The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where skate punk is sung cleanly, and swings further either way: 160 to 280 bpm against 180 to 230. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2 to 3 minutes in skate punk. To hear the difference, play NOFX next to Bathory. Skate punk comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and black metal came first, by eight years.
In figures
Skate punk
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Pop punk › Skate punk
In short
Faster, more technical pop punk with two-beat drumming and short solos. The soundtrack to skate videos.
How it sounds
- Very fast tempos with two-beat drumming and technical transitions.
- Clear-toned bass with its own often highly technical lines.
- Vocal harmonies everywhere, even at 220 bpm.
Key acts
- NOFX
- Pennywise
- Lagwagon
Start here
The pickNOFX - Punk in Drublic. Technical, fast and unreasonably well written.
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 →