No extreme metal artist has come close to touching Death in scope, influence, or simply quality. The group of Floridian metal musicians led by Chuck Schuldiner started small, but would eventually develop a legendary sound: one that not only set the standard for the musical and conceptual approaches that would later define nearly all of extreme metal, but which also followed a clear narrative path in its development from raw and primal to complex and cerebral. Death's legendary 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore is more than just an untouchable album - upon its release, it was positively genre-creating. Scream Bloody Gore founded the quintessential death metal sound, with more tormented riffs, screams, and leads than the world had ever imagined, and established Schuldiner's inimitable phrasing and songwriting style as the most singular voice in the burgeoning genre. Today, the album is viewed unanimously as one of the all-time most important cornerstones of death metal.