Death was an American Death metal band from Orlando, Florida, founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in death metal. Its debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's driving force, Chuck Schuldiner, is acknowledged as the originator of extreme metal. The band ceased to exist after Schuldiner died of brain cancer in December 2001, but remains an enduring metal brand. As of 2013, Death has sold over three million albums worldwide, and one million in the United States (excluding the sales before the Nielsen SoundScan era). The group is considered the best-selling death metal band on a global level.