But Black Mesa guitarist and University of Otago composition student Tom Jensen is one of a rare breed who can do both.
"It's all just music to me."
The long-haired 23-year-old has been selected as one of 10 young New Zealand composers who will have one of their orchestral works rehearsed and recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in September as part of the NZSO/Todd Corporation Young Composer Awards.
Mr Jensen has been playing electric guitar at ear-splitting decibels for the past 11 years, but says his mother was one of the main influences on his taking composition seriously.
"Mum was a cellist and she always played Bach and Vivaldi to us. That's where my interest in orchestral music comes from."
He described his three-minute composition for the NZSO, titled Trench, as an "underwater soundscape".
"You picture yourself diving off a deep-sea trench and the music is about what you would experience on the way down."
Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending on your taste in music - Mr Jensen's orchestral work does not bear any resemblance to the heavily distorted guitar sounds, deep growling vocals and blast-beat drumming of his death metal songwriting.
"Black Mesa's stuff is pretty full-on technical music.
The lyrics are about the horrors of human existence.
"I've just finished writing a song about people-trafficking and the sex slave trade."
Mr Jensen is also writing music for a video game being produced in Norway, called World War 2 Battleship.
He said his goal was to be able to write, for payment, any kind of music, particularly movie soundtracks.
Mr Jensen's NZSO piece will be assessed by industry professionals.
He stands to win a cash award of $750 and be offered a commission to compose a piece for an NZSO chamber group to perform in New Zealand schools. john.lewis@odt.co.nz
