The difference, by ear
The first wave - Venom, Bathory's earliest records - is thrash with occult imagery and no shared sound. The genre as a sound arrives with the Norwegian second wave in 1991.
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is a little faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 220. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 5 minutes in first wave. To hear the difference, play Venom next to Bathory. First wave grew out of black metal. Sweden appears in the origins of both.
In figures
First wave
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › First wave
In short
The bands that supplied the name and the themes, while still playing speed or thrash metal. Venom released the album that christened the genre.
How it sounds
- Speed or thrash metal structures rather than black metal proper.
- Chaotic production, with volume and distortion beyond what the tape could hold.
- Satanic or occult themes, often theatrical.
Key acts
- Venom
- Bathory
- Hellhammer
- Mercyful Fate
Start here
The pickBathory - Bathory. Recorded on almost no budget, and it sounds like another planet.
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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