The difference, in figures
Black metal is clearly faster (+4), clearly heavier (+3) and clearly more melodic (+3) than No wave. It emerged in 1982, 4 years after No wave in 1978. They sit on opposite branches of the tree and share no common ancestor.
No wave
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › No wave
In short
A total refusal of melody and standard tuning. Short-lived, extreme and hugely influential on noise rock.
How it sounds
- Random or modified tunings, with the guitar used as a percussion object.
- A refusal of melody, tonal harmony and repeatable structure.
- Screamed or spoken vocals, dissonant saxophone, primitive drumming.
Key acts
- Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
- DNA
- Swans
Start here
The pickNo New York. Four bands, sixteen tracks, one manifesto.
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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