Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Pirate metal2006

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headPirate metal vs Black metal
Pirate metal: heaviness 6, melody 10, speed 7. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness6 / 9Melody10 / 4Speed7 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where pirate metal is part sung, part screamed, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 150 to 200. To hear the difference, play Alestorm next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by 24 years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Pirate metal6
Black metal9
+3
Speed
Pirate metal7
Black metal9
+2
Melody
Pirate metal10
Black metal4
−6

Pirate metal

2006 · Scotland

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Folk metal › Pirate metal

In short

Power metal with accordion and lyrics about rum. A small genre, entirely shameless and very effective live.

How it sounds

  • Accordion, fiddle and hurdy-gurdy-style keyboards over fast power metal.
  • Choruses written as sea shanties, built for singing in unison.
  • Lyrics exclusively about pirates, rum and naval battles - without exception.

Key acts

  • Alestorm
  • Running Wild
  • Swashbuckle

Start here

The pickAlestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge. Exactly what the title promises.

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Black metal

1982 · Norway / Sweden · 10 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal

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 →