The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where crossover thrash is shouted, and swings further either way: 160 to 280 bpm against 180 to 240. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 1 to 2½ minutes in crossover thrash. To hear the difference, play D.R.I. next to Bathory. Crossover thrash comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by two years.
In figures
Crossover thrash
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Crossover thrash
In short
The exact point where hardcore and thrash metal merge: metal riffs, skate-park attitude, mandatory circle pit.
How it sounds
- Thrash metal riffing inside hardcore structures and song lengths.
- Fast tempos with transitions into syncopated mosh parts.
- Lyrics that are often satirical or about the scene itself.
Key acts
- D.R.I.
- Suicidal Tendencies
- Municipal Waste
- S.O.D.
Start here
The pickSuicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized. The best song ever written about parents not listening.
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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