The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where math rock is mostly instrumental, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 160. To hear the difference, play Slint next to Bathory. Math rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by six years.
In figures
Math rock
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Math rock
In short
Odd meters and interlocking riffs assembled like a puzzle, usually without vocals. Post-rock's cerebral cousin.
How it sounds
- Frequently changing odd meters, often with two guitars in different metres at once.
- Clean or lightly overdriven guitars in alternate tunings, with tapping and harmonics.
- Usually instrumental; where there are vocals, they are spoken or whispered.
Key acts
- Slint
- Don Caballero
- Battles
- Toe
Start here
The pickSlint - Spiderland. Six songs that changed independent rock.
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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