The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where US power metal is sung cleanly, and faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 150 to 200. To hear the difference, play Manowar next to Bathory. They share a root in heavy metal, and black metal came first, by a year.
In figures
US power metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Traditional heavy metal › US power metal
In short
The American version, rawer and closer to thrash than its melodic European cousin.
How it sounds
- Riffing closer to thrash, with aggressive palm muting and variable tempos.
- Very high vocals, often at the top of the register.
- Epic, martial or mythological lyrics; rawer production than the European version.
Key acts
- Manowar
- Riot
- Jag Panzer
- Vicious Rumors
Start here
The pickJag Panzer - Ample Destruction. The best US power metal album, no argument.
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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