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Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Slam death metal1994

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headSlam death metal vs Black metal
Slam death metal: heaviness 10, melody 1, speed 6. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness10 / 9Melody1 / 4Speed6 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Both are growled or screamed, but black metal is much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 80 to 160. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2½ to 4 minutes in slam death metal. To hear the difference, play Internal Bleeding next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by twelve years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Slam death metal10
Black metal9
−1
Speed
Slam death metal6
Black metal9
+3
Melody
Slam death metal1
Black metal4
+3

Slam death metal

1994 · New York, USA

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Death metal › Brutal death metal › Slam death metal

In short

Reduces brutal death metal to slow, lurching riffs made purely for moving your head.

How it sounds

  • Slow, lurching riffs built on one repeated rhythmic figure.
  • Extremely low tunings (A or G) with a thick, matte tone.
  • Deep guttural vocals, often heavily processed, with plain drumming underneath.

Key acts

  • Internal Bleeding
  • Devourment
  • Abominable Putridity

Start here

The pickDevourment - Molesting the Decapitated. Not subtle, but very effective.

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Black metal

1982 · Norway / Sweden · 10 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal

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 →