Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Celtic punk1985

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headCeltic punk vs Black metal
Celtic punk: heaviness 4, melody 9, speed 7. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness4 / 9Melody9 / 4Speed7 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where Celtic punk is shouted, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 140 to 190. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2½ to 4 minutes in Celtic punk. To hear the difference, play The Pogues next to Bathory. Celtic punk comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by three years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Celtic punk4
Black metal9
+5
Speed
Celtic punk7
Black metal9
+2
Melody
Celtic punk9
Black metal4
−5

Celtic punk

1985 · London / Boston

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Celtic punk

In short

Tin whistle, mandolin and accordion over distorted guitar. Irish pub songs turned up to eleven.

How it sounds

  • Mandolin, banjo, accordion, tin whistle and fiddle beside electric guitar.
  • Jig and reel rhythms accelerated to punk tempo.
  • Choruses for singing in unison, pint in hand - amplified pub music.

Key acts

  • The Pogues
  • Dropkick Murphys
  • Flogging Molly

Start here

The pickThe Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash. Produced by Elvis Costello, and it shows.

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Black metal

1982 · Norway / Sweden · 10 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal

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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