Djent: Still Not A Djenre.
Djent. Is it a word? A sound? A Genre? Does it even exist in the English language? An argument that has been a topic of Reddit subs and Facebook groups for the better part of a decade. But what is the answer?
The answer is simple: Yes and No.
Well, not so simple I guess. I mean, it really depends on who you ask. If you ask fans of Meshuggah and Periphery, they will tell you yes. But you will also get a 30 minute lecture on progressive metal, leading you down a rabbit hole you didn’t want to fall down when you’re trying to enjoy a night out at your friend’s local bands show that you finally decided to go and see. You’d rather drink your beer and watch your friends jam so you can understand what he meant on Monday when he said he meant to play a Csusadd9# instead of a Csusadd9b.
Results May Vary
The answer may vary if you ask someone who is not a fan of those bands, but is more so a fan of thrash metal. They may say “what’s a djent?” after slamming their PBR. They may just look at you like you have given them something to really ponder. Or my favorite answer, a short and sweet “NO”.
Confused? I wouldn’t be shocked if you were. I will say, the first time I heard the term, I most certainly was.
No One Has Said What It Is, Yet…
Djent (/dʒɛnt/) is a term used to describe a type of music that is of progressive metal characterized by its use of off-beat and complex rhythm patterns. Its distinctive sound is that of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings. The name “djent” is an onomatopoeia of this sound.
This, according to Wikipedia, is the best description of it. While Wikipedia is often not the greatest source, I would agree with it. It is typically quite progressive, using baffling rhythm patterns and 8 string guitars for a good heavy sound that you would normally lose while down tuning your guitar. Some would describe it as noise, while others would paint a verbal, and sometimes physical, picture of interdimensional travel. Some have jokingly said it is just binary coding used to communicate with aliens. If that doesn’t peak your interest in the slightest, you may as well just close the browser and go for a walk.
“Origin Story-Time, Kids!”
Like every superhero in the MCU, this one has a story behind it’s conception. I wish I could just say that a heavy metal record caught the eye of a jazz record in the hallway, and they made sweet love in the back seat of a car and “BOOM, there ya have it!”, but I wish to maintain some form of credibility here. Granted, that may be the best way to describe it in short, but not everyone is fan of either. So if they don’t understand the elements of what both bring to the table, you’ll get that ever-so-loving look of confusion that I have come to know and despise.
I just refuse to apologize for my passion, man.
Simply put, djent is a reference to the sound of a guitar created by high gain, palm muted open string playing on an 8 string guitar, thought to have been coined by Fredrik Thordendal, lead guitarist of Meshuggah.
Following the terms conception, it has come to describe the sounds of bands like Periphery, Animals As Leaders, and Tesseract to name a few. Popularizing the term with their music that follows suit with the statements made above.
What Is The Internet’s Role In This….
The usual pandering on sites like Reddit and 4Chan have caused there to be an influx of misinformation or trolling opinions on the term djent. Personally, I am not mad about it. I enjoy watching the threads and the arguments between the elitists not understanding shitposters and the joy they get out of asking if Nickelback djents just because they used a lower tuning on their new album.
It isn’t just a troll term. In fact, there has been widespread confusion for a long time about the term.
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.”
“But Does It Djent?”
In the age of technology, words are being created everyday to evolve with the times. Youtube Musicians like Jared Dines and Steve Terreberry have turned the word into an aggressive yet trolly catchphrase anytime a guitar or piece of music is presented… the ole’ “But does it djent?”
In the past several years, I have used it myself. While some people use the phrase to laugh, there are the few that hold onto this phrase like a life ring while swimming in a sea of “normies” who listen to HOT TOPIC METAL. To which I say… “no.”
My Long Winded Point….
Djent may as well be its own genre after this point, due to the simple fact that bands like Scale The Summit, Periphery, Meshuggah, and After The Burial have brought the progressive breakbeat style to the mainstream of metal. There will always be those fans of Mayhem and Burzum and Emporer who will declare that it isn’t “trve kvlt” or whatever, and the thrash kids will sit and fuss over how if it isn’t Megadeth, Metallica, or Slayer, it shouldn’t exist. But at this point, with over 40+ different subgenres out there… you decide.
