The difference, by ear
Funeral doom halves this tempo again, until the riff stops being a riff and becomes a chord change every thirty seconds.
Funeral doom is growled or screamed where doom metal is sung cleanly, and slower: 25 to 50 bpm against 50 to 110. Songs run longer in funeral doom: usually 10 to 25 minutes, against 6 to 12 minutes in doom metal. To hear the difference, play Black Sabbath next to Thergothon. Funeral doom grew out of doom metal, eleven years later. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Doom metal
Where it sits
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 →Funeral doom
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Doom metal › Funeral doom
In short
The slowest metal in existence: under 40 bpm, organ, guttural vocals and fifteen-minute songs. Music for a single chord.
How it sounds
- Tempos under 50 bpm, often under 40 - the slowest metal there is.
- Chords held for tens of seconds, with organ or keyboards underneath.
- Sparse guttural vocals, ten- to twenty-minute pieces, minimal structures.
Key acts
- Thergothon
- Skepticism
- Evoken
Start here
The pickSkepticism - Stormcrowfleet. Listen at night, on headphones, in one sitting.
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