D e a T H v s B L a C K
Originally I was going to write about What is that which makes music become 'pop' music, but after a hot debate (it wasn't that hot, it wasn't even a debate really) with a friend about what groups were black metal, which were symphonic black metal from those of Death metal and it's sub genres. According to what I read on Wikipedia (which IMHO is a valuable source of information, i can discuss this later) and to what i could get a grasp on and my ability to describe it is the following:
D e a T H M e T a L
What is death metal? Well, putting it simple: it's theme is based on death, this means it's lyrics are based on death, how it feels, killing somebody else, war, famine, disease, anything that leads to death. Classic examples of this genre are Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Carcass. Of course there is also a musical structure around it, which differs greatly from Black Metal. The use of aggressive/brutal riffs, fast paced drums and guttural grunts are a signature of this genre. I guess i will cite wikipedia as I may distort the meaning.
Death metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that evolved out of thrash metal during the early 1980s. Commonly recognized characteristics include usually violent or dark lyrics which focus on death as a nihilistic metaphor (although lately more philosophy-based lyrics, such as those of later Death have become popular as well), chromatic progressions and a narrative or "story telling" song structure such that there is not a verse-chorus cycle as much as an ongoing development of themes and motifs. It is usually identified by downtuned rhythm guitars, fast percussion, and dynamic intensity. "Blast beats" are frequently used to add to the ferocity of the modern music. The vocals are commonly low gurgles named death grunt, growl, or death growl. This kind of vocalising is distorted by use of the throat and guts, unlike traditional singing techniques which discourages this technique.
If you are interested in learning more about this genre, check this article out.
B L a C K M e T a L
I will not waste any more of your precious time and move on onto the article:
Black metal started in the early 1980s with bands such as Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, and Hellhammer. The second wave of black metal, an essentially Scandinavian movement, started in the late 1980s and early 1990s, primarily in Norway. Black metal has gathered intense criticism from many sectors of society, for its brutal aesthetic, its misanthropic spirit, and the extreme right wing ideologies displayed by some musicians working in the National Socialist Black Metal subgenre. However, at the same time it experienced a meteoric rise in popularity among metal fans during the 1990s.
Black metal can display, but is not limited to, the following characteristics:
Guitars
- Fast guitars with alternate or tremolo picking
- Standard tuned guitars (In contrast to death metal which is typically tuned down.)
- Relatively thin guitar sound or relatively thick guitar sound—usually not in the middle.
Drums
- Double bass, blast beat, and D-beat drumming
- Fast, repetitive, aggressive drums, often with blast beats. At other times, the drums can take a slower role usually accompanied by a very dry and empty tone — especially for the effect of the atmosphere of the music. On occasion, some groups such as Burzum and Xasthur will dispense with drums altogether in certain song segments.
Lyrics and vocals
- A distinct "rasped" vocal style, a very guttural rasp, which is reminiscent of a torture. This is basically standard in every black metal, though there are exceptions, such as Primordial, who are still classed black metal without the rasp vocal. Some bands, particularly symphonic black metal bands, incorporate clean vocals, usually of a male choir sound, though this is used for atmospheric purposes.
- Lyrics that often take the form of Satanic, Pagan, or occult themes which blaspheme Christianity.
- Lyrics that celebrate the cold, darkness, forests, and other natural surroundings of northern European countries, reflecting modern black metal's origins in Scandinavia.
- Increasingly lyrics are being penned with themes of war, misanthropy, and desolation, sometimes apocalyptic, whose causes are rooted in human nature and actions. However, there are some exceptions (although they usually incorporate these previous themes as well).
- Lyrics are commonly inspired by fantasy, in particular the works of Tolkien set in Middle Earth. For example, the Austrian band Summoning focuses almost exclusively on Middle Earth for their themes and content. Other bands create their own fictional realms, for instance the lyrics of Immortal depict an imaginary kingdom called Blashyrkh (Blash-eerk), which is ruled by a raven king named Ravendark.
Atmospheric and structural elements
- Unconventional song structures that are devoid of verse and chorus segments, and contain extended and repetitive instrumental passages, with less use of vocals than other styles of metal.
- Less focus on dynamic rhythm than death metal. Very few black metal bands exhibit the rhythmic complexity inherent in death metal, and even if they do, they usually exhibit at least a few of the above-listed criteria if they are still generally classified as black metal.
- Occasional electronic keyboard use. The harpsichord, violin, organ, and choir settings are most common, which gives the music an orchestral feel or a cathedral-like setting. Some bands tend to use keyboards very frequently, whether it be as an instrument or even as the basis of their entire sound. They are generally placed under the symphonic black metal label.
- Certain bands have taken to recording with full symphony orchestras, but these bands are regarded by more austere black metal fans as not being 'true', i.e. Dimmu Borgir (however this has nothing to do with the use of the orchestra but how the band now conduct themselves seemingly out of the black metal genre).
- Limited production used intentionally as a statement against mainstream music and/or to reflect the mood of the music by creating a certain atmosphere. This 'underproduced' effect is often achieved by cutting out low and high frequencies, leaving just the mid frequency range. It is often said that this was due to a low budget, but this often wasn't the case. This production style is often considered an essential element of "true" black metal. See Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger album, a highly influential example of this production style.
Aesthetics
- Cold, dark, sad, melancholy, reflective, tragic, meditative, or gloomy atmosphere.
- Many black metal musicians adopt a "neo-medieval" costume style that may include leather, spikes, bondage gear, "archaic" armor and weaponry, and facial corpse paint.
- Many black metal musicians choose to adopt stage names, typically patterned after occult and/or fantasy characters; however, this practice is not universal.
The complete article can be found here . A list of Black Metal bands can be found here, in which Cradle of Filth and Dimmu borgir are listed, this was the beginning of the discussion with my friend, as to whether CoF and DB were Black or Death.
