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

Desert rock1991

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headDesert rock vs Black metal
Desert rock: heaviness 5, melody 7, speed 4. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness5 / 9Melody7 / 4Speed4 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where desert rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 130. To hear the difference, play Kyuss next to Bathory. Desert rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by nine years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Desert rock5
Black metal9
+4
Speed
Desert rock4
Black metal9
+5
Melody
Desert rock7
Black metal4
−3

Desert rock

1991 · California, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock › Stoner rock › Desert rock

In short

The hypnotic, jam-based side of stoner rock, with lots of space between the notes and a warm bass tone.

How it sounds

  • Long, hypnotic improvisation with loose structures.
  • Warm, rounded tone and plenty of space between instruments.
  • Frequently instrumental, or with the voice treated as a fourth instrument.

Key acts

  • Kyuss
  • Yawning Man
  • Brant Bjork

Start here

The pickKyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley. It plays as one block rather than as tracks.

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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.

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