The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where funk rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 130. To hear the difference, play Red Hot Chili Peppers next to Bathory. Funk rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by two years.
In figures
Funk rock
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Funk rock
In short
Slap bass and funk grooves under rock guitars. Rap rock, and through it nu metal, start here.
How it sounds
- Slap bass or a very prominent bass tone as the lead instrument.
- Funk-style guitar with ninth chords and wah-wah, alternating with heavy riffs.
- Syncopated groove and drums full of ghost notes.
Key acts
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Faith No More
- Living Colour
Start here
The pickFaith No More - Angel Dust. An album that deliberately sabotages its own success.
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 →