The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where neo-prog is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 150. To hear the difference, play Marillion next to Bathory. Neo-prog comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and neo-prog came first, by a year.
In figures
Neo-prog
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Neo-prog
In short
Prog's 1980s comeback, with digital keyboards, shorter songs and more melodrama.
How it sounds
- 1980s digital keyboards and delay-heavy guitar in the David Gilmour manner.
- Six- to ten-minute songs with a clear chorus and a legible structure.
- Theatrical, often narrative vocals, with characters and stories across an album.
Key acts
- Marillion
- IQ
- Pendragon
Start here
The pickMarillion - Misplaced Childhood. A continuous album with no gaps between tracks.
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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