Be'lakor and Omnium Gatherum.

The Black Dahlia Murder are just Incredible! Every Album is constantly good and the last and newest one "Abysmal", you need to listen to it. Such a high Level of musicianship, technique, Arrangement, Sound and just Fun.

34:28 that Evanescence comment almost starts WW3

Amon Amarth is trendy but still relevant.

insomnium is 100% melodic death

Thanks again for taking my suggestion, I am glad I got to see some Finns up there :). Can't wait for next installment, I've been waiting for Lock Horns for a while!

I would say At the Gates invented the Melodic aspect of it. Entombed was a early front runner of the Death thing, but At the Gates took the heaviness and added melody. Everybody else came after.

The fuck? People are self conscious about liking Amon Amarth? I can't be bothered to worry about whether a band's 'popular' or not when they're as fucking solid as them, and this kind of concern about whether liking a band is trendy or not is so childish. I love Sam, so no offense meant here. I just think the elitism and fear of popularity that a lot of the metal community gets wrapped up in is petty.

Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum. hands down my favorite Melo Deth bands. If death metal would ever take you on a journey these guys go places.

Dissection should absolutely be on this list despite the black metal influence.

Edge of Sanity. their album Purgatory Afterflow release at the same year with Heartwork. Dan Swano and Edge of Sanity is underrated

Great show! Informative, entertaining, and makes the rock genre as a whole seem alive. Doesn't bring the feel of decadence that That Metal Show used to, at least in its last 3 or 4 seasons. Hope you guys can keep this going on and on with this bright spirit.

Dark Tranquillity #1 melodic death metal to me. They made the genre and have consistently put out stellar releases.

List looks pretty great now. Glad Lock Horns is back from winter break, especially as streaming is now open for my country. Greetins from Germany.

Each album of Carcass is different sub-genres, IS melodic death metal for sure !

The episode I've been looking forward to the most!

i love this channel, finally some one who cares about metal so much like Sam and shares it

Hope the channel grows. This is awesome!

Was waiting for my favorite genre to show up :D! Finally!

Be'lakor FTW! Chech 'em out, Sam, they're truly awesome! Plus, check out Dark Lunacy from Italy. Finally, Haggard from Germany, though they're more than just a melodeath band...

I love this show. It beats the hell out of That Dad Metal Show. You and your guests are intimately familiar with metal as it exists today, rather than being stuck on what it was in the 70s and 80s. Not to say that the 70s and 80s weren't the peak for metal in terms of popularity and visibility, but we have come so far since then. Thanks for everything you do!

It would be nice to see an episode of doom/death metal of the early nineties with bands like Anathema, Paradise lost, Katatonia. Cheers from Montenegro

So glad to see Insomnium make this revised list. I recently went nuts and bought physical copies of all their studio releases and not just digital versions that I had bought previously.

Awesome discussion. MeloDeath is absolutely my favorite sub genre! Congrats on the Apple Music deal too!

EDGE OF SANITY and SCAR SYMMETRY need to be in the list, maybe OPETH too because of their 5 or 6 first albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse is clearly symphonic metal

Seriously they needed to add Mors Principium Est to this.

Yes Be'lakor ! You should do an Album review on them Sam, to become more familiar with them they are a great upcoming Melodeath band

"Be'lakor, not a band I know"... Dude you are missing out!

Fun fact I just want to throw out there is that Michael Amott voiced a minor character on Metalocolypse, as well as Angela Gossow.

Amorphis should definitely be on the list.

I'm in a quandary. Amon Amarth is one of the few bands that can be classified into different metal genres, their lyrics are epic, going into folk/viking death metal but their riffs and solos are absolutely melodic with a bit mix even of heavy/groove metal. They are into the top of the strongest melodic death metal bands. ImI I Love you Sam Dunn

"My dads judas priest and metallica tapes" made me feel OLD right off that bat! lol

wish you guys had a spotify playlist as well. Would listen to that forever

Mors Principium Est should be in there, as should (since you were looking for Canadian bands) Quo Vads.

whr the fack is EDGE OF SANITY!!!!!!

well,as a melodic death metal fan I consider the stream really short,you could have talk about it a lot more of it,but it's fine kalmah come to the scene so I happy with that :)

The Black Dahlia Murder should absolutely be included! i don't understand when people say they belong to hardcore/metalcore, I don't hear ANY hardcore influence in their music.

Just discovered Banger TV. Loving it and I'm a fucking huge melodic death metal fan, it was the music I grew up with. Anyway, I think you dudes should sit down for the next one :) I just mean it might be more comfortable for everybody. I only say this cuz I'm a lazy puke myself. Now, might I suggest some early-ish bands that I feel really fit in here: Edge of Sanity (have a listen to 'Jesus Cries' from 1993's Spectral Sorrows - badass tune with some melodic elements). Edge of Sanity and other Swano stuff just got more melodic as time went on, of course. Also, by 1994's Tales from the Thousand Lakes, Amorphis had become one of the quintessential melodic death bands imo, though they shifted styles quickly. Cheers!

Great list, wish someone had mentioned Norther.

Would also like to put Dissection on that list, they had a unique blend of black and death metal, which was also very melodic. We also have Eucharist and Ceremonial Oath, two early Swedish melodic death metal bands, which I think has been very over-shadowed by In Flames and At The Gates. Unanimated is recommended too, they sound similar to Dissection but I think they have a rawer sound.

Just discovered this. Would have loved to have the band Gates Of Ishtar mentioned, their album "At dusk and forever" is absolutely a hidden gem, one of my faves in melodic death metal, amazing band in the last days of the 90´s. They made amazing melodic death metal.

Edge of Sanity the great band that got forgotten. Purgatory Afterglow and Crimsom is masterpiece

Finally my favorite band gets some love... Necrotism - Descanting the Insulubrious & Heartwork The two best Melodic Death Metal Albums of all time...IMO \m/ \m/

Fleshgod apocalypse is totally symphonic death together with ex deo, hollenthon, septicflesh and perhaps haggard.

Awesome. Thank you, Sam. All those bands you listed are cool but even through the people that I'm going to mention now may not belong in the melodic death metal genre, their names have to be mentioned. It's Chuck Schuldiner of Death and also James Murphy (who played Death: Spiritual Healing, Obituary: Cause Of Death, Cancer: Death Shell Rise and Testament: Low and The Gathering and his own band Disincarnate). Before the melodic side of death metal really took effect, Chuck and James really got it going on Spiritual Healing. Just 2 geniuses that you've overlooked.

Wintersun, even though they're pretty hard to classify.

The Black Dahlia Murder, Be'lakor, Whintersun,Isomnium,Wolfheart, are some of the best Melo Death bands nowadays

Nice additions and omissions (though I question "Amorphis") ;). Best list next to Folk Metal (imo). For those that are fans of this genre, though they may not have been "influential", they were more technical on their 1st album (Two Feet Stand - 1997), "Gardenian" , but their next 2 had the more "Gothenburg Sound" and another that was one of the 1st to add melodic vocals to Death Metal. Looking forward to a Prog/Tech-Death Metal Tree :).

Loved the blank stare they did when they mentioned Evanescence lmao!!

The Carcass album is "Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious" not decanting you noobs. Also, while Michael Amott has played on all of Carcass' latter albums, make no mistake, Bill Steer IS Carcass. Opeth started out as Progressive Death Metal and evolved into progressive rock. Dethklok, Black Dahlia and Insomnium are all Melodic Death Metal. Carcass, Hypocrisy and Amorphis didn't start out as, but did evolve into Melodeath. Be'lakor rules and definitely belongs. Fleshgod Apocalypse is Symphonic/ Technical Death Metal NOT Melodeath..

Really hoping for a reboot of this style of Lock Horns. We need an update! Also A Headbangers Journey part 2. please Sam!!!!

how did I miss this

Quo Vadis is a great band from Canada.

Although their later material went a different way...Sentenced north from here was one of the first melodeth albums...Gates Of Ishtar and Unanimated also deserve a place in this list, as well as Screams Of Hockomock

Honorary mention: Dimension Zero, they released three (?) great albums 10-15 years ago. Sounds like in flames on steroids, guitar being played by Jesper Strömblad. Check them out! Start with 'silent night fever'.

Fuck yeah! Seeing Kalmah with Vesperia on april 11th! I've been waiting 5 fucking years for this.

Love the show

Some more great bands: Words of Farewell, Zero Degree (Both from Germany) Riddare av Koden (South Africa), Be'lakor (Australia), Norther, Omnium Gatherum. Mors Principium Est, Before the Dawn, Frosttide (Finland)

Amazing chart, I would love to see Wintersun, Heaven Shall Burn, Be'Lakor, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Unguided, even though bands like Wintersun are more infused with Folk metal, and bands like black dahlia, heaven shall burn, and The unguided have more metalcore elements in metalcore, all of their roots are heavily in bands like In flames, dark tranquility

I’m a huge Michael Amott fan, but Bill Steer had most of Necroticism written before Amott joined.

thank you for reading my comment i hope you listen to wretched and enjoy them as much as i have

I dunno why, but Everytime I see "At The Gates" logo I swear it makes me think of like the "Fear Factor" logo lol I think that's what it reminds me of or vice versa

TBDM is melodeath to the T....Death metal subject matter like deathmask divine is a prime example although there are many...no hardcore riffs or vocal styling at all. (not hardcore) Early tbdm based on the first two albums sounds like "death" vocally or even a black metal danny filth type style with all the high screams but at the gates musically with plenty of blast beats. With nocturnal they came into their own with more of a black metal meets classic death metal with some early in flames and more techy at gates melodic riffing....yet they have almost a power metal style for guitar solos. They are melodeath and for my money the best current example of such.

Is also like to see an episode with Power Metal. Symphonic Power, Neo-classical power metal. And so on.

In Flames - Jester Race. At The Gates - Slaughter of the soul and DT - The Gallery are all top 30 metal albums of all time.

BLOODBATH - THE WACKEN CARNAGE 2005, for me still the best of all death metal recordings...it´s brutal and I even can dance with that! incredible...

I don't know how you could consider Fleshgod Apocalypse more melo-death than The Black Dahlia Murder, but that's just me.

when i think of melodic death metal i think of these 4: at the gates, in flames, soilwork and dark tranquility. the other 2 are melo death as well for sure.

That common theme of drawing a line in the family tree makes it really difficult for CoB to find a spot, but for some reason they are indisputably a melo-death band for every fan of the genre including me. And then you can start drawing lines to bands like Norther, Parasite Inc. or even WIntersun. The latter imo deserving a spot here. Also, Be'Lakor might be contesters for a spot. They are close to Insomnium's approach, which is for me maybe a continuation of EoS and Dark Tranquility's sound. The more atmospheric feel is hugely influential on current melodic death metal. And finally a band close to my heart and arguably one of the most well rounded band's in the genre are Mors Principium Est. So many quality records and over all a really distinct sound. And finally BDM absolutely belong here. They are probably the most extreme you could get in melo death before crossing the line to death metal, general "extreme metal" or maybe even deathcore, but for me you definitely can draw direct lines from bands like Carcass to The Black Dahlia Murder.

Subbed. I enjoyed Sam Dunn's work.

Will you be doing playlists for Google Play Music as well?

Colin Richardson should get a mention as the producer that defined the sound.

really enjoyed this but there was a couple scary parts for headset wearers. i had turned up the audio when i couldn't hear the speaking at the start and the sudden change of volume was unfortunate. also there's fits of static at six or so points. cheers though, appreciate your efforts.

Good to see Hypocrisy was added. They started up at the same scene as In Flames, At The Gates, Soilwork and so on. Hypocrisy used to be playing on the same bills. Somehow they didn't get as popular and at the same time never got watered down or Americanized as i call it

You guys should make Spotify playlists too

Superb!

Would I be crazy to suggest Demolition Hammer, Carnal Forge, Legion Of The Damned?

Maybe the future of the genre looks at alternative ways of putting the melodic side of the music across. I've a couple of ways of doing this linked to more middle east folk based bands using native instruments that could be influential to a future sound.

What about Dark Age, No Return & Mnemic?

Norther, scar symmetry, Eternal Tears of Sorry, Kalmah, Gates of Ishtar, Nightrage, Gardenian, Passenger, Skyfire, The Agonist and Into Eternity. Those deffo should be considered.

Is there a pod cast talk in the works?

There seriously needs to be a whole episode on Opeth. They are too important and diverse to be skimmed over. I would love to see a real sit down with Akerfeldt

2 styles: Brutal melodeath (started by Carcass and At The Gates) and melancholic melodeath(started by In Flames and Dark Tranquillity)

Can't wait for the Black Metal episode. Shit will go wild in comment section.

Ceremonial Oath/ Gardenian needed to be added to the list

Finland has a Lot of bands that should be there some still active some don't: Norther, eternal tears of sorrow, imperanon, mors principium est, suotana , wintersun, wolfheart, before the dawn, countless skies, even ensiferum has MDM elements

One of my favourite subgenres. Hyporcisy is a great band if you have not heard of them.

They weren't founders of the style but Amon Amarth have done enough to get a spot. With Oden On Our Side is one of the best albums of the genre...

I'm only thirteen minutes in and I may get surprised later, but there is a strong case to be made for Death's last two records (which, like the rest of their catalogue, are monoliths of the general scope of DM) being MDM as well. Based on responses I've gotten to that idea, it seems to be controversial.

Fleshgod is more neoclassical or symphonic technical death but not a mdm. It's very different genres.

Mors Principium should also be on here.

Morgan, how do you like this name for the genre that amon amarth also is in... Heathen Metal?

I miss Vomitory there at the right side. And by the way - where does Dissection belong? Melodic DM or melodic BM?

good stuff

The Absence 🙏🏻

Cant say I agree with Fleshgod Apocalypse; they are more of a symphonic and technical band than the others on this list and helped pioneer a different subgenre in and of itself.... However, we DEFINITELY need to be including The Black Dahlia Murder on there..... they ARE the melodic death band of the US. They may tend to stray further away from the original melodeath with each new album, but the roots are deep within the melodic framework as they continue to try and maintain a contemporary metal sound. This vid aged very well, might I add! Still a very robust topic, and for myself, it comes up often enough to have to refresh upon.

Swedish death is not the same as melodic death!

So would Amon Amarth ( especially today)..Also fit on the Viking metal branch? AA can fit into two sugenres...Melodic Death Metal& Viking metal

This and Stoner Doom are my fav metals!!!

Wheres Kalmah in all this?