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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

DSBM1994

Second genre

Second wave1991

Head to headDSBM vs Second wave
DSBM: heaviness 8, melody 5, speed 6. Second wave: heaviness 9, melody 3, speed 9.Heaviness8 / 9Melody5 / 3Speed6 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

The second wave is hostile and outward-facing. This uses the same tools for collapse rather than for attack, and it is far slower and sparser.

From the DSBM entry.

Both are growled or screamed, but second wave is much faster: 180 to 280 bpm against 60 to 140. To hear the difference, play Shining next to Mayhem. Both grew out of black metal, second wave first and DSBM three years after.

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

In figures

Heaviness
DSBM8
Second wave9
+1
Speed
DSBM6
Second wave9
+3
Melody
DSBM5
Second wave3
−2

DSBM

1994 · Sweden / France

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal › DSBM

In short

Depressive suicidal black metal: slower tempos, wailing guitars and desperate vocals. The subject matter is heavy, and the genre is debated inside the scene itself.

How it sounds

  • Slower tempos with repetitive riffs in mournful minor keys.
  • Lo-fi production with distant, desperate vocals.
  • Long, monotonous structures built on repetition.

Key acts

  • Shining
  • Silencer
  • Lifelover

Start here

The pickLifelover - Pulver. The least monotonous record in the genre.

Full page →

Second wave

1991 · Norway

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal › Second wave

In short

The Norwegian scene that fixed the definitive sound: thin guitars, demo-tape production as an ideal, corpse paint.

How it sounds

  • Guitars with the mids scooped out entirely - thin and cutting, with no audible bass.
  • The production ideal is a demo tape recorded in a bedroom, not a studio session.
  • Rasping high vocals with reverb, and fast, deliberately monotonous blast beats.

Key acts

  • Mayhem
  • Darkthrone
  • Burzum
  • Immortal

Start here

The pickImmortal - Pure Holocaust. The scene's best album without the troubling baggage.

Full page →