The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where Celtic rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 140. To hear the difference, play Horslips next to Bathory. Celtic rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and Celtic rock came first, by twelve years.
In figures
Celtic rock
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Celtic rock
In short
Traditional Irish and Scottish tunes set on drums and electric guitar. The direct ancestor of folk metal.
How it sounds
- Fiddle, tin whistle, uilleann pipes and mandolin alongside electric guitar.
- Jig and reel rhythms adapted to a rock drum kit.
- Traditional melodies used as the main riff rather than as decoration.
Key acts
- Horslips
- Thin Lizzy
- The Pogues
Start here
The pickThin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar. A centuries-old ballad played on twin guitars.
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 →