Djent
Encyclopedia
Djent is a heavy metal music
subgenre that emerged as a spin-off from progressive metal
. Coined by the band Meshuggah
, it was popularized through the internet by Periphery
, specifically guitarist Misha Mansoor. The word "djent" is an onomatopoeia for a heavily palm-muted
, distorted guitar chord. Typically, the word is used to refer to music that makes use of this sound, to the sound itself, or to the scene that revolves around it.
, who coined the term "djent" in the early 2000s, and the British band Sikth
are credited as the inspirations for djent. The djent movement itself emerged from the solo recordings of Misha Mansoor of Periphery
, with Periphery subsequently bringing djent "from the virtual world into the real one." Other pioneering bands are TesseracT
, Animals as Leaders
, and Textures
. The genre has grown rapidly and has become a trend, and numerous bands emerged out of the scene in 2009 and 2010. Other bands that are labeled under the term include Veil of Maya, A Life Once Lost
, Vildhjarta
, and Xerath
. Also, the groups After the Burial
and Born of Osiris
have been described as being inspired by the genre.
, and is the name for an elastic, syncopated guitar riff
. Djent as a style has been described as featuring heavily palm-muted
, distorted guitar chords alongside virtuoso
soloing, and is characterized by rhythmic complexity and palm-muted riffing. Another major contribution to "djent" is computerised sound. Many djent musicians, such as Misha Mansoor, started their careers in home recording using amp modelling and programmed drums.
Post-metal
band Rosetta
has said
In response to a question Lamb of God
vocalist Randy Blythe
stated
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
subgenre that emerged as a spin-off from progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
. Coined by the band Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, it was popularized through the internet by Periphery
Periphery (band)
Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...
, specifically guitarist Misha Mansoor. The word "djent" is an onomatopoeia for a heavily palm-muted
Palm mute
The palm mute is a playing technique for guitar and bass guitar executed by placing the side of the picking hand below the little finger across all of the strings very close to the bridge and then plucking the strings with the fingers while the damping is in effect. This produces a muted sound...
, distorted guitar chord. Typically, the word is used to refer to music that makes use of this sound, to the sound itself, or to the scene that revolves around it.
Musicians
The Swedish band MeshuggahMeshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, who coined the term "djent" in the early 2000s, and the British band Sikth
SikTh
Sikth were a progressive metal band from Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.-Early days:SikTh formed in late 1999, but consolidated their line-up in March 2001...
are credited as the inspirations for djent. The djent movement itself emerged from the solo recordings of Misha Mansoor of Periphery
Periphery (band)
Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...
, with Periphery subsequently bringing djent "from the virtual world into the real one." Other pioneering bands are TesseracT
TesseracT (band)
TesseracT are a British progressive metal band formed in 2003. They are currently signed to Century Media Records.-History:Tesseract started out back in 2003 as a personal side project, to Fellsilent, in the then-teenage Acle Kahney's bedroom...
, Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
, and Textures
Textures (band)
Textures is a metal band from the Netherlands, formed in 2001. Textures' lineup revolves around founding members Jochem Jacobs, Stef Broks, Bart Hennephof, and bassist Remko Tielemans who joined in 2007...
. The genre has grown rapidly and has become a trend, and numerous bands emerged out of the scene in 2009 and 2010. Other bands that are labeled under the term include Veil of Maya, A Life Once Lost
A Life Once Lost
A Life Once Lost is an American metalcore band formed in 1999 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After releases on Robotic Empire and Deathwish Inc., A Life Once Lost released their successful album, Hunter on Ferret Music in 2005...
, Vildhjarta
Vildhjarta
Vildhjarta is a progressive metal band from Hudiksvall, Sweden. They play an aggressive Meshuggah-influenced djent style, characterised by harmonic minor progressions, jarring inharmonic staccato riffs, raspy whisper-screams, and a grand canyon style reverb on clean guitar parts. This style is...
, and Xerath
Xerath
Xerath are a metal band from the UK. The band formed in 2007, and they have been recognized from 2009 with the release of their debut album 'I' via Candlelight Records....
. Also, the groups After the Burial
After the Burial
After the Burial is an American heavy metal band from Twin Cities, Minnesota. The group is currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released two of their three full-length albums through the label...
and Born of Osiris
Born of Osiris
Born of Osiris is an American progressive death metal band from Palatine, Illinois. Formed in 2003, the group has undergone a number of name changes including Your Heart Engraved, DiminisheD, and Rosecrance before finally settling with Born of Osiris in 2007, basing the name off the Egyptian deity...
have been described as being inspired by the genre.
Characteristics
Djent, in its original meaning, is a heavily digitally processed power chordPower chord
In music, a power chord is a chord consisting of only the root note of the chord and the fifth interval, usually played on electric guitar, and typically through an amplification process that imparts distortion...
, and is the name for an elastic, syncopated guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
. Djent as a style has been described as featuring heavily palm-muted
Palm mute
The palm mute is a playing technique for guitar and bass guitar executed by placing the side of the picking hand below the little finger across all of the strings very close to the bridge and then plucking the strings with the fingers while the damping is in effect. This produces a muted sound...
, distorted guitar chords alongside virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
soloing, and is characterized by rhythmic complexity and palm-muted riffing. Another major contribution to "djent" is computerised sound. Many djent musicians, such as Misha Mansoor, started their careers in home recording using amp modelling and programmed drums.
Reception
Many members of the metal community have criticized the term djent and questioned its validity as a genre.Post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
band Rosetta
Rosetta (band)
Rosetta is an American post-metal band from Philadelphia incorporating elements of post-hardcore, shoegazing, drone, post-rock, avant-garde, and ambient, with influences as diverse as Neurosis and Isis, My Bloody Valentine, Frodus, and Stars of the Lid...
has said
Maybe we should start calling doom metalDoom metalDoom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
DUNNN.
In response to a question Lamb of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
vocalist Randy Blythe
Randy Blythe
David Randall "Randy" Blythe is the vocalist of American groove metal band Lamb Of God and side-project band Halo of Locusts. He is known as D. Randall Blythe on Lamb of God's albums....
stated
There is no such thing as "djent," it's not a genre.