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-punk1978

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headPost-punk vs Black metal
Post-punk: heaviness 3, melody 6, speed 5. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness3 / 9Melody6 / 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-punk is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 110 to 150. To hear the difference, play Joy Division next to Bathory. Post-punk comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and post-punk came first, by four years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Post-punk3
Black metal9
+6
Speed
Post-punk5
Black metal9
+4
Melody
Post-punk6
Black metal4
−2

Post-punk

1978 · United Kingdom · 7 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk

In short

Punk asking what comes next: melodic bass up front, dry guitar, space and cold. Possibly the most fertile branch in all of rock.

How it sounds

  • The bass carries the melody; the guitar plays short, dry figures with chorus or flanger.
  • Dry-toned drums with plenty of space in the mix - you can hear the room.
  • Irregular structures, cold dynamics, abstract or political lyrics.

Key acts

  • Joy Division
  • Wire
  • Gang of Four
  • Public Image Ltd

Start here

The pickJoy Division - Unknown Pleasures. Martin Hannett's production is half the record.

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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 →