The difference, in figures
Black metal is clearly faster (+4) and slightly more melodic (+1) than Beatdown / metallic hardcore, and matches it on heaviness. It emerged in 1982, 11 years before Beatdown / metallic hardcore in 1993. The two split from Heavy metal.
Beatdown / metallic hardcore
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Metalcore › Beatdown / metallic hardcore
In short
Hardcore reduced to breakdowns and slow groove, with barked vocals and lyrics about loyalty and endurance.
How it sounds
- Slow, heavy riffing built entirely around the breakdown.
- Very low tunings with thick, matte guitar tone.
- Barked vocals with gang shouts and lyrics about loyalty, the street and endurance.
Key acts
- Hatebreed
- Madball
- Terror
Start here
The pickHatebreed - Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire. Twenty-seven minutes, produced by Steve Evetts.
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 →