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

Proto-punk1967

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headProto-punk vs Black metal
Proto-punk: heaviness 5, melody 5, speed 7. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness5 / 9Melody5 / 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 proto-punk is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 140 to 180. To hear the difference, play The Stooges next to Bathory. Proto-punk comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and proto-punk came first, by fifteen years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Proto-punk5
Black metal9
+4
Speed
Proto-punk7
Black metal9
+2
Melody
Proto-punk5
Black metal4
−1

Proto-punk

1967 · Detroit / New York, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Rock and roll › Garage rock › Proto-punk

In short

Garage rock turned hostile and repetitive, with noise and nihilism. Nobody called it punk yet, but everyone at CBGB copied from it.

How it sounds

  • A repetitive, near-hypnotic riff held without development - the opposite of blues rock soloing.
  • Spoken or shouted vocals delivered with calculated contempt.
  • Noise, feedback and lyrics about boredom, drugs and urban alienation.

Key acts

  • The Stooges
  • MC5
  • The Velvet Underground
  • New York Dolls

Start here

The pickThe Stooges - Fun House. The sound of a band self-destructing in real time.

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 →