The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where Alt-country / Americana is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 80 to 120. To hear the difference, play Uncle Tupelo next to Bathory. Alt-country / Americana comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by eight years.
In figures
Alt-country / Americana
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Country rock › Alt-country / Americana
In short
Country filtered through punk and indie: same instruments, very different attitude toward Nashville.
How it sounds
- Country instrumentation with indie rock dynamics and distortion.
- Deliberately unpolished production, opposed to the Nashville standard.
- Lyrics about declining small towns, work and disappointment.
Key acts
- Uncle Tupelo
- Wilco
- Drive-By Truckers
Start here
The pickWilco - Being There. A double album that cannot decide on a genre, to its benefit.
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 →