Skip to content
1981
Volume 8, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2052-3998
  • E-ISSN: 2052-4005

Abstract

This article explores reasons for the proliferation of dissonance in metal music. It asks why metal musicians compose dissonant songs and what sociocultural functions dissonance may have for metal as a community. The findings suggest that exploring ways to further utilize dissonance is crucial to the genre’s development and continued transgression, especially in progressive and extreme subgenres, and that fans derive pleasure and meaning from dissonance in the music. Dissonance is not only present in many metal compositions, but its prominence suggests that dissonance is one of the genre’s central aesthetic features, at least in its more extreme subgenres. This is a subversion of the typical values in mainstream popular music, where dissonant features are fleeting points of tension. The article argues that dissonance is valued for its congruence with an aesthetic that transcends the genre through its overall transgressive traits. Such an aesthetic is appealing because it facilitates the exploration of negative emotions and ideas in safety, both individually and communally.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/mms_00085_1
2022-09-01
2024-11-04
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alter Bridge ( 2013;), ‘ Addicted to Pain. ’, Fortress , CD, Roadrunner.
  2. Berger, H.. ( 1999), Metal, Rock, and Jazz, Middletown, CT:: Wesleyan University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Berger, H., and Fales, C.. ( 2005;), ‘ “Heaviness” in the perception of heavy metal guitar timbres: The match of perceptual and acoustic features. ’, in T. Porcello, and P. Greene. (eds), Wired for Sound, Middletown, CT:: Wesleyan University Press;, pp. 18197.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Biamonte, N.. ( 2014;), ‘ Formal functions of metric dissonance in rock music. ’, Music Theory Online, 20:2, https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.14.20.2/mto.14.20.2.biamonte.php. Accessed 19 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Black Sabbath ( 1970;), ‘ Black Sabbath. ’, Black Sabbath , CD, Vertigo:.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Capuzzo, G.. ( 2018;), ‘ Rhythmic deviance in the music of Meshuggah. ’, Music Theory Spectrum, 40:1, pp. 12137.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Cardwell, T.. ( 2017;), ‘ Battle jackets, authenticity and “material individuality”. ’, Metal Music Studies, 3:1, pp. 43758.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Chelsea Grin ( 2010;), ‘ The Human Condition. ’, Desolation of Eden , CD, Artery:.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Cope, A. L.. ( 2010), Black Sabbath and the Rise of Heavy Metal Music, Farnham:: Ashgate;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Crossley, N.. ( 1998;), ‘ Emotion and communicative action: Habermas, linguistic philosophy and existentialism. ’, in G. Bendelow, and S. J. Williams. (eds), Emotions in Social Life: Critical Themes and Contemporary Issues, New York:: Routledge;, pp. 1638.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. The Dillinger Escape Plan ( 1999;), ‘ 43% Burnt. ’, Calculating Infinity , CD, Relapse:.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Disturbed ( 2000;), ‘ Down with the Sickness. ’, The Sickness , CD, Giant:.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Eischeid, S.,, Kneer, J., and Englich, B.. ( 2019;), ‘ Peace of mind: The impact of metal gestures on stress and power. ’, Metal Music Studies, 5:2, pp. 13750.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Fahy, T.. ( 2010), The Philosophy of Horror, Lexington, KT:: University Press of Kentucky;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Farley, H.. ( 2009;), ‘ Demons, devils and witches: The occult in heavy metal music. ’, in G. Bayer. (ed.), Heavy Metal Music in Britain, Farnham:: Ashgate;, pp. 7591.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Gamble, S.. ( 2019;), ‘ Breaking down the breakdown in twenty-first-century metal. ’, Metal Music Studies, 5:3, pp. 33754.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Garza, J.. ( 2017;), ‘ Adapt and prevail: New applications of rhythmic and metric analysis in contemporary metal music. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Tallahassee, FL:: Florida State University;, https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:604968. Accessed 19 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Hannan, C.. ( 2018;), ‘ Difficulty as heaviness: Links between rhythmic difficulty and perceived heaviness in the music of Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan. ’, Metal Music Studies, 4:3, pp. 43358.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Hannan, C.. ( 2021;), ‘ Ghostly longing: Tonality as grieving in Bell Witch’s Mirror Reaper. ’, Metal Music Studies, 7:2, pp. 27797.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Harrison, D.. ( 1994), Harmonic Function in Chromatic Music, Chicago, IL:: University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Herbst, J.-P.. ( 2017;), ‘ Historical development, sound aesthetics and production techniques of the distorted electric guitar in metal music. ’, Metal Music Studies, 3:1, pp. 2346.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Herbst, J.-P.. ( 2018;), ‘ Heaviness and the electric guitar: Considering the interaction between distortion and harmonic structures. ’, Metal Music Studies, 4:1, pp. 95113.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Herbst, J.-P., and Bauerfeind, K.. ( 2021;), ‘ Teutonic metal: Effects of place- and mythology-based labels on record production. ’, International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, 4, pp. 291313, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-021-00084-5. [Crossref] Accessed 19 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Huron, D.. ( 2006), Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Iron Maiden ( 1983;), ‘ The Trooper. ’, Piece of Mind , CD, EMI.
  26. Kahn-Harris, K.. ( 2007), Extreme Metal, Oxford:: Berg;.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Kennedy, L.. ( 2017;), ‘ Functions of genre in metal and hardcore music. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Hull:: University of Hull;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Krebs, H.. ( 1987;), ‘ Some extensions of the concepts of metrical consonance and dissonance. ’, Journal of Music Theory, 31:1, pp. 99120.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Krebs, H.. ( 2003), Fantasy Pieces: Metrical Dissonance in the Music of Robert Schumann, New York:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Lilja, E.. ( 2009), Theory and Analysis of Classic Heavy Metal Harmony, Vantaa:: IAML;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Lilja, E.. ( 2019;), ‘ Harmonic function and modality in classic heavy metal. ’, Metal Music Studies, 5:3, pp. 35578.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Lucas, O.. ( 2018;), ‘ “So complete in beautiful deformity”: Unexpected beginnings and rotated riffs in Meshuggah’s obZen. ’, Music Theory Online, 24:3, https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.18.24.3/mto.18.24.3.lucas.html. Accessed 19 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Mastodon ( 2004a;), ‘ Blood and Thunder. ’, Leviathan , CD, Relapse.
  34. Mastodon ( 2004b;), ‘ Megalodon. ’, Leviathan , CD, Relapse.
  35. Mastodon ( 2009;), ‘ The Last Baron. ’, Crack the Skye , CD, Reprise.
  36. Megadeth ( 1993;), ‘ Sweating Bullets. ’, Countdown to Extinction , CD, Capitol.
  37. Meshuggah ( 1995;), ‘ Future Breed Machine. ’, Destroy Erase Improve , CD, Nuclear Blast.
  38. Meshuggah ( 2008;), ‘ Bleed. ’, obZen , CD, Nuclear Blast.
  39. Moore, A.. ( 2001), Rock: The Primary Text, Cornwall:: Ashgate;.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Morris, M.. ( 2015;), ‘ Extreme heavy metal music and critical theory. ’, Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, 90:4, pp. 285303.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Mynett, M.. ( 2019;), ‘ Defining contemporary metal music: Performance, sounds and practices. ’, Metal Music Studies, 5:3, pp. 297313.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Opeth ( 2005;), ‘ Beneath the Mire. ’, Ghost Reveries , CD, Roadrunner.
  43. Pantera ( 1990;), ‘ Psycho Holiday. ’, Cowboys from Hell , CD, Atco.
  44. Parkway Drive ( 2010;), ‘ Deliver Me. ’, Deep Blue , CD, Resist.
  45. Partridge, C. H.. ( 2012), Anthems of Apocalypse, Sheffield:: Sheffield Phoenix Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Perle, G.. ( 1996), Twelve-Tone Tonality, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Persichetti, V.. ( 1978), Twentieth Century Harmony, London:: Faber;.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Pieslak, J.. ( 2007;), ‘ Re-casting metal: Rhythm and meter in the music of Meshuggah. ’, Music Theory Spectrum, 29:2, pp. 21945.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Plomp, R., and Levelt, W. J. M.. ( 1965;), ‘ Tonal consonance and critical bandwidth. ’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 38:4, pp. 54860.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Popescu, T. N.,, Neuser, M. P.,, Neuwirth, M.,, Bravo, F.,, Mende, W.,, Boneh, O.,, Moss, F. C., and Rohrmeier, M.. ( 2019;), ‘ The pleasantness of sensory dissonance is mediated by musical style and expertise. ’, Scientific Reports, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35873-8. Accessed 19 September 2022.
  51. Quinn, K.. ( 2019;), ‘ Heavy metal music and managing mental health: Heavy metal therapy. ’, Metal Music Studies, 3:1, pp. 41924.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Rehding, A.. ( 2018;), ‘ Consonance and dissonance. ’, in A. Rehding, and S. Rings. (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Critical Concepts in Music Theory, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, pp. 43766, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190454746.013.14. Accessed 19 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Reyes, I.. ( 2013;), ‘ Blacker than death: Recollecting the “black turn” in metal aesthetics. ’, Journal of Popular Music Studies, 25:2, pp. 24057.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Schillinger, J.. ( 1941), The Schillinger System of Musical Composition, Jackson, MI:: Perseus Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Sikth ( 2017;), ‘ Vivid. ’, The Future in Whose Eyes? , CD, Peaceville.
  56. Slayer ( 1986;), ‘ Raining Blood. ’, Reign in Blood , CD, Def Jam.
  57. Smialek, E.. ( 2008;), ‘ Rethinking metal aesthetics: Complexity, authenticity, and audience in Meshuggah’s I and Catch Thirtythr33. ’, MA thesis, Montreal:: McGill University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Smialek, E.. ( 2015;), ‘ Genre and expression in extreme metal music, ca. 1990-2015. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Montreal:: McGill University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Temperley, D.. ( 1999;), ‘ Syncopation in rock: A perceptual perspective. ’, Popular Music, 18:1, pp. 1940.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Tenney, J.. ( 1988), A History of Consonance and Dissonance, New York:: Excelsior;.
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Terhardt, E.. ( 1984;), ‘ The concept of musical consonance: A link between music and psychoacoustics. ’, Music Perception, 1:3, pp. 27695.
    [Google Scholar]
  62. Thy Art Is Murder ( 2012;), ‘ Reign of Darkness. ’, Hate , CD, Halfcut.
  63. Tool ( 2001;), ‘ Lateralus. ’, Lateralus , CD, Volcano.
  64. Tool ( 2006;), ‘ The Pot. ’, 10,000 Days , CD, Volcano.
  65. Toska ( 2016;), ‘ Chalk Teeth. ’, Ode to the Author , CD, Records DK2.
  66. Virtala, P.,, Huotilainen, M.,, Lilja, E.,, Ojala, J., and Tervaniemi, M.. ( 2018;), ‘ Distortion and western music chord processing: An ERP study of musicians and nonmusicians. ’, Music Perception, 35:3, pp. 31531.
    [Google Scholar]
  67. Walser, R.. ( 1993), Running with the Devil, Middletown, CT:: Wesleyan University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  68. Waters, K.. ( 1996;), ‘ Blurring the barline: Metric displacement in the piano solos of Herbie Hancock. ’, Annual Review of Jazz Studies, 8, pp. 1937.
    [Google Scholar]
  69. Weinstein, D.. ( 2000), Heavy Metal, Boulder, CO:: Da Capo Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  70. Yavuz, M. S.. ( 2017;), ‘ “Delightfully depressing”: Death/doom metal music world and the emotional responses of the fan. ’, Metal Music Studies, 3:2, pp. 20118.
    [Google Scholar]
  71. Swallow, Reuben, and Herbst, Jan-Peter. ( 2022;), ‘ Dissonance in metal music: Musical and sociocultural reasons for metal’s appreciation of dissonance. ’, Metal Music Studies, 8:3, pp. 35179, https://doi.org/10.1386/mms_00085_1
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/mms_00085_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/mms_00085_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): aesthetics; analysis; dissonance; emotion; music theory; musicology; transgression
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error