The difference, by ear
Bathory made both, consecutively. Viking metal is what that band did after black metal, and the tempo and the choirs are the audible break.
Black metal is growled or screamed where Viking metal is part sung, part screamed, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 180. To hear the difference, play Bathory next to Mayhem. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by eight years.
In figures
Viking metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Folk metal › Viking metal
In short
Norse themes, male choirs and marching tempos. It sounds like a longship, not a tavern.
How it sounds
- Massive male choirs singing in unison, for the effect of an army.
- Marching tempos, heavy drums and broad keyboards underneath.
- Lyrics about Norse mythology, battle and the sea.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Enslaved
- Amon Amarth
- Týr
Start here
The pickBathory - Twilight of the Gods. The title track is fourteen minutes of solemnity.
Full page →Black metal
Where it sits
In short
Tremolo picking, blast beats, shrieked vocals and deliberately cold production. More an aesthetic than a technique - atmosphere matters more than clean sound.
How it sounds
- Tremolo picking on open fifth voicings, with vocals in the high register.
- Deliberately thin, cold production - the missing bass is an aesthetic choice, not an accident.
- Fast blast beats, drums often mixed back, atmosphere placed above technique.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Emperor
Start here
The pickDarkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky. The production is intentional, not a flaw.
Full page →