Musical characteristics
Melodic death metal uses components of NWOBHM, in particular the fast riffing and harmonic guitar lines, but also is influenced by the characteristics of death metal like heavily distorted guitars, fast double-bass drum patterns and sometimes blast beats some even utilizing elements from other genres such as black metal and thrash metal. The vocal style of the genre may be a combination of harsh screaming, clean vocals, and death growls, if not emphasizing one of these styles over the rest. Some bands fuse melodic death metal with other metal sub-genres such as progressive metal (Dark Tranquillity, Disarmonia Mundi, Nahemah), folk metal (Eluveitie, Wintersun), power metal (Children of Bodom, Norther, Kalmah), symphonic metal (Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Ex Deo), thrash metal (Arch Enemy), alternative metal (In Flames, Soilwork, Rise to Fall), metalcore (Heaven Shall Burn, The Agonist, Threat Signal) and groove metal (DevilDriver, Despite).