Rockpedia

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

Surf rock1961

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headSurf rock vs Black metal
Surf rock: heaviness 2, melody 9, speed 6. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness2 / 9Melody9 / 4Speed6 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Black metal is growled or screamed where surf rock is mostly instrumental, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 200. Songs run longer in black metal: usually 4 to 9 minutes, against 2 to 3 minutes in surf rock. To hear the difference, play Dick Dale next to Bathory. Surf rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and surf rock came first, by 21 years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Surf rock2
Black metal9
+7
Speed
Surf rock6
Black metal9
+3
Melody
Surf rock9
Black metal4
−5

Surf rock

1961 · California, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Rock and roll › Surf rock

In short

Instrumental, drenched in tank reverb, with fast tremolo picking. The sound of the Californian coast, later recycled by punk and by Tarantino.

How it sounds

  • Fender tank reverb dialled almost to maximum - the wet sound is mandatory.
  • Fast tremolo picking on a single note, a technique Dick Dale took from his family's Lebanese music.
  • Almost always instrumental; where there are vocals, they are Beach Boys-style harmonies.

Key acts

  • Dick Dale
  • The Ventures
  • The Beach Boys

Start here

The pickDick Dale - Misirlou. A Greek folk tune turned into artillery.

Full page →

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 →