The difference, in figures
Black metal is slightly lighter (−1) and slightly faster (+1) than Deathcore, and matches it on melody. It emerged in 1982, 22 years before Deathcore in 2004. The two split from Heavy metal.
Deathcore
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Death metal › Deathcore
In short
Death metal plus metalcore breakdowns: low riffs, two vocal registers and a slow moment where the room erupts.
How it sounds
- Death metal riffs alternating with metalcore breakdowns at half tempo.
- Seven- and eight-string guitars, tuned very low, with precise digital production.
- Three vocal registers: guttural growl, high scream and, more recently, clean singing.
Key acts
- Job for a Cowboy
- Suicide Silence
- Whitechapel
- Lorna Shore
Start here
The pickWhitechapel - This Is Exile. Three guitarists, all tuned as low as they will go.
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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