The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is a little faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 150 to 220. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 1½ to 4 minutes in screamo. To hear the difference, play Orchid next to Bathory. Screamo comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by nine years.
In figures
Screamo
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Screamo
In short
Emo pushed into hysteria: continuous screaming, cutting guitars and songs that collapse into silence. Also called skramz.
How it sounds
- Almost continuously screamed vocals, often at the edge of physical exhaustion.
- Sharp guitars with dissonant chords and no thick distortion.
- Very short songs that collapse suddenly into quiet passages.
Key acts
- Orchid
- Pg. 99
- City of Caterpillar
- Envy
Start here
The pickCity of Caterpillar - And You're Wondering How a Fool Can Die. Post-rock catching fire.
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 →