The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where jangle pop is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 110 to 150. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 4 minutes in jangle pop. To hear the difference, play R.E.M. next to Bathory. Jangle pop comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and jangle pop came first, by two years.
In figures
Jangle pop
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Jangle pop
In short
Clean, chiming Rickenbacker guitars and melody everywhere. The building block of indie rock.
How it sounds
- Compressed Rickenbacker guitar with no distortion - the jangle itself.
- Melodic bass with its own lines, often moving in counterpoint.
- Clear melodies, with vocals sometimes mixed lower than radio expected.
Key acts
- R.E.M.
- The Smiths
- The Go-Betweens
Start here
The pickR.E.M. - Murmur. Don't try to decipher the lyrics; the band didn't want you to.
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 →