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

Post-grunge1994

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headPost-grunge vs Black metal
Post-grunge: heaviness 5, melody 9, speed 5. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness5 / 9Melody9 / 4Speed5 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where post-grunge is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 140. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3½ to 4½ minutes in post-grunge. To hear the difference, play Foo Fighters next to Bathory. Post-grunge comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by twelve years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Post-grunge5
Black metal9
+4
Speed
Post-grunge5
Black metal9
+4
Melody
Post-grunge9
Black metal4
−5

Post-grunge

1994 · USA / Canada

Where it sits

Rock › Alternative rock › Grunge › Post-grunge

In short

The grunge formula cleaned up for radio: same dynamics, less dirt, vastly more airplay.

How it sounds

  • The same dynamics, but with radio production: heavy compression, symmetrical guitars.
  • Melodic choruses with doubled and harmonised vocals.
  • Simplified riffing, mid tempos, fixed structures.

Key acts

  • Foo Fighters
  • Bush
  • Creed
  • Nickelback

Start here

The pickFoo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape. Dave Grohl played nearly all of it himself.

Full page →

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 →