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

Symphonic black metal1994

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headSymphonic black metal vs Black metal
Symphonic black metal: heaviness 8, melody 7, speed 8. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness8 / 9Melody7 / 4Speed8 / 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 a little faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 240. To hear the difference, play Emperor next to Bathory. Symphonic black metal grew out of black metal, twelve years later. Norway appears in the origins of both.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Symphonic black metal8
Black metal9
+1
Speed
Symphonic black metal8
Black metal9
+1
Melody
Symphonic black metal7
Black metal4
−3

Symphonic black metal

1994 · Norway

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal › Symphonic black metal

In short

Keyboards and choirs over black metal structures. Grand, theatrical and by far the most saleable of the subgenres.

How it sounds

  • Keyboards and choirs treated as a lead instrument rather than as background.
  • Broad orchestration, occasionally with a real orchestra, and large studio production.
  • Epic structures with recurring themes and film-score dynamics.

Key acts

  • Emperor
  • Dimmu Borgir
  • Cradle of Filth

Start here

The pickEmperor - In the Nightside Eclipse. Recorded by teenagers, and it sounds monumental.

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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.

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