Hi guys,

It seems to me these days death metal bands mostly follow one of two major trends: the brutal/technical mega-triggered sound, or the old-school wanna-be trying to re-write Onwards To Golgotha. Either way, bands are very similar to each other, with no personality. They became very predictable, you always know what's coming next and even worse, they are pale shades of the bands they try so hard to emulate.
I don't want to sound like an old goat, but back in the day we had Death, Carcass, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, all unique, all amazing, all death metal. I like bands that somehow sound unique and that can surprise me. Among my faves I list bands like Gorguts, Akercocke, Demilich, Pavor, Anata, Martyr, The Crown, among others. Recently I've discovered ukrainian band Agruss and their amazing mix of atmospheric blackened death metal and I would like to discover new bands that have the guts to forge their path. They did not reinvent the wheel, but they don't follow any trends and that's what I'm looking for. Any recs of bands that you guys think are still very much death metal but not deja-vu? I don't mind any influences or mixes with other genres, as long as it is still identifiable death metal. Thanks!

Try all these atmospheric blackened death metal bands.

Ulcerate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdGSCNy-AHw

Mitochondrion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT8dagdvGYw

Portal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzw4x83cREc

A few that stand out to me:

Adversarial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSdp86rKiY
Technical Blackened Bestial Death Metal. Adversarial have such an amazing sound: influenced by old-school, but very technical and complex.

Mitochondrion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2R0xEdTa5w
Similar to Adversarial, though a bit less punishing and more atmospheric and textured. Technical and avant-garde without losing what Death Metal is.

Flourishing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GGLeTP1_HQ
Other than a late Gorguts influence, no band sounds like Flourishing. Mixing Death Metal and Post-Roc seems like a dumb idea, yet Flourishing make it work beyond any expectations.

Rune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAOVGJ3JQ9U
Ehnahre: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk3RcE9_ngc
Two bands that have a similar concept, if not a similar sound. Both mix avant-garde elements with Death/Doom and Sludge, in different yet equally brilliant ways.

Owl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q8eI1yfCtA

Try Depresy from Slovakia. Sighting is a beast of an atmospheric death metal album and has a very peculiar sound. Belial's (FIN) debut is also a case of "wtf?!", like a blackened version of Wolverine Blues, sort of.

Diskord too obvious?

How about Emptiness?

Wow, lots of great stuff here!! I'm enjoying most of the stuff here, thanks guys.
Ulcerate is really something special, I'm in love! Mitochondrion is also great. Portal will need more time... I'm impressed but I'm not quite enjoying 'em as much as some of the others... Will need more time to sink my teeth in. Will check the rest and then come back! Keep 'em comin'!!

Execration - Odes to the Occult

I try to pimp this album every chance I get. Imagine Autopsy playing Blut Aus Nord while listening to Voivod. Best death metal album of last year for me.

seeings how Mitochondrion has been mentioned a few times i will suggest Antediluvian who can also be found on the same label, profound lore, as Mitochondrion. They play a caverous dark blend of blackened deat h metal.

Obliteration, from Norway, similar kind of to Execration. Very awesome and doesn't try to be Incantation.

i will second obliteration for good solid death metal fun

*fistbumb* Phenomenal fucking album. Also a pretty heavy Suffocation influence as well.

Abyssal - Denouement

One of the best albums of the year (although I may have to check out that Execration album). It's got a really great atmosphere and a fairly unique sound.

Perhaps Desolate Shrine?

http://youtu.be/KPhd2Js5UeY

(sidenote: I don't know if the quality is so shit because I'm on my laptop, or if it's just Youtube, but sound quality of the actual album isn't that... off. I promise)

Apocryphon, Shroud of the heretic, Rest in pain (rus), Kalisia, Mithras, Korum

Great suggestions so far.
I would add
Augury (album: concealed) Progressive death
Wormed : planispherium (they have an upcoming album which should be released in the beginning of 2013) brutal/technical death
T.O.O.H. I only know order & punishment (melodic/progressive) death/grind

Denouement is definitely one of the great albums of the year so far. And do yourself a favour and listen to this shit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6OxbVlVQwU

Talanas, they're Ackercocke sounding progressive death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZvuMpYv_iQ
And if you like Cattle Decapitation you should check out Murder Construct https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuovA5Szyew

Try Banished From Inferno:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcgi2dxavqo
To me, they sound kind of like if old Celtic Frost were a death metal band.

And Carnagoth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsDvqnVV-sc
They might be a little too deja-vu, but they're a bit more melodic than the average OSDM worship band, and still worth a look.

Withered maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEdzGX_FGlE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uvvjiUR0TA

if you can't get into portal as easily, you might consider listening to some impetuous ritual. the band features 2 portal members, and i've always thought of them as being a little more accessible than their other bands.

http://youtu.be/eZ3q9O3HVcU

i don't know if you're looking for specifically modern bands either, but if not i would suggest demilich. the only way i can think to describe them is as one of the most fucked up death metal bands i've ever listened to. lots of people take issue with the vocals, but if you listen to the band as a whole i think they might be what you're looking for. plus, they were roughly contemporaneous to the bands you mentioned before.

http://youtu.be/1WenPgJNsUo

Ok guys, thank you all for the recs!

So far, Ulcerate is my fave. I love the Gorguts influence, the post-apocalyptic vibe, the Neurosis moments here and there, and also how technical these guys can be and yet sounding nothing like any band some how related to the term "technical". Drummer boy is just amazing.

Execration is also excelent as well as Abyssal, really into this stuff! Amazing bands!
Impetuous Ritual is definitely easier to get into than Portal, I'm enjoying them as well.
Wormed would be great but without those vocals. Pig squeals? I think I'll pass.
Augury is wayyy to techy and wanky to float my boat. Amazing musicians, though.
Talanas was cool, nice prog influence, but nowhere close to the mighty Akercocke.

Still need to check some of the other bands you guys mentioned, but for now I'm very pleased, thanks again!

Oh, and for the guy who mentioned Demilich... I know them and I love them! Just read the OP!

seeings how you havent had a chance to check them out yet i will restate what i said earlier in this thread. Yes i think Antediluvian are worth the repeated posting. They are not your typical black death and they are def still able to be called death metal. I think you enjoy them as you have mentioned other bands ie mitochondrion, portal impetuous ritual etc that are listed under the similar bands on antediluvian's m-a page. I recomend Through the Cervix of Hawaah as a good starting point. but there recent splits have been excellent as well.

Yep, when I think of bands like Mitochondrion and Impetuous Ritual, Antediluvian automatically comes to mind.

The Adversarial/Antediluvian split is one of the best releases of the year, despite being a split.

ok so I checked antediluvian via the ep with adversarial as suggested and yes... It does float my boat very much indeed! Half an hour of DM godness! Again, thank you guys!!

Best suggestions for what you're probably after:
Lykathea Aflame - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF6AazbybME
!T.O.O.H.! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egw9BCKjHqk
Nocturnus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tQTaOn6Q4w

Some melodic and symphonic technical bands that I don't find very "typical":
Amogh Symphony - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fST82QdMkpM
Augury - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hlSMQ-_WAU
Fleshgod Apocalypse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Au43Nqctc
Quo Vadis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep_9S9WH8TI

A few "random" bands:
Benighted - Brutal deathgrind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNqJ5zNxRmE

Domination Through Impurity - Brutal technical death metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfBpD8pHs2g

Gorod - Technical death metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVtzh4v9A0Q

bingo !

and to that i would suggest you add :

krisiun (last 5 albums) - frentic/fast yet groovy too and super catchy

nile (first 4 albums) - atmospheric / brutal

behemoth (last 5 albums) - dark and evil yet atmospheric

and you pretty much have a list of modern classic DM bands similar to the old school masters you mentioned

you might enjoy these guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_EX9Qb1MxA

wow, this is the first time i can honestly say another band sounds kinda like ulcerate

they sound similarish, that band has been called Ulcerate rip offs which i understand why but i enjoy their music and i enjoy ulcerate, also they toured with ulcerate if that means anything, i really enjoy both bands though