The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where technical thrash is shouted, and a little faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 160 to 240. To hear the difference, play Voivod next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by six years.
In figures
Technical thrash
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Thrash metal › Technical thrash
In short
Thrash with dissonant chords, odd meters and bass up front. The bridge between thrash and progressive metal.
How it sounds
- Dissonant chords and unusual intervals, with the bass in a contrapuntal role.
- Odd meters and structures that never repeat.
- Riffs assembled like puzzles, demanding high individual technique.
Key acts
- Voivod
- Watchtower
- Coroner
- Atheist
Start here
The pickVoivod - Nothingface. It includes a Pink Floyd cover that makes perfect sense.
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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