The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where Midwest emo is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 150. To hear the difference, play American Football next to Bathory. Midwest emo comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by twelve years.
In figures
Midwest emo
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Midwest emo
In short
Open tunings and interlocking arpeggios, odd meters and lyrics about autumn and empty rooms.
How it sounds
- Open tunings and two guitars playing separate, interlocking lines.
- Odd meters used discreetly, with no display of technique.
- The occasional trumpet, slow tempos, and lyrics about places and seasons.
Key acts
- American Football
- Cap'n Jazz
- The Promise Ring
Start here
The pickAmerican Football - Never Meant. That opening guitar figure is a whole genre.
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 →