The difference, by ear
The opposite response to the same materials - one wants to envelop the listener, the other to repel them.
Both are growled or screamed, but atmospheric black metal is slower: 90 to 200 bpm against 160 to 240. Songs run longer in atmospheric black metal: usually 7 to 15 minutes, against 3 to 7 minutes in raw black metal. To hear the difference, play Ildjarn next to Wolves in the Throne Room. Both grew out of black metal, raw black metal first and atmospheric black metal a year after. Global appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Raw black metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Raw black metal
In short
Lo-fi production taken to the extreme, often recorded straight to tape. The noise is part of the composition.
How it sounds
- Recorded to cassette or with minimal equipment, saturation and hiss included.
- Guitars with almost no midrange, sometimes indistinguishable from the background.
- Simple, repetitive compositions with total emphasis on atmosphere.
Key acts
- Ildjarn
- Mütiilation
- Bone Awl
Start here
The pickIldjarn - Forest Poetry. Minimalism taken all the way.
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 →