The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where power metal is sung cleanly, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 200. To hear the difference, play Helloween next to Bathory. Both grew out of heavy metal, black metal first and power metal two years after.
In figures
Power metal
Where it sits
In short
Galloping tempos, choral hooks and lyrics about dragons and battles. Optimistic by definition.
How it sounds
- Sustained galloping tempos with nearly continuous double kick.
- Choruses harmonised across many voices, choir style.
- Keyboards, neoclassical solos and lyrics about battles, dragons and hope.
Key acts
- Helloween
- Blind Guardian
- Gamma Ray
- DragonForce
Start here
The pickHelloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II. The closing track runs thirteen minutes and deserves them.
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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