How to Write Black Metal Songs

You want something that sounds like midnight storms and courtroom chaos inside a chapel. You want riffs that make chests cage and vocals that sound like a raven arguing with a chainsaw. You want atmosphere that is more than reverb. Black metal is an aesthetic, an attitude, and a toolkit. This guide gives you the toolkit with practical moves you can use today.

This is written for artists who love extremes but want control. We will cover the history in plain language, the instruments and techniques people actually use, the songwriting structures that survive live shows, lyrical themes that feel real instead of cliché, production notes so your records sound like records and not like guilt trips, and real life scenarios so you know what to do when the PA eats your intro. We explain terms and acronyms so you will not fake it in interviews.

What Is Black Metal

Black metal is an extreme style of heavy music that focuses on intensity, bleak atmosphere, and raw emotion. It evolved from early extreme metal forms in the 1980s and then exploded into distinct aesthetic movements. The music often favors high tempos, tremolo picked guitar lines, blast beat drumming, and harsh screamed or shrieked vocals. The point is to create an immersive mood that can be spiritual for listeners even when the lyrics are abrasive.

Key elements you will see in almost every black metal song are atmosphere, extreme dynamics, singer performance that sits on the edge of pain, and production choices that either flatten or accentuate the rawness. The genre allows a lot of variety. Bands can be icy and minimal or symphonic and overloaded with keyboard layers. Your job as a songwriter is to pick a set of constraints and then create within them so the result feels focused.

A Short, Honest History

Black metal started as an offshoot of early thrash and death metal. Early bands laid the groundwork with darker lyrical content and higher vocal registers. The scene mutated into what people now call the second wave in the early 1990s. That era established many of the aesthetic rules we still borrow. Bands took lo fi production, corpse paint for visuals, and pagan or anti establishment lyrical themes and turned them into a whole culture. You do not need to copy anyone exactly. Learn from it and then speak in your own voice.

Common Substyles

Black metal is not a single species. Knowing substyles helps you pick tools that fit your goals.

• Raw black metal is intentionally rough sounding. Low fidelity production, simple riff structures, and chilling atmosphere are the point.
• Atmospheric black metal focuses on mood and texture. Longer songs, ambient passages, and layered guitars or keyboards create immersive landscapes.
• Symphonic black metal adds orchestral elements, keyboard arrangements, and choir like textures. It can be cinematic and dramatic.
• Post black metal blends black metal energy with post rock dynamics and melodic builds. Think giant crescendos and emotional releases.
• Blackgaze mixes black metal with shoegaze. Expect shimmering walls of sound under harsh vocals.

Gear and Setup That Actually Matters

You do not need a studio budget to write great black metal songs. You need clarity about what sound you want and the tools that make it possible. Here is a minimal, practical setup for writing and demoing.

• Guitars. A solid body electric with humbuckers or high output single coils. You want something that can handle high gain without losing note definition.
• Bass. A bass that sits under the guitar without competing in the midrange. You will use it to glue riffs and to give weight to tremolo passages.
• Drums or drum software. Live drums are ideal. If you use drum software, pick kits that allow aggressive snare and fast blast beats to sit forward in the mix.
• Amps and distortion. A high gain amp or quality amp sims with EQ control. Avoid muddy fuzz. You want clarity in tremolo runs and power in chords.
• Reverb and delay. Room and hall reverbs plus a few tasteful tapes or plates. Delay used sparingly can create haunting echoes.
• DAW. Any digital audio workstation. Learn basic routing, compression, and EQ. That knowledge is more useful than owning expensive plugins.

Understanding the Drums

Drums in black metal are both a motor and an atmosphere tool. The classic black metal drum kit uses a lot of high end and quick transient attack. Bernard, if you are using electronic drums, program your snare and kick with tight attack and short decay. Here are drum patterns you should know.

Blast beats

Blast beats are a rapid alternation or alignment of kick and snare with cymbal hits thrown on top. There are different kinds. A common one where kick and snare hit together creates an overwhelming pulse. Practice blast beats slowly and build speed. Use a metronome and increase by small increments so your hands and feet remain coordinated.

Half time stretches

Switching to half time feels huge. It creates a slow, crushing section after a barrage. Use half time to give the chorus or the main riff weight. The contrast between blast beats and half time is one of the most effective drama tricks in the genre.

Double bass and groove

Double bass patterns can be rhythmic and musical. Think in motifs, not only speed. Patterns that lock with guitar accents will make riffs punchier. Tighten the double bass sound with compression and avoid long tails that blur the low end.

Guitar Techniques and Riff Writing

Guitars are the language. Your riffs set the mood. Here are reliable tools.

Tremolo picking

Tremolo picking means rapidly picking the same note or a moving line to create a washing texture. It creates cold, urgent motion. Use it for main motifs and for building tension. Focus on picking accuracy first and speed second. Practice with a metronome and gradually increase tempo. Choose scale fragments that create a dark mood like minor scale fragments and modes with flattened seconds.

Power chords and chordal shifts

Power chords give you weight. Move them with simple shifts and occasional dissonant intervals to avoid predictability. Try stacking a tritone above a power chord to create unease. Use ringing open strings when you want a haunting resonance.

Intervals for atmosphere

Intervals like minor seconds and tritones carry tension. Move melodies in stepwise motion with occasional leaps for impact. Melodic motifs repeated at different pitches build identity. Use simple hooks that can be repeated with different textures.

Palm muting and dynamics

Palm muting creates rhythmic clarity. Mute for percussive sections and open the strings for the chorus or major moments. Dynamics are the secret weapon. A song that only rides at full blast will become mush. Use silence, decay, and soft picking to make the loud parts hit harder.

Scales and Harmony

You are not writing top 40. Use scales that create color and unease. Here are a few to keep at hand.

• Natural minor is a staple and is easy to use for dark melodies.
• Harmonic minor gives you that exotic raised seventh which can sound sinister in riffs.
• Phrygian with its flattened second creates an immediate tense mood.
• Locrian fragments are dissonant. Use small pieces of Locrian to flavor a riff rather than build entire sections from it.

Harmony in black metal rarely uses complex chord progressions like jazz. It uses modal color and drone. Drones sustain a note or pedal point beneath moving lines to create a chilling bed. Use them in bridges and deaths of sections to let atmosphere breathe.

Vocal Delivery and Styles

Vocal performance in black metal is unique. You are aiming for emotion that can be painful to produce. There are several approaches.

Shrieks and screams

Shrieks sit on the edge between loud inhale and controlled scream. They should be produced with safe technique to avoid damaging your voice. Use fry technique and support the sound with your diaphragm. If you are new to screaming, take lessons or learn proper breathing exercises. Record yourself and compare levels rather than only trusting feeling.

Harsh growls

Some black metal uses low growls similar to death metal. They add weight. Growls need different support and placement than shrieks. Practice at lower volumes first and always warm up.

Clean singing

Clean lines can be used sparingly for contrast. A sung line that persists through a storm of distortion will be it for listeners. Keep clean vocals melodic and simple. Doubling clean vocals with slight detune or a chorus effect can place them inside the wall of sound.

Lyrics and Imagery That Matter

Black metal lyrics often explore nature, solitude, existential dread, mythology, and anti establishment themes. These can become cliché if handled poorly. Here are ground rules for writing lyrics that feel real.

Write from honest angles

Do not posture about forests and thunder if you live in a studio apartment. Instead, find the internal landscape that matches the external image. Use small, physical images to anchor abstract feelings. For example describe a radiator clanking in winter at two a.m. instead of saying the world is cold. That specificity feels authentic.

Use narrative or impressionistic approaches

Some songs are mini stories. Others are impressions like a painting. Both work. Decide early and commit. If you are telling a story, think about a small arc and one surprising detail that reveals character. If you are painting an impression, use sound friendly words and repeat sensory anchors so the listener can hold the mood.

Language and translations

Many bands use native language for lyrics. Using a second language can feel exotic. If you do, check your grammar. Mistakes will haunt interviews. If you use Latin or archaic words, know their real meaning. Bleeding cool sounding words into nonsense only works if you intend the nonsense to be part of the art.

Song Structure and Arrangement

Black metal songs can be short and brutal or long and cinematic. Here are structures that work in different contexts.

Short attack form

• Intro motif 15 to 30 seconds
• Main riff with blast beat 45 to 60 seconds
• Contrast section with half time and atmosphere 30 to 45 seconds
• Return to main riff and outro

This shape is practical for live sets where energy must remain high.

Long form landscape

• Opening ambient passage with layered textures
• Gradual build of guitars and drums with repeated motifs
• Climax with full force instrumentation
• Aftermath with solo or clean vocals and final ambient fade

This structure suits albums and immersive listening where the song intends to move a listener through sections.

Arrangement Tips That Work Live

When you are on stage the smallest detail matters. Keep arrangements clear so the band can lock in under pressure.

• Use repetitive motifs so members have internal compass points during long cycles.
• Mark transitions with a kick lick or drum fill so the band moves together.
• Have a simple backing part for ambient segments so the live show has texture without too many hands in the air.
• Practice the worst case scenario where monitors fail. Have cues with head nods or count ins that everyone knows.

Production and Mix Choices

Production makes or breaks black metal. You can choose a raw sound or a polished one. Either choice needs intention.

Raw production approach

Some artists want an abrasive, distant sound to create mystique. Achieve this by using room mics, rolling off low end in the guitars, and adding tape style saturation. Keep drum samples minimal and let the kit sound natural. Use reverb to push sounds into a cave like space.

Modern production approach

If you want clarity and power, use tight drum samples layered with your kit, compress the bass and guitar to glue the low end, and use midrange sculpting on guitars to avoid clash. Use plate or hall reverbs on select elements and automate them to keep energy dynamic. A clear mix can deliver emotional impact while still sounding brutal.

Vocal treatment

Keep the vocal forward. Use EQ to remove harsh sibilance, compress for consistent level, then send a copy to a reverb or delay to sit behind the raw voice. Doubling harsh vocals at lower volume can thicken without making the scream sound fake.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Here are usual pitfalls and the quick fixes that save songs.

Too much distortion

If everything is mush, carve space with EQ. Reduce low mids around 250 to 500 hertz in guitars and carve clarity around 2.5 to 4 kilohertz for pick attack. Let the bass and kick occupy the bottom end. If guitars are still congested, add a midrange boost on the lead motif so it cuts through.

No dynamic range

If the song never breathes it becomes noise. Add a half time or ambient break. Pull instruments out of the mix for bars to make returns feel heavier. Dynamics are drama.

Lyrics sound generic

Replace the recycling of myth with personal detail. If you sing about forests, name the smell, the insect, the object you found. Small details distinguish the sincere from the theatrical.

Songwriting Exercises and Prompts

Use these drills to generate riffs, lyrical lines, and arrangements fast.

Three minute riff storm

Set a timer for three minutes. Play a single chord tone or scale fragment and vary rhythm only. Record everything. Pick the two most interesting ideas and expand them into a loop for verse and chorus.

Atmosphere layering

Pick an emotion like solitude. Record one sustained guitar note with heavy reverb. Add a soft field recording like rain or traffic low in the mix. Add a simple tremolo line over the top. Keep it minimal and let the emotion sit for two minutes. Use the result as the intro or bridge base.

Lyric object drill

Pick one object in your room. Write ten lines where that object reveals a trait about the narrator. Keep lines short and visceral. Use the best three as lyrical anchors in a verse.

Real Life Scenarios and How to Handle Them

Here are practical situations you will face and how to handle them like a pro.

The opening riff falls flat live

If the opener is not hitting, have a backup short intro that tightens tempo and focuses attention. A one line vocal chant or a drum fill that signals the start can focus the audience. Sometimes the room just needs a clear cue more than a long intro.

Monitor mix goes dark

If you lose monitors, drop into a simple two instrument pocket. Guitar and kick can carry the song temporarily. Use visual cues to lock the band. After the song, adapt the rest of the set to simpler arrangements until the sound is fixed.

Someone heckles in the pit

Keep performing. Your reaction on stage determines how the crowd responds. Let the music be the reply. If it becomes dangerous, have security cues and a designated person to address the situation. Bands that escalate only feed problems.

How to Finish a Song Fast

Ship more songs. Here is a pared down workflow that moves a riff into a finished demo.

1. Pick one riff you cannot stop playing. Make it the anchor.
2. Decide on tempo and primary drum feel. Program or record a quick drum loop.
3. Write a four line verse and a repeated three line chorus. Keep lyrics concrete.
4. Add a contrast section with half time or ambient textures. Keep it short.
5. Record a rough demo with clear levels so the riff and vocals are audible.
6. Listen once with a friend. Ask what line or riff they remember. If nothing sticks, repeat steps one to three using a different riff.

Promotional and Scene Advice

Succeeding as a black metal artist is more than music. It is community and honesty. Play local shows, join compilations, and make friends with local promoters. Physical releases matter in this scene, so put thought into artwork and liner notes. Be respectful of themes and cultures you reference. If you are using imagery tied to real belief systems, do your research and be sincere.

Writing Checklist

• Do I have a clear riff that can be recognized on first listen?
• Does the vocal performance feel intentional and sustainable live?
• Are dynamics present so heavy parts actually hit?
• Do lyrics have at least two specific images rather than only abstractions?
• Is production chosen to support the song rather than to impress with gadgets?

FAQ

Do I need to scream to write black metal

No. You can write black metal songs with clean vocals or spoken word passages. The genre is about atmosphere and intent. Harsh vocals are common but not mandatory. If you plan to scream live, learn safe technique first so you do not lose your voice on tour.

What tempo should black metal songs use

Tempo varies widely. Blast beat sections often push above two hundred beats per minute. Ambient or mid tempo parts can sit at eighty to one hundred beats per minute. Focus on what serves the riff and the mood rather than chasing a number.

How long should a black metal song be

There is no strict rule. Songs can be two minutes and brutal or fifteen minutes and cinematic. The length should match the content. If you are telling a long story or building an atmosphere, allow time. If you have a single concept that hits fast, shorter songs can be devastating.

Can I mix black metal with pop elements

Yes. Fusion is how new scenes form. Many successful artists blend catchy melodies or polished production with black metal aesthetics. Be honest about your influences so listeners understand your choices. The most interesting hybrids are made by people who respect both worlds.

What is corpse paint

Corpse paint is a style of black and white face paint used by some performers. It creates a theatrical and often ominous visual. Use it if it suits your stage persona but do not assume it is required. Visuals are a tool not a ticket.

How do I record black metal vocals without sounding like a frog

Get clean takes and use dynamic control. Use EQ to remove muddiness around two to five hundred hertz and add presence around three to six kilohertz. Use compression to even out levels and a touch of reverb to sit the voice in the space. If the vocal sounds nasally or breathy, change the mic position and distance first.

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