
• Cynic – ‘Veil Of Maya’ (FOCUS, 1993) (3%)
• All Shall Perish – ‘Wage Slaves’ (THE PRICE OF EXISTENCE, 2006) (3%)
• Belphegor – ‘Lucifer Incestus’ (LUCIFER INCESTUS, 2003) (3%)
• Dissection – ‘Night’s Blood’ (STORM OF THE LIGHT’S BANE, 1995) (3%)
• Dismember – ‘Override The Overture’ (LIKE AN EVERFLOWING STREAM, 1991) (3%)
• Amorphis – ‘Black Winter Day’ (TALES FROM THE TOUSAND LAKES, 1994) (3%)
• Unleashed – ‘Death Metal Victory’ (WARRIOR, 1997) (3%)
• Suffocation – ‘Liege Of Inveracity’ (EFFIGY OF THE FORGOTTEN, 1991) (3%)
• Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – ‘Unter der Asche’ (ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, 2000) (3%)
• Grave – ‘Soulless’ (SOULLESS, 1994) (3%)
• Soilwork – ‘Mercury Shadows’ (NATURAL BORN CHAOS, 2002) (3%)
• Dying Fetus – ‘Schematics’ (STOP AT NOTHING, 2003) (3%)
• Anathema – ‘Sleepless’ (SERENADES, 1993) (3%)
• Tiamat – ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ (CLOUDS, 1992) (3%)
• Thrown To Belial – ‘Destined To Rot’ (2%)
• Illdisposed – ‘Near The Gates’ (THERE’S SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE SATE OF DENMARK, 1997) (2%)
• Atheist – ‘Piece Of Time’ (PIECE OF TIME, 1990) (2%)
• Gorefest – ‘Erase’ (ERASE, 1994) (2%)
• Pestilence – ‘Twisted Truth’ (TESTIMONY OF THE ANCIENTS, 1991) (2%)
• Asphyx – ‘The Rack’ (THE RACK, 1991) (2%)
• Aborted – ‘Dead Wreckoning’ (THE ARCHAIC ABATTOIR, 2005) (2%)
• Terrorizer – ‘Fear Of Napalm’ (WORLD DOWNFALL, 1989) (2%)
• My Dying Bride – ‘The Crown Of Sympathy’ (TURN LOOSE THE SWANS, 1993) (2%)
• Massacre – ‘From Beyond’ (FROM BEYOND, 1991) (2%)
• Despised Icon – ‘In The Arms Of Perdition’ (THE ILLS OF MODERN MAN, 2007) (2%)
• Origin – ‘The Aftermath’ (ANTITHESIS, 2008) (2%)
• Krisiun – ‘Conquerors Of Armageddon’ (CONQUERORS OF ARMAGEDDON, 2000) (2%)
• Hate Eternal – ‘King Of All Kings’ (KING OF ALL KINGS, 2002) (2%)
• The Haunted – ‘Hate Song’ (THE HAUNTED, 1998) (2%)
• Devourment – ‘Babykiller’ (BUTCHER THE WEAK, 2006) (2%)
• Debauchery – ‘Blood For The Bloodgod’ (RAGE OF THE BLOODBEAST, 2004) (2%)
• Misery Index – ‘Conquistadores’ (DISCORDIA, 2006) (1%)
• Pungent Stench – ‘For God Your Soul, For Me Your Flesh’ (FOR GOD YOUR SOUL… FOR ME YOUR FLESH, 1990) (1%)
• Malevolent Creation – ‘The Will To Kill’ (THE WILL TO KILL, 2002) (1%)
• Morgoth – ‘Under The Surface’ (ODIUM, 1993) (1%)
• Cryptopsy – ‘Emaciate’ (WHISPER SUPREMACY, 1998) (1%)
• Edge Of Sanity – ‘Black Tears’ (PURGATORY AFTERGLOW, 1994) (1%)
• Hatesphere – ‘The Fallen Shall Rise In A River Of Blood’ (THE SICKNESS WITHIN, 2005) (1%)
• Immolation – ‘Those Left Behind’ (DAWN OF POSSESSION, 1991) (1%)
• Benediction – ‘Nightfear’ (TRANSCEND THE RUBICON, 1993) (1%)
• Fleshgore – ‘Obtrusion’ (MAY GOD STRIKE ME DEAD, 2006) (1%)
• Zyklon – ‘World Ov Worms’ (WORLD OV WORMS, 2001) (1%)
• Skinless – ‘The Optimist’ (FORESHADOWING OUR DEMISE, 2001) (1%)
• The Crown – ‘Total Satan’ (DEATHRACE KING, 2000) (1%)
• Evocation – ‘Silence Sleep’ (DEAD CALM CHAOS, 2008) (1%)
• Fleshcrawl – ‘As Blood Rains From The Sky…’ (AS BLOOD RAINS FROM THE SKY… WE WALK THE PATH OF ENDLESS FIRE, 2000) (1%)
• Annotations Of An Autopsy – ‘Welcome To Sludge City’ (WELCOME TO SLUDGE CITY, 2007, EP) (1%)
• Autopsy – ‘Acts Of The Unspeakable’ (ACTS OF THE UNSPEAKABLE, 1992) (1%)
• Carnal Forge – ‘Butchered, Slaughtered, Strangled, Hanged’ (PLEASE… DIE!, 2001) (1%)
• Mortician – ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ (ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, 1998, EP) (1%)
• Atrocity – ‘Blut’ (BLUT, 1994) (1%)
• The Berzerker – ‘Heavily Medicated’ (ANIMOSITY, 2007) (1%)
• Vomitory – ‘Revelation Nausea’ (REVELATION NAUSEA, 2001) (1%)
• The Duskfall – ‘Source’ (SOURCE, 2003) (1%)
• Anima – ‘The Daily Grind’ (THE DAILY GRIND, 2008) (1%)
• Angelcorpse – ‘Sons Of Vengeance’ (EXTERMINATE, 1998) (1%)
• God Dethroned – ‘The Warcult’ (INTO THE LUNGS OF HELL, 2003) (1%)
• Panzerchrist – ‘Roomservice’ (ROOMSERVICE, 2003) (1%)
• Cancer – ‘Cancer Fucking Cancer’ ’ (TO THE GORY END, 1990) (1%)
• Macabre – ‘Zodiac: Identity Unknown’ (SINISTER SLAUGHTER, 1993) (1%)
• Unanimated – ‘Life Demise’ (ANCIENT GOD OF EVIL, 1994) (1%)
• Disgorge (US) – ‘She Lay Gutted’ (SHE LAY GUTTED, 1997) (1%)
• Grotesque – ‘Blood Runs From The Altar’ (INCANTATION, 1990, EP) (1%)
• Gorguts – ‘Condemned To Obscurity’ (THE EROSION OF SANITY, 1993) (1%)
• Brodequin – ‘Slaves To The Pyre’ (METHODS OF EXECUTION, 2006) (1%)
• Nightrage – ‘The Glow Of The Setting Sun’ (SWEET VENGEANCE, 2003) (1%)
• Iniquity – ‘The Bullet’s Breath’ (GRIME, 2002) (1%)
• Repulsion – ‘Maggots In Your Coffin’ (HORRIFIED, 1989) (1%)
• Sinister – ‘Sense Of Demise’ (DIABOLICAL SUMMONING, 1993) (1%)
• Nocturnus – ‘Alter Reality’ (THRESHOLDS, 1992) (1%)
• Konkhra – ‘The Dying Art’ (SEXUAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER, 1993) (1%)
• Haemorrhage – ‘Mortuary Riot’ (MORGUE SWEET HOME, 2002) (0%)
• Carnage – ‘Infestation Of Evil’ (DARK RECOLLECTIONS, 1990) (0%)
• Satanic Slaughter – ‘We Are The Bringers Of Armageddon’ (BANISHED TO THE UNDERWORLD, 2002) (0%)
• Incantation – ‘Christening The Afterbirth’ (ONWARD TO GOLGOTHA, 1992) (0%)
• Waco Jesus – ‘Filth’ (FILTH, 2003) (0%)
• Master – ‘America The Pitiful’ (ON THE 7th DAY GOD CREATED… MASTER, 1992) (0%)
• Defleshed – ‘Royal Straight Flesh’ (ROYAL STRAIGHT FLESH, 2002) (0%)
• Goratory – ‘Anally Injected Death Sperm’ (RICE ON SUEDE, 2004) (0%)
• Detonation – ‘Sword-Carved Skin’ (AN EPIC DEFIANCE, 2003) (0%)

Discuss amongst yourselves.

-AR