Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Death 'n' roll1993

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headDeath 'n' roll vs Black metal
Death 'n' roll: heaviness 8, melody 6, speed 5. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness8 / 9Melody6 / 4Speed5 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 160. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 4½ minutes in death 'n' roll. To hear the difference, play Entombed next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by eleven years. Sweden appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Death 'n' roll8
Black metal9
+1
Speed
Death 'n' roll5
Black metal9
+4
Melody
Death 'n' roll6
Black metal4
−2

Death 'n' roll

1993 · Sweden

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Death metal › Death 'n' roll

In short

Death metal that admits its rock roots: groove, blues riffing and a hoarse shout.

How it sounds

  • Riffs with rock and roll groove played with a death metal tone.
  • Mid tempos with swing and shuffle drumming instead of blast beats.
  • Hoarse vocals, closer to Lemmy than to a classic growl.

Key acts

  • Entombed
  • Gorefest
  • Six Feet Under

Start here

The pickEntombed - Wolverine Blues. Death metal you can tap your foot to.

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Black metal

1982 · Norway / Sweden · 10 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal

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 →