The difference, by ear
The second wave was lo-fi and still made records for people to hear. Raw black metal takes the same aesthetic past the point of communication, on purpose.
Both are growled or screamed, but second wave is a little faster: 180 to 280 bpm against 160 to 240. To hear the difference, play Ildjarn next to Mayhem. Both grew out of black metal, second wave first and raw black metal two years 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 →Second wave
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 →