The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 200. To hear the difference, play Alcest next to Bathory. Blackgaze / post-black grew out of black metal, 25 years later.
In figures
Blackgaze / post-black
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Blackgaze / post-black
In short
Black metal tremolo over shoegaze harmony: the same density, but the result comes out luminous instead of frozen.
How it sounds
- Black metal tremolo picking over major or modal, luminous harmony.
- Walls of guitar with reverb and delay, in the shoegaze tradition.
- Screamed vocals mixed under the instruments, as texture.
Key acts
- Alcest
- Deafheaven
- Lantlôs
Start here
The pickDeafheaven - Sunbather. It opens with nine minutes that justify the whole genre.
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.
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