The difference, by ear
Atmospheric black metal keeps the tremolo and the shriek and drops the aggression, letting one chord run for two minutes. Second-wave black metal never lets you settle into anything.
Both are growled or screamed, but atmospheric black metal is much slower: 90 to 200 bpm against 160 to 280. Songs run longer in atmospheric black metal: usually 7 to 15 minutes, against 4 to 9 minutes in black metal. To hear the difference, play Bathory next to Wolves in the Throne Room. Atmospheric black metal grew out of black metal, twelve years later.
In figures
Black metal
Where it sits
In short
Tremolo picking, blast beats, shrieked vocals and deliberately cold production. More an aesthetic than a technique - atmosphere matters more than clean sound.
How it sounds
- Tremolo picking on open fifth voicings, with vocals in the high register.
- Deliberately thin, cold production - the missing bass is an aesthetic choice, not an accident.
- Fast blast beats, drums often mixed back, atmosphere placed above technique.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Emperor
Start here
The pickDarkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky. The production is intentional, not a flaw.
Full page →Atmospheric black metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Atmospheric black metal
In short
Long songs, hypnotic repetition and synth textures. The landscape matters more than the riff.
How it sounds
- Songs of ten to twenty minutes with hypnotic repetition and very slow development.
- Layered guitars and keyboards that create texture rather than riffs.
- Wide reverb production with the vocals set far back in the mix.
Key acts
- Wolves in the Throne Room
- Paysage d'Hiver
- Drudkh
Start here
The pickWolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters. Four tracks, close to an hour.
Full page →