The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where d-beat is shouted, and swings further either way: 160 to 280 bpm against 180 to 220. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 1½ to 2½ minutes in d-beat. To hear the difference, play Discharge next to Bathory. D-beat comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side. Sweden appears in the origins of both.
In figures
D-beat
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › D-beat
In short
Named after Discharge's drum pattern: galloping toms, motorcycle guitar and anti-war slogans shouted as choruses.
How it sounds
- The Discharge pattern: floor tom in eighths with the hi-hat open on the offbeat.
- Guitars with massive distortion playing two- or three-chord riffs.
- Short, sloganeering lyrics about nuclear war and authority.
Key acts
- Discharge
- Anti Cimex
- Disfear
Start here
The pickDischarge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing. Not one relaxed second on it.
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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