The difference, in figures
Black metal is slightly slower (−1) than Technical death metal, and matches it on heaviness and melody. It emerged in 1982, 9 years before Technical death metal in 1991. The two split from Heavy metal.
Technical death metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Death metal › Technical death metal
In short
Death metal with jazz harmony, tapping and impossible drumming. The more notes per second, the better.
How it sounds
- Jazz harmony, extended chords and frequent modulation.
- Fretless or slap bass treated as a lead instrument.
- Polyrhythmic drumming and varied blast beats at the edge of what is physically possible.
Key acts
- Death
- Atheist
- Cryptopsy
- Necrophagist
Start here
The pickDeath - Human. The moment the genre became music to study, not just to hear.
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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