The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where symphonic prog is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 70 to 150. Songs run longer in symphonic prog: usually 6 to 20 minutes, against 4 to 9 minutes in black metal. To hear the difference, play Yes next to Bathory. Symphonic prog comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and symphonic prog came first, by twelve years.
In figures
Symphonic prog
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Symphonic prog
In short
Orchestral arrangements transposed onto Hammond organ and Moog. Roger Dean cover art included.
How it sounds
- Hammond organ through a Leslie and a Moog acting as a horn section.
- Sectional arrangements with themes that return transformed.
- Instrumental virtuosity on open display, especially on keyboards.
Key acts
- Yes
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- PFM
Start here
The pickYes - Close to the Edge. The title track runs eighteen minutes and wastes none of them.
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.
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