Death was an American
death metal band from
Orlando, Florida, founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist
Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in
death metal. Its debut album,
Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's driving force, Chuck Schuldiner, is acknowledged as the originator of
extreme metal. The band ceased to exist after Schuldiner died of
brain cancer in December 2001, but remains an enduring metal brand.