Death Metal is a split album by the bands Helloween, Hellhammer, Running Wild and Dark Avenger. It contains the only recorded material of the German band Dark Avenger. The album offers an interesting snapshot of the ebullience and creativity of the Central European metal scene during the end of the early-1980s. At that time Running Wild had yet to develop their "pirate metal" schtick and considered themselves a black metal band. Helloween were more of a thrashy speed metal act rather than the melodic power metal vehicle into which they would soon develop. Hellhammer were the darker and heavier band of the foursome and would later be regarded as pioneers and inspiration for generations of European extreme metallers.