During the summer I was talking to some people about the sounds that really get to me and move me in metal. I was describing this particularly low and chuggy power rhythms that I said sometimes in old Anthrax lyrics inserts were referred to as the MOSH PARTS. I told them how that stuff makes me feel powerful when I listen to it. I also said I think it would be cool if someone made such parts but mixed in some of the WHUB WHUB really low sound that is popular with dubstep to make it even lower and more powerful.

I was told. "That is djent." Since I didn't know anything about djent I said, "Oh, okay I am going to need to check this stuff out." It turns out now that I've had many months to look into it that this is not in fact the case.

This post continues my Metal Tree series which was inspired by the Metal Evolution documentary series by Sam Dunn and Banger Films. I have covered the limit of what Metal Evolution could provide and this is my second post covering additional branches to the metal evolution chart that I myself am adding.

If you missed the previous posts and are interested there are two ways to get the previous post. You can open the original post and if you scroll to the bottom I added links to all the next posts for at least as long as it would let me edit them. After that the best way to find them all is to click the #metaltree tag in the post and then click on the various new, hot, etc tabs and you'll find the posts.

Let Us Begin

Now it turns out what I was told Djent is, was not actually accurate. Djent is actually not really a completely new thing, but it does put a lot more OVER EMPHASIS on a particular style of playing guitar. This over emphasis is what makes it stand out and be different. It is also not that chugging power rhythm part that I was referring to when I was first turned onto the fact Djent even existed.

This style emphasize heavy palm muting of the playing on the guitar, with a lot of broken rhythmic patterns. If you are familiar with music it is much like adding a lot of attack to the muted sounds, or if you prefer a more classically trained comparison it is like making the chords and notes very staccato like, syncopated, and poly-rhythmic.

I kept reading that it was the band Meshuggah that introduced this style and kind of fired off the interest in Djent.

Now that I am actually familiar with what Djent actually is I can hear it used in a lot of modern metal. In fact, I've shared quite a bit of it with some of my previous posts. Some of the bands and musicians I've mentioned in the past we will retouch upon here when I find pieces that really emphasize djent and it's sound and technique.

I've also seen Djent referred to as an offspring of Progressive Metal. I'm a huge Progressive Metal fan.

I am going to approach this a little different than previous #metaltree posts and will instead show you some youtube stuff before I dive into the commercially successful (aka professional) acts. I am doing this as they are amusing, and they also do a really good job of even over emphasizing the djent muting technique than if I were to just throw the music at you and expect you to know what you should be listening for.

Youtube and Djent

How to Play Heavy Metal Guitar : Palm Muting Techniques for Metal Guitar - This shows clearly what palm muting sounds like, but he doesn't actually play anything in this video that sounds like Djent.

How To Be DJENT! - Humor, but does show some of the style...

Djent 2016 - Djent with a one string guitar. :)

Djent Battle - Jared Dines VS Andrew Baena

Annoying Djent Guy! - more absurd comedy based around djent.

The discovery of Djent (ft. Rob Scallon)

Now let's talk about bands

From this point we'll return to my normal #metaltree format and I'll list some bands based upon when they first released recordings, nationality, etc.

Meshuggah

Band First Released: 1991
Nationality: Sweden
Meshuggah has been mentioned in several posts. They have been involved with and have influenced numerous sub-genres of metal. Apparently, they were the ones to kind of highlight and exaggerate this palm muting technique with poly-rhythmic patterns. This may be where the roots of djent began.
Bleed (Official Music Video)

New millennium cyanide christ+Stengah+The mouth licking...(Live at Montreal) with lyrics

Stéphan Forté

Band First Released: 1996
Nationality: France
Stéphan Forté did not actually start as a Djent artist, in fact he is a lot more than that style. I featured in my episode 28 post on neo-classical and I noticed he was mixing djent techniques in with neo-classical on the song I liked a lot, so I included him and that song again here.
Sector A: UNDEAD

Sikth

Band First Released: 2000
Nationality: United Kingdoms
Bland Street Bloom

Philistine Philosophies

Scent of the Obscene

Textures

Band First Released: 2003
Nationality: Netherlands
I actually think these guys are pretty damn good. Though I will say as an offshoot of Progressive Metal all of these bands are skilled, it is tricky to perform poly-rhythmic odd time signature music like this.
Reaching Home

New horizons

Shaping A Single Grain Of Sand

TesseracT

Band First Released: 2007
Nationality: United Kingdoms
Nocturne

Of Matter (Live at Sphere Studios)

Survival

Twelve Foot Ninja

Band First Released: 2008
Nationality: Australia
I have actually shared this band in several other posts in the #metaltree series. They are a very interesting band, and I'd consider them a full on Progressive Metal band as they mix so many different styles including styles that are not even remotely metal into a single song. They are also quite amusing and very different. They do use a lot of Djent techniques in their songs though and if you look up lists of djent bands you will typically find Twelve Foot Ninja listed there.
Coming For You - Give it a moment - I can guarantee you this song will likely surprise you if you listen to it at least for a minute. It jumps from Djent to Lounge to Funk all in the same song.

One Hand Killing - comedy skit at beginning - song begins at about 2:10

Shuriken

Animals As Leaders

Band First Released: 2009
Nationality: United States
This is an instrumental band based out of Washington, D.C. That does make their band name fairly amusing. Though this band is pretty incredible and will be going into my personal playlists. They are skilled and definitely in the vein of things that appeal to me.
CAFO - Wow, this song tears it up.

Tooth and Claw

"Kascade" At Guitar Center - Notice no bass guitars, then again with two people playing 8 string guitars maybe they don't think they really need one. I don't know

Periphery

Band First Released: 2010
Nationality: United States
Make Total Destroy

Scarlet

Alpha

In Closing

Djent in practice by bands actually seems to be predominantly an offshoot of Progressive Metal. It is full of the technicality and crazy instrumentation that is in progressive metal. Since Progressive Metal is perhaps my favorite genre pretty much any of these acts in this post that were not already in my play list have since been added. They are progressive metal acts, with the metal sections being heavily influenced by Djent techniques. There is also a lot of love for guitars with insane numbers of strings. It turns out some of the up coming guitar greats like Tosin Abasi who I keep hearing about are ensconced within this sub-genre.

As always if you know of a band you think should be in this post on Djent then please reply and share a link to the band.

Thank you for reading, watching, and listening. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I liked the music in this post a lot.

Steem On!