The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is a little faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 240. To hear the difference, play Ildjarn next to Bathory. Raw black metal grew out of black metal, eleven years later.
In figures
Raw black metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Raw black metal
In short
Lo-fi production taken to the extreme, often recorded straight to tape. The noise is part of the composition.
How it sounds
- Recorded to cassette or with minimal equipment, saturation and hiss included.
- Guitars with almost no midrange, sometimes indistinguishable from the background.
- Simple, repetitive compositions with total emphasis on atmosphere.
Key acts
- Ildjarn
- Mütiilation
- Bone Awl
Start here
The pickIldjarn - Forest Poetry. Minimalism taken all the way.
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 →