Reviled and revered in equal measure since its inception over a decade ago, Death Metal and its bastard offspring Grindcore have pushed hard rock to the very edge of acceptability--and far beyond. But despite its unceasing growth and increasing legions of fans around the globe, the phenomenon has never been fully documented until now. This encyclopedia-style book includes full histories and detailed discographies of over 2,000 bands--from the founding fathers Napalm Death, Carcass, Incantation, Impetigo, and Morbid Angel, to the rise of Swedish Death Metal legends In Flames, Carnage, and At The Gates, the Black Death Metal of Marduk, the Christian Death Metal of Mortification, and the political Noisecore of Agathocles.