The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where rap metal is rapped, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 130. To hear the difference, play Rage Against the Machine next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by nine years.
In figures
Rap metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Nu metal › Rap metal
In short
Rapped vocals over metal riffs, built around groove and a shouted chorus.
How it sounds
- Rapped verses over metal riffs, with the groove on the downbeat.
- DJ scratching, or guitar effects imitating scratching.
- Shouted choruses built for large venues.
Key acts
- Rage Against the Machine
- Limp Bizkit
- Body Count
Start here
The pickRage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles. Their best-produced record.
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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