The difference, in figures
Black metal is clearly faster (+3), clearly less melodic (−3) and slightly heavier (+1) than Heavy metal. It emerged in 1982, 12 years after Heavy metal in 1970. Black metal sits inside Heavy metal, 1 level down.
Heavy metal
Where it sits
In short
It split off from hard rock and blues rock when Black Sabbath tuned down and wrote riffs on the tritone. Volume, riff and a code of its own - every branch below starts here.
How it sounds
- Riffs built on power chords, with palm muting and constant rather than occasional distortion.
- The tritone and minor scales as the basic harmonic material.
- Double kick drumming, guitars tuned at or below standard E, and volume as an aesthetic parameter.
Key acts
- Black Sabbath
- Judas Priest
- Iron Maiden
- Metallica
Start here
The pickBlack Sabbath - the song Black Sabbath. The first thirty seconds are the genre's birth certificate.
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 →