The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 120 to 190. To hear the difference, play Bathory next to Mayhem. Pagan / Viking black metal grew out of black metal, eight years later.
In figures
Pagan / Viking black metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Pagan / Viking black metal
In short
Black metal with Norse mythology and folk melodies. Bathory's later albums are the starting point.
How it sounds
- Modal melodies drawn from Nordic folk music, played on distorted guitars.
- Male choirs and marching drum patterns.
- Epic structures with long songs and dynamics running from silence to storm.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Enslaved
- Windir
Start here
The pickBathory - Hammerheart. Quorthon played nearly all of it himself.
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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