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

Melodic metalcore1999

Second genre

Black metal1982

Head to headMelodic metalcore vs Black metal
Melodic metalcore: heaviness 8, melody 9, speed 7. Black metal: heaviness 9, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness8 / 9Melody9 / 4Speed7 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, in figures

Black metal is far less melodic (−5), slightly faster (+2) and slightly heavier (+1) than Melodic metalcore. It emerged in 1982, 17 years before Melodic metalcore in 1999. The two split from Heavy metal.

Assembled from the stored ratings, dates and tree positions, not written.
Heaviness
Melodic metalcore8
Black metal9
+1
Speed
Melodic metalcore7
Black metal9
+2
Melody
Melodic metalcore9
Black metal4
−5

Melodic metalcore

1999 · Massachusetts, USA

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Metalcore › Melodic metalcore

In short

Gothenburg harmonies imported into American hardcore. The dominant formula of the 2000s.

How it sounds

  • Melodic death metal guitar harmonies over hardcore structures.
  • Clean sung choruses with melodic vocals and broad production.
  • A final breakdown as the song's climax.

Key acts

  • Killswitch Engage
  • As I Lay Dying
  • Trivium

Start here

The pickTrivium - Ascendancy. Metalcore that remembers to include solos.

Full page →

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.

Full page →