The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where thrash metal is shouted, and swings further either way: 160 to 280 bpm against 180 to 250. To hear the difference, play Metallica next to Bathory. Both grew out of heavy metal, black metal first and thrash metal a year after.
In figures
Thrash metal
Where it sits
In short
NWOBHM plus hardcore punk: palm-muted riffs, brutal tempos and lyrics about war and society. The first truly extreme branch.
How it sounds
- Palm-muted riffs in sixteenths, played with relentless downpicking.
- Tempos of 180 to 250 bpm with skank beats and double kick.
- Barked or shouted but still intelligible vocals, and fast aggressive solos.
Key acts
- Metallica
- Slayer
- Megadeth
- Kreator
Start here
The pickSlayer - Reign in Blood. Twenty-nine minutes that redefined the word extreme.
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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