The difference, by ear
Black metal is thin, cold and lo-fi. This is thick, clear and expensively produced, which is why the black metal purists disown it.
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal swings further either way: 160 to 280 bpm against 180 to 260. To hear the difference, play Behemoth next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by eleven years.
In figures
Blackened death metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Death metal › Blackened death metal
In short
Death metal structure with black metal atmosphere and subject matter. Often with ritual and stagecraft to match.
How it sounds
- Death metal structure and weight with black metal tremolo and atmosphere.
- Large-scale production, often with orchestration, choirs or ambience.
- Dual vocals: guttural growls alternating with high shrieks.
Key acts
- Behemoth
- Belphegor
- Akercocke
Start here
The pickBehemoth - The Satanist. The best-produced album in the genre.
Full page →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.
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