The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where new wave 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 4 minutes in new wave. To hear the difference, play Talking Heads next to Bathory. New wave comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and new wave came first, by four years.
In figures
New wave
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › New wave
In short
Post-punk's commercial face: synthesizers, hooks and jerky rhythms. Punk without the rage, but with the same ideas.
How it sounds
- Polyphonic synthesizers and drum machines alongside rock instruments.
- Jerky, staccato rhythms, often with funk or reggae influence.
- Clean production, radio-ready choruses and strong visuals for MTV.
Key acts
- Talking Heads
- Blondie
- The Cars
- Devo
Start here
The pickBlondie - Parallel Lines. Perfect pop with a CBGB past.
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 →