The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where indie pop / twee is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 160. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2½ to 3½ minutes in indie pop / twee. To hear the difference, play Belle and Sebastian next to Bathory. Indie pop / twee comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by four years.
In figures
Indie pop / twee
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Indie rock › Indie pop / twee
In short
Sweet melodies, shy vocals, clean guitars. The gentle reaction to rock machismo.
How it sounds
- Sweet melodies with major progressions and simple arrangements.
- Clean guitar, sometimes with glockenspiel, trumpet or discreet strings.
- Shy, thin vocals sung without any effort to impress.
Key acts
- Belle and Sebastian
- The Field Mice
- Camera Obscura
Start here
The pickBelle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister. Recorded in three days on a student budget.
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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