The difference, by ear
Both use slowness to create scale. Atmospheric black metal does it with tremolo at speed; this does it by removing almost everything.
Both are growled or screamed, but atmospheric black metal is much faster: 90 to 200 bpm against 25 to 50. To hear the difference, play Thergothon next to Wolves in the Throne Room. They share a root in heavy metal, and funeral doom came first, by three years.
In figures
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 →Atmospheric black metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Atmospheric black metal
In short
Long songs, hypnotic repetition and synth textures. The landscape matters more than the riff.
How it sounds
- Songs of ten to twenty minutes with hypnotic repetition and very slow development.
- Layered guitars and keyboards that create texture rather than riffs.
- Wide reverb production with the vocals set far back in the mix.
Key acts
- Wolves in the Throne Room
- Paysage d'Hiver
- Drudkh
Start here
The pickWolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters. Four tracks, close to an hour.
Full page →