The difference, in figures
Black metal is clearly faster (+4), clearly less melodic (−3) and slightly heavier (+2) than Alternative metal. It emerged in 1982, 6 years before Alternative metal in 1988. Both branch directly off Heavy metal.
Alternative metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Alternative metal
In short
Metal weight without the dress code or the scene rules: unconventional structures and influences from post-punk, funk or shoegaze.
How it sounds
- Metal weight with structures and textures borrowed from post-punk, funk or shoegaze.
- Low tunings and thick guitar tone, often with no solos at all.
- Variable vocals: sung, spoken, whispered, screamed, sometimes in one song.
Key acts
- Faith No More
- Tool
- Helmet
- Deftones
Start here
The pickTool - Ænima. Complex without showing off, heavy without insisting.
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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