I see a lot of good points here I otherwise would have made but: 1) "Death metal" is surprisingly regional. This article is very American-centric, as European

I see a lot of good points here I otherwise would have made but: 1) "Death metal" is surprisingly regional. This article is very American-centric, as European death metal generally isn't not inspired by violence in the same way. 2) Almost all "good" art in human history is about sadness and death, especially poetry (which are probably the closest analog to modern lyrics). 3) Many of these bands tend to be intentionally over-the-top and not serious about their themes. They are usually very much going to for a classic B-movie goofiness vibe. (Cannibal Corpse, from the article, is definitely in this group)