The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where shoegaze is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 100 to 140. To hear the difference, play My Bloody Valentine next to Bathory. Shoegaze comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by seven years.
In figures
Shoegaze
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Shoegaze
In short
Walls of cascading guitar effects with the vocals buried in the mix. Named after the habit of staring at the pedalboard on stage.
How it sounds
- Dozens of stacked guitar tracks through long chains of pedals.
- Kevin Shields' 'glide guitar' - the tremolo arm used continuously, so the tuning never settles.
- Vocals mixed level with the instruments, as another texture.
Key acts
- My Bloody Valentine
- Slowdive
- Ride
- Lush
Start here
The pickMy Bloody Valentine - Loveless. Nobody has yet reproduced the sound exactly.
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 →