The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where boogie rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 160. To hear the difference, play Status Quo next to Bathory. Boogie rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and boogie rock came first, by twelve years.
In figures
Boogie rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Boogie rock
In short
One shuffle riff held until exhaustion. Simple by design and impossible to sit still to.
How it sounds
- A shuffle rhythm in dotted eighths, held identically from start to finish.
- A short guitar riff in open position, with no modulation.
- No pretensions whatsoever: the songs exist to be played live.
Key acts
- Status Quo
- Canned Heat
- AC/DC
Start here
The pickAC/DC - Riff Raff. Boogie rock at melting point.
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 →