The difference, by ear
Both are extremely raw and bedroom-made. DSBM's subject is personal despair; raw black metal's is hostility to the listener.
Both are growled or screamed, but DSBM is much slower: 60 to 140 bpm against 160 to 240. To hear the difference, play Ildjarn next to Shining. Both grew out of black metal, raw black metal first and DSBM a year after.
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 →DSBM
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 →