The difference, in figures
Black metal is clearly faster (+3) and slightly less melodic (−2) than Djent, and matches it on heaviness. It emerged in 1982, 25 years before Djent in 2007. The two split from Heavy metal. Both trace to Sweden.
Djent
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Progressive metal › Djent
In short
The name imitates the sound: seven- or eight-string guitars, heavily compressed palm mutes and polyrhythms. Meshuggah built the vocabulary; a generation of forum users named it.
How it sounds
- Seven- or eight-string guitars, tuned very low, with heavily compressed palm mutes.
- Polyrhythm: the riff repeats on a cycle that does not line up with the drum meter.
- Precise digital production with a deliberately sterile tone and no reverb.
Key acts
- Meshuggah
- Periphery
- Animals as Leaders
- TesseracT
Start here
The pickMeshuggah - Nothing. Count the bars if you can.
Full page →Black metal
Where it sits
In short
Tremolo picking, blast beats, shrieked vocals and deliberately cold production. More an aesthetic than a technique - atmosphere matters more than clean sound.
How it sounds
- Tremolo picking on open fifth voicings, with vocals in the high register.
- Deliberately thin, cold production - the missing bass is an aesthetic choice, not an accident.
- Fast blast beats, drums often mixed back, atmosphere placed above technique.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Emperor
Start here
The pickDarkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky. The production is intentional, not a flaw.
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