The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where acid rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 140. Songs run longer in acid rock: usually 5 to 20 minutes, against 4 to 9 minutes in black metal. To hear the difference, play Blue Cheer next to Bathory. Acid rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and acid rock came first, by fifteen years.
In figures
Acid rock
Where it sits
Rock › Psychedelic rock › Acid rock
In short
The heavy end of psychedelia: raw distortion and endless jams. Blue Cheer is often named the first genuinely heavy band.
How it sounds
- Massive distortion for the era, at the limit of what amplifiers could take.
- Long solos with wah-wah and controlled feedback.
- Slow to medium tempos with heavy drums up front.
Key acts
- Blue Cheer
- Iron Butterfly
- Grateful Dead
Start here
The pickBlue Cheer - Summertime Blues. Three people and a wall of Marshalls.
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 →