The difference, in figures
Black metal is slightly more melodic (+1) than Second wave, and matches it on heaviness and speed. It emerged in 1982, 9 years before Second wave in 1991. Black metal is what Second wave descends from, 1 level up. Both trace to Norway.
Second wave
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Black metal › Second wave
In short
The Norwegian scene that fixed the definitive sound: thin guitars, demo-tape production as an ideal, corpse paint.
How it sounds
- Guitars with the mids scooped out entirely - thin and cutting, with no audible bass.
- The production ideal is a demo tape recorded in a bedroom, not a studio session.
- Rasping high vocals with reverb, and fast, deliberately monotonous blast beats.
Key acts
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Burzum
- Immortal
Start here
The pickImmortal - Pure Holocaust. The scene's best album without the troubling baggage.
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 →