In honour of attending a gig this evening that featured some of each, I asked ChatGPT to briefly explain the difference between black metal and death metal:

Black metal and death metal are two distinct sub-genres of extreme metal music that originated in the 1980s and have evolved and diversified since then.

Black metal is characterized by its heavy use of tremolo-picked guitar riffs, blast beat drumming, and high-pitched shrieking vocals. The lyrics often focus on dark and occult themes, and the music is often associated with a raw and lo-fi production style. Black metal also features prominent use of atmospheric elements such as keyboards, synthesizers, and ambient soundscapes.

Death metal, on the other hand, is characterized by its deep, guttural vocals, fast and intricate guitar riffs, and technical drumming that often includes blast beats and double bass pedal work. The lyrics often deal with violent and graphic subjects such as death, gore, and horror. The music is typically more polished and produced than black metal, and often features complex song structures and technical instrumentation.

Overall, while both black metal and death metal share some similarities in terms of their extreme nature, they have distinct musical and thematic differences that set them apart from each other.