Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Funk rock1984

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headFunk rock vs Black metal
Funk rock: heaviness 5, melody 7, speed 6. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness5 / 9Melody7 / 4Speed6 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, in figures

Black metal is clearly heavier (+4), clearly faster (+3) and clearly less melodic (−3) than Funk rock. It emerged in 1982, 2 years before Funk rock in 1984. They sit on opposite branches of the tree and share no common ancestor.

Assembled from the stored ratings, dates and tree positions, not written.
Heaviness
Funk rock5
Black metal9
+4
Speed
Funk rock6
Black metal9
+3
Melody
Funk rock7
Black metal4
−3

Funk rock

1984 · California, USA · 1 subgenre

Where it sits

Rock › Alternative rock › Funk rock

In short

Slap bass and funk grooves under rock guitars. Rap rock, and through it nu metal, start here.

How it sounds

  • Slap bass or a very prominent bass tone as the lead instrument.
  • Funk-style guitar with ninth chords and wah-wah, alternating with heavy riffs.
  • Syncopated groove and drums full of ghost notes.

Key acts

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Faith No More
  • Living Colour

Start here

The pickFaith No More - Angel Dust. An album that deliberately sabotages its own success.

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Black metal

1982 · Norway / Sweden · 10 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Black metal

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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