Who really invented death metal? More than three decades later, the question remains.

The argument over what constitutes the first official death metal album has been ongoing, centered around two landmarks debuts: Possessed's Seven Churches (1985) and Death's Scream Bloody Gore (1987).

In Episode 11 of Loudwire's "50 Years of Heavy Metal" video series, we explore this classic argument, with some help from members of The Black Dahlia Murder, Opeth, Cattle Decapitation, Municipal Waste, Misery Index and High on Fire.

Before we assess the two albums though, it is imperative that we determine the dividing line between thrash and its more extreme sensibilities and certifiable death metal. This, however, isn't easy, hence why the answer to this question has yet to be sorted out in any definitive, be-all-end-all capacity.

If Possessed, who coined the genre term in their song titled "Death Metal," were indeed death metal's creators, what separates them from like-minded acts such as Dark Angel and Kreator? And what is it about Scream Bloody Gore that severs the ties from thrash to make it a full-fledged death metal album?

That's what we've asked ourselves. The answers lie in the video for Ep. 11 at the top of the page.

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