Death metal as a genre built its vocal style around low growls and high shrieks developed in extreme metal during the late 1980s and 1990s, and isolated screams from that style later became popular as standalone sound effects online. Short scream clips are shared on soundboards and in video edits because they are instantly recognisable without any context. This type of clip spread through horror edits, gaming videos and meme compilations, where creators use the extreme vocal delivery as a punchline for rage, fear or a sudden transformation.