The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where Zeuhl is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 160. Songs run longer in Zeuhl: usually 8 to 25 minutes, against 4 to 9 minutes in black metal. To hear the difference, play Magma next to Bathory. Zeuhl comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and Zeuhl came first, by twelve years.
In figures
Zeuhl
Where it sits
Rock › Psychedelic rock › Krautrock › Zeuhl
In short
Operatic rock sung in an invented language, with fretless bass and choir. A tiny French branch with fanatical disciples.
How it sounds
- Distorted fretless bass played as a lead instrument.
- Multi-part choir singing in Kobaïan, a language the band invented.
- Odd meters with repetitive, martial construction.
Key acts
- Magma
- Koenjihyakkei
- Ruins
Start here
The pickMagma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh. It resembled nothing then and resembles nothing now.
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.
Full page →