Black metal is especially associated with corpse paint, tremolo-picked guitar riffs, shrieked vocals, and themes involving occultism, mythology, nature, or anti-religious ideas. The genre developed from earlier extreme metal and took a distinctive form in Norway during the early 1990s.
Venom, Bathory, and Hellhammer helped shape the first wave of black metal. Norwegian bands such as Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, and Emperor became central to the second wave, emphasizing raw production, fast drumming, and atmospheric songwriting.
Corpse paint is a visual tradition rather than a strict musical requirement. Some black metal bands do not use it, and related genres may borrow its imagery. Black metal also includes atmospheric, symphonic, melodic, and post-black metal branches.