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Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

War metal / bestial1990

Second genre

Blackened death metal1993

Head to headWar metal / bestial vs Blackened death metal
War metal / bestial: heaviness 10, melody 1, speed 10. Blackened death metal: heaviness 10, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness10 / 10Melody1 / 4Speed10 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Both hybridise the two extreme branches. Blackened death is precise and expensively produced; war metal is the opposite of both.

Both are growled or screamed, but blackened death metal is a little slower: 180 to 260 bpm against 200 to 300. Songs run longer in blackened death metal: usually 4 to 7 minutes, against 2 to 4 minutes in war metal / bestial. To hear the difference, play Blasphemy next to Behemoth. They share a root in heavy metal, and war metal / bestial came first, by three years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
War metal / bestial10
Blackened death metal10
level
Speed
War metal / bestial10
Blackened death metal9
−1
Melody
War metal / bestial1
Blackened death metal4
+3

War metal / bestial

1990 · Canada / Australia

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal › War metal / bestial

In short

Black and death metal reduced to noise, speed and bullet belts. The least legible branch of metal there is.

How it sounds

  • Deliberately illegible production, everything saturated and compressed.
  • Extreme tempos, chaotic drumming, riffs that are barely distinguishable.
  • Fully distorted vocals, usually through effects.

Key acts

  • Blasphemy
  • Revenge
  • Archgoat

Start here

The pickBlasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom. Twenty-five minutes of organised chaos.

Full page →

Blackened death metal

1993 · Poland / Global

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Death metal › Blackened death metal

In short

Death metal structure with black metal atmosphere and subject matter. Often with ritual and stagecraft to match.

How it sounds

  • Death metal structure and weight with black metal tremolo and atmosphere.
  • Large-scale production, often with orchestration, choirs or ambience.
  • Dual vocals: guttural growls alternating with high shrieks.

Key acts

  • Behemoth
  • Belphegor
  • Akercocke

Start here

The pickBehemoth - The Satanist. The best-produced album in the genre.

Full page →