The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where proto-metal is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 140. To hear the difference, play Blue Cheer next to Bathory. Both grew out of heavy metal, proto-metal first and black metal fourteen years after.
In figures
Proto-metal
Where it sits
In short
The heavy bands from before the term existed: over-amplified acid rock, already built around the riff.
How it sounds
- Volume and distortion beyond what the technology of the era allowed, with natural saturation.
- A repeating riff in place of a blues progression, but still inside rock and roll structures.
- Heavy drums up front and vocals in the high register.
Key acts
- Blue Cheer
- Steppenwolf
- Sir Lord Baltimore
- Budgie
Start here
The pickBudgie - Breadfan. Metallica covered it, but the original is stranger.
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.
Full page →