The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where new nu metal is part sung, part screamed, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 150. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 5 minutes in new nu metal. To hear the difference, play Tallah next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by 36 years.
In figures
New nu metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Nu metal › New nu metal
In short
The generation raised on Korn and Slipknot brings back low tunings and electronic textures with today's production.
How it sounds
- Very low tunings and modern production with electronic and trap elements.
- Short structures built for streaming and vertical video.
- Vocals switching rapidly between rapping, processed singing and screaming.
Key acts
- Tallah
- Vended
- Sleep Token
Start here
The pickLoathe - I Let It in and It Took Everything. Deftones and shoegaze, done very well.
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 →