Metal Transmissions
I’m not sure why, but heavy metal makes me laugh. The more aggressive, the darker and more disturbed, the bigger I grin. I don’t understand, but it just tickles me pink to hear thick distorted guitars and blasting double bass drums while hair flies everywhere and people hurl themselves into a crowd. It’s completely comical to me, and it just fill me with joy. The ‘djun, djun, djun,” of muted power chords is simply hilarious to me. One of my favorite metal bands is Crimson Dawn, the death metal band that Stan Marsh starts on Episode 2, season 23 of South Park. Even the word ‘death metal’ is amazing. Imagine my surprise when I came across a genre called Djent that almost completely encapsulated what makes metal so distinctive from other forms of hard rock.
guitarist Mårten Hagström from Meshuggah apologized in his July 2018 interview with Blabbermouth.net for accidently coining the term for this genre. Here’s his statement from their discussion:
"It's our lead guitar player, Fredrik [Thordendal], 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_.' 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.' And that's where it comes from. A drunk misunderstanding, as always with MESHUGGAH."
Djent captures that palm muted thump accentuated by the quick whapping sound of heavy-metal bass drum, and litters itself with intense polyrhythms. Its technical complexity is compounded by virtuosic soloes and often uses a broad range of seven, eight, and nine-string guitars. Syncopation and polymeters are main components of the compositions, and while there is debate about the terms use as a genre as opposed to a style of play, the terminology is spot on when describing the sound.
“Metal Rules the Globe”, a book from 2011 quotes Robert Walser in 1993, writing, “The most important aural sign of heavy metal is the sound of an extremely distorted electric guitar.” Music lacking this timbre would most likely not be considered part of this scene. Certainly heavy metal bands are known to throw in the occasional ballad that lacks distortion as a change of dynamic within a set or collection of repertoire, but even in these scenarios, they are likely to include a chorus, bridge, or alternative section of the song that returns to the heavy distortion. Metallica’s song “Nothing Else Matters” and “One” are good examples of this compositional style.
The principles of distortion in reference to electric guitar involved overdriving the signal to the point of peak. The amplifier cannot reproduce the sound, causing a noise component to the sound we call distortion. Distortion also causes the frequency to compress, as the act of peaking out the level makes the sound wave more uniform. As early as the 1940s, blues guitarists began to see the value in the distorted guitar sound, and an important layer of auditory arsenal was added to the modern musician’s toolbox. Pioneers of distorted guitar in the world of rock include Jimmy Hendrix, Robert Plant, Frank Zappa, Ozzy Osborn, and many more. This new intense distortion coupled with the muting technique combines with a classic heavy metal sound that has helped define the genre.
Meshuggah is a fascinating group because of their embrace and recognition of this distinctive guitar sound. They help encapsulate what so many others have articulated in their expression of the metal and bring to the forefront one of its more important qualities. Even if by accident, their use of the term ‘Djent’ and its emergence into a subgenre has added new and exciting music for fans to absorb and experience.
I do not profess to be an avid fan of heavy metal, though I do thoroughly enjoy it and have several examples of media forms that have endeared me to the style. The 1981 animated movie “Heavy Metal” directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman is one of my favorite films, and the South Park episodes that feature metal music in its central themes are some of the best out there. In fact, season 12, episode 3 (Major Boobage) is a full parody of the Heavy Metal movie. This in addition to the earlier mentioned Crimson Dawn are great examples of how fun metal can be when using dark and serious music to develop a topic. Pantera and Tool create incredible acrobatic accomplishments in syncopated rhythms and neck-breaking speeds. Beyond this, metal has an incredible connection to the property of modern media creating collective memory that bypasses traditional need for geographic proximity when creating cultural traditions. Fans of heavy metal span across the globe and often share little in common beyond personal taste.
Heavy Metal has been around for decades and had a lasting impact on modern culture. It is a great example of how modern music transmission technology has expanded the collective human traditions and mores. Even if you aren’t a fan, we can surely learn a great deal about how it has shaped today’s soundscape.
Enjoy the listening example of Meshuggah’s “I Am Colossus.” It’s a perfect example of the complex meters and djent sound that makes heavy metal more than just a headbangers ball.