The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 220. To hear the difference, play Autopsy next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by seven years.
In figures
Old school death metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Death metal › Old school death metal
In short
The sound of the first wave: either the Swedish HM-2 buzzsaw or the cavernous American murk, with no showy technicality.
How it sounds
- Thick, buzzing guitar tone - either the Swedish HM-2 or the cavernous American murk.
- Variable tempos, with slow doom passages between the fast sections.
- Analogue production with real drums, no triggers and no quantisation.
Key acts
- Autopsy
- Dismember
- Bolt Thrower
- Incantation
Start here
The pickAutopsy - Mental Funeral. Death metal that crawls rather than runs.
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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