The difference, by ear
Gothic metal grew straight out of doom and kept the tempo, then added keyboards, a second sung voice and romance. Doom stays a guitar band with a grievance.
Gothic metal is part sung, part screamed where doom metal is sung cleanly, at much the same pace, around 50 to 110 bpm. Songs run longer in doom metal: usually 6 to 12 minutes, against 4 to 7 minutes in gothic metal. To hear the difference, play Black Sabbath next to Paradise Lost. Gothic metal grew out of doom metal, eleven years later. United Kingdom 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 →Gothic metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Doom metal › Gothic metal
In short
Death-doom that adds keyboards, romance and female vocals. It popularised the beauty-and-the-beast formula.
How it sounds
- Keyboards and strings over slow, heavy riffing.
- Vocal contrast: lyrical female voice alongside a male growl - 'beauty and the beast'.
- Broad production, romantic and funereal atmosphere.
Key acts
- Paradise Lost
- Type O Negative
- Theatre of Tragedy
- Lacuna Coil
Start here
The pickType O Negative - Bloody Kisses. Bleak and funny at once, which is rare.
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