The difference, by ear
Both are growled or screamed and move at much the same pace, around 160 to 280 bpm. To hear the difference, play Mayhem next to Bathory. Second wave grew out of black metal, nine years later. Norway appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Second wave
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Second wave
In short
The Norwegian scene that fixed the definitive sound: thin guitars, demo-tape production as an ideal, corpse paint.
How it sounds
- Guitars with the mids scooped out entirely - thin and cutting, with no audible bass.
- The production ideal is a demo tape recorded in a bedroom, not a studio session.
- Rasping high vocals with reverb, and fast, deliberately monotonous blast beats.
Key acts
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Burzum
- Immortal
Start here
The pickImmortal - Pure Holocaust. The scene's best album without the troubling baggage.
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 →