The difference, by ear
Funeral doom still moves - chord changes minutes apart. Drone metal frequently does not change at all.
Funeral doom is growled or screamed where drone metal is mostly instrumental, at much the same pace, around 10 to 50 bpm. Songs run longer in drone metal: usually 15 to 60 minutes, against 10 to 25 minutes in funeral doom. To hear the difference, play Earth next to Thergothon. Both grew out of doom metal, funeral doom first and drone metal two years after.
In figures
Drone metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Doom metal › Drone metal
In short
Sustained notes at extreme volume, with almost no rhythm. You listen with your body more than your ears.
How it sounds
- Chords or notes sustained for minutes at a time, with no perceptible rhythm.
- Extreme concert volume, with the emphasis on low frequencies felt physically.
- Controlled feedback and texture in place of melody or structure.
Key acts
- Earth
- Sunn O)))
- Boris
Start here
The pickEarth - Earth 2. Seventy-three minutes, three tracks, almost no change.
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.
Full page →