Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Death-doom1990

Second genre

Doom metal1980

Head to headDeath-doom vs Doom metal
Death-doom: heaviness 10, melody 6, speed 3. Doom metal: heaviness 9, melody 7, speed 2.Heaviness10 / 9Melody6 / 7Speed3 / 2
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Doom sings cleanly and comes from Sabbath. Death-doom growls and comes from death metal, and arrives at the same tempo from the other direction.

Doom metal is sung cleanly where death-doom is growled or screamed, at much the same pace, around 50 to 110 bpm. To hear the difference, play My Dying Bride next to Black Sabbath. They share a root in heavy metal, and doom metal came first, by ten years. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Death-doom10
Doom metal9
−1
Speed
Death-doom3
Doom metal2
−1
Melody
Death-doom6
Doom metal7
+1

Death-doom

1990 · United Kingdom

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Death metal › Death-doom

In short

Guttural vocals at funeral tempo. Bands from Yorkshire invented the combination and then invented gothic metal too.

How it sounds

  • Very slow tempos with long riffs and sustained chords.
  • Guttural vocals over minor harmony, sometimes with violin or keyboards.
  • Eight- to twelve-minute songs with slow dynamics and oppressive atmosphere.

Key acts

  • My Dying Bride
  • Paradise Lost
  • Anathema
  • Winter

Start here

The pickMy Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans. The violin matters as much as the guitar.

Full page →

Doom metal

1980 · UK / USA · 7 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Doom metal

In short

The branch most faithful to Black Sabbath: slow tempos, thick riffs and crushing atmosphere. The weight comes from space, not speed.

How it sounds

  • Tempos between 60 and 100 bpm, with sustained chords and plenty of space.
  • Thick guitar tone, usually down-tuned, with analogue fuzz.
  • Oppressive atmosphere and themes of fate, the occult or depression.

Key acts

  • Black Sabbath
  • Candlemass
  • Saint Vitus
  • Pentagram

Start here

The pickSaint Vitus - Born Too Late. The title says exactly how the band felt.

Full page →