The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where nu metal is part sung, part screamed, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 80 to 120. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 4½ minutes in nu metal. To hear the difference, play Korn next to Bathory. Both grew out of heavy metal, black metal first and nu metal twelve years after.
In figures
Nu metal
Where it sits
In short
Seven-string guitars tuned very low, hip-hop groove, a DJ or sampler and lyrics about personal trauma. The decade's best-selling and most disputed genre.
How it sounds
- Seven-string guitars tuned very low, with simple syncopated riffs.
- Very prominent bass, often slapped or synth-toned, plus a DJ or sampler in the line-up.
- Vocals moving between rapping, singing and screaming, with lyrics about personal trauma.
Key acts
- Korn
- Slipknot
- Deftones
- Limp Bizkit
Start here
The pickKorn - Korn. The first track opens with bagpipes, which nobody ever remembers.
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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