Djent
Djent is a subgenre of progressive metal characterized by its distinctive, percussive guitar tone, achieved through palm-muted, low-tuned, high-gain, and heavily distorted guitars, often featuring complex polyrhythms and an energetic, technical sound. The genre's name is an onomatopoeia for this specific guitar sound, attributed to Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal and popularized online by Misha Mansoor of Periphery. Key pioneers and influential bands include Meshuggah, SikTh, and Periphery. Djent's emphasis on technicality and unique sonic textures has significantly impacted modern progressive metal.
More about Djent
Djent is a progressive metal style that emerged around 2000-2010, its name being an onomatopoeia mimicking the characteristic sound of heavily down-tuned guitars playing syncopated, polymetric rhythms with a compressed and cutting distortion. Swedish band Meshuggah is universally recognised as the founding father of this sound, though the term 'djent' was popularised and theorised by British guitarist Misha Mansoor of Periphery, thanks to the explosion of guitar communities online during the 2000s.
Musically, djent is defined by the use of 7-, 8- and even 9-string guitars enabling extremely low tunings, with a strong emphasis on polymetric rhythms and complex tempo changes. Bass lines play a fundamental role, often doubled with the bass guitar. Vocal parts oscillate between melodic singing and extreme techniques, while productions are generally hyper-polished, leaning towards a very contemporary and digital sound.
The global djent scene is represented by bands such as TESSERACT, English masters of progressive and atmospheric moods, and Northlane, who embody the Australian scene with remarkable energy. LOATHE fuse djent with shoegaze elements, while ALLT and CABAL bring their own vision to this ultra-technical, contemporary metal.
Progressive and technical metal festivals are djent's natural showcases: Euroblast Festival in Germany is specially dedicated to this style, while events like Prog Power Europe, Download Festival and Hellfest regularly include these bands in their line-ups. The djent community is particularly active online, on YouTube and Spotify, where guitar tutorials and playthrough videos have allowed this highly technical genre to reach a global audience.