Djent
Djent (also known as Djent metal) is a subgenre of progressive metal.[1][2] Its distinctive sound is a high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, low-pitch guitar sound. The name "Djent" is an onomatopoeia of this sound.
Djent | |
---|---|
Other names | Djent metal |
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Mid-1990s in Sweden and United Kingdom |
Typical instruments | |
Regional scenes | |
| |
Other topics | |
Development
Fredrik Thordendal, lead guitarist of Swedish band Meshuggah, is considered the originator of the djent technique.[3] However, the band did not coin the term itself; the djent scene developed from an online community of bedroom musicians, including Misha Mansoor, whose success with Periphery brought djent "from the virtual world into the real one."[3] In a 2018 interview by Rauta, Meshuggah guitarist Mårten Hagström jokingly apologized for the band's role in creating the djent genre.[4]
In a similar interview question by Zoe camp of the Revolvermag he gives the specific occasion when he says, 'I think it's kind of hilarious. Hilarious how? Well, for one,Thordendal was shit-faced when he came up with the term. "It was our lead guitar player, Fredrik, being drunk back in the day, talking to one of our old-school fans, trying to explain what type of guitar tone we were always trying to get, and he was desperately trying to say: 'We want that 'dj—' 'dj—,' 'dj—,' 'dj—,'" Hagström explained, imitating a riff. "And that guy was, like, 'What's he saying? Is that a Swedish word? Must be. Sounds like dj_, maybe 'djent'? Maybe something like that."[5]
Other bands important in the development of the style are Sikth, Mnemic, Animals as Leaders,[2] Tesseract,[6][7][8] and Textures.[9]
The scene has grown rapidly,[10] and members of the original online community, including the bands Chimp Spanner, Sithu Aye, Gizmachi, and Monuments, have gone on to tour and release albums commercially.[3][11] Other bands that often use djent include A Life Once Lost,[12] Veil of Maya,[13] Vildhjarta,[14] and Xerath.[15] Born of Osiris have also been described as being inspired by the djent movement.[10] Furthermore, Hacktivist[16][17] and DVSR[18] are djent bands that use rapping as primary vocal style.
Characteristics
Djent as a style is characterized by progressive, rhythmic, and technical complexity accompanied by a dense layer of polyphonic groove. An example is the song CAFO by Animals as Leaders.[8] It typically features heavily distorted, palm-muted guitar chords, syncopated riffs,[3] and polymeters alongside virtuoso soloing.[1] Another common feature is the use of extended range seven-string, eight-string, and nine-string guitars.[19]
Reception
Some members of the metal community have criticized the term "djent", either treating it as a short-lived fad, openly condemning it, or questioning its validity as a genre. But other bands such as Tesseract and Animals as Leaders have gained positive reviews, such as awards and highly acclaimed albums. Post-metal band Rosetta is noted as saying, "Maybe we should start calling doom metal 'DUNNN'."[20] In response to a question about 'djent', Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe stated in 2011, "There is no such thing as 'djent'; it's not a genre."[21] In an interview with Guitar Messenger, Periphery guitarist Misha Mansoor said:
I was looking for gear that was djenty. I was like: ‘Are these pickups djenty?’ For some reason it caught on, but completely in the wrong way, because people think it's a style of music and they think it's a style of music I play.[22]
In a later interview with Freethinkers Blog, Misha Mansoor stated that he felt djent had become "this big umbrella term for any sort of progressive band, and also any band that will [use] off-time chugs [...] You also get bands like Scale the Summit [who are referred to as] a djent band [when] 80% of their stuff sounds like clean channel, and it's all beautiful and pretty, you know [...] In that way, I think it's cool because it groups really cool bands together [...] We are surrounded by a lot of bands that I respect, but at the same time, I don't think people know what djent is either [...] It's very unclear." Later in the interview, he stated, "If you call us djent, that's fine. I mean, I would never self-apply the term, but at the same time, it's just so vague that I don't know what to make of it."[23]
Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders also takes a more lenient view of the term, stating that there are specific characteristics that are common to "djent" bands, therefore implying legitimate use of the term as a genre. While stating that he personally strives not to subscribe exclusively to any one genre, he makes the point that a genre is defined by the ability to associate common features between different artists. In this way, it is possible to view djent as a genre describing a particular niche of modern progressive metal.[24]
See also
References
- Bowcott, Nick (26 June 2011). "Meshuggah Share the Secrets of Their Sound". Guitar World. Future US. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Angle, Brad (23 July 2011). "Interview: Meshuggah Guitarist Fredrik Thordendal Answers Reader Questions". Guitar World. Future US. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "Djent, the metal geek's microgenre". The Guardian. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011
- "MESHUGGAH's MÅRTEN HAGSTRÖM On 'Djent': 'We're Very Sorry For Creating That Genre; We Didn't Intend To — Our Bad'". Blabbermouth. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- Camp, Zoe (24 July 2018). "Meshuggah Apologize for Djent: It Was "Drunk Misunderstanding"". Revolver. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- GuitarWorld Staff Member (16 March 2011). "TesseracT Unveil New Video". Guitar World. Future US. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "One". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Concealing Fate". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Bland, Ben (3 October 2011). "Textures - Dualism (Album Review)". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Colgan, Chris (24 June 2011). "Born of Osiris: The Discovery". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- "TESSERACT's ACLE ON THE BIRTH OF TESSERACT AND THE DJENT MOVEMENT". Metalsucks. Metalsucks. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- Debenedictis, Matt (23 February 2011). "A Life Once Lost Took 'an Outsider's Point of View' During Time Off". Noisecreep. AOL. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Heaney, Gregory. "[Id]". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Hart, Josh (6 October 2011). "Vildhjarta Unveil New Album Details, Post Teaser Video". Guitar World. Future US. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "II review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Rosenberg, Axl (17 October 2011). "Djent-rappers Hacktivist Kind Enough to Put the Word Hack Right There in the Name". MetalSucks. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- Islander (9 November 2012). "Hacktivist". No Clean Singing. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- CroOZza (25 November 2013). "DVSR - Got-Djent.com". Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- Kennelty, Greg. "Here's Why Everyone Needs To Stop Complaining About Extended Range Guitars".
- "What is your opinion of Djent?". Rosetta band. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- Blythe, Randy. "Lamb of God's Randy Blythe on Djent". smn news. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- Mansoor, Misha. "MARC OKUBO (VEIL OF MAYA) & MISHA MANSOOR (PERIPHERY) INTERVIEW". guitar messenger. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- "Periphery interview part 3 of 3." FreethinkersBlog. 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bE0Q_9nQ9U>.
- Abasi, Tosin. "Tosin Abasi's Opinion of Djent". Retrieved 20 October 2017.