The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where anarcho-punk is shouted, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 150 to 200. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2 to 4 minutes in anarcho-punk. To hear the difference, play Crass next to Bathory. Anarcho-punk comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and anarcho-punk came first, by three years.
In figures
Anarcho-punk
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Anarcho-punk
In short
Total political punk: collectives, self-releasing and militant pacifism. It laid down the DIY ethic the underground still runs on.
How it sounds
- Raw production, often with noise, collage and radio recordings.
- Irregular, sometimes nearly improvised structures.
- Dense, pamphlet-like text printed in full on the gatefold sleeve.
Key acts
- Crass
- Conflict
- Subhumans
Start here
The pickCrass - The Feeding of the 5000. Not pleasant listening, and never meant to be.
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 →