The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is slower: 160 to 280 bpm against 220 to 320. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 1 to 3 minutes in deathgrind. To hear the difference, play Napalm Death next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by eight years.
In figures
Deathgrind
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Death metal › Deathgrind
In short
Death metal compressed to the length and speed of grindcore. No intro, no outro.
How it sounds
- Near-continuous blast beats, with songs between thirty seconds and two minutes.
- Compressed death metal riffs with no development.
- Vocals alternating between very low growls and very high screams.
Key acts
- Napalm Death
- Cattle Decapitation
- Pig Destroyer
Start here
The pickPig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard. No bass player, and you don't miss 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.
Full page →