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

Rap rock1986

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headRap rock vs Black metal
Rap rock: heaviness 6, melody 6, speed 6. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness6 / 9Melody6 / 4Speed6 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where rap rock is rapped, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 130. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 3 to 4½ minutes in rap rock. To hear the difference, play Run-DMC & Aerosmith next to Bathory. Rap rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal 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
Rap rock6
Black metal9
+3
Speed
Rap rock6
Black metal9
+3
Melody
Rap rock6
Black metal4
−2

Rap rock

1986 · New York, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Alternative rock › Funk rock › Rap rock

In short

Rapped vocals over rock riffs. The Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaboration opened the door; Rage turned it into a political weapon.

How it sounds

  • Rapped verses over guitar riffs, with drums borrowed from breakbeats.
  • DJ scratching or samples built into the arrangement.
  • Groove on the downbeat, built for movement rather than speed.

Key acts

  • Run-DMC & Aerosmith
  • Beastie Boys
  • Rage Against the Machine

Start here

The pickRage Against the Machine - the debut. No synths and no samples, just four people.

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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 →