The difference, by ear
The tunings and the precision come from djent, and the songwriting instincts do not.
Both are part sung, part screamed and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 160 bpm. To hear the difference, play Tallah next to Meshuggah. They share a root in heavy metal, and djent came first, by eleven years.
In figures
New nu metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Nu metal › New nu metal
In short
The generation raised on Korn and Slipknot brings back low tunings and electronic textures with today's production.
How it sounds
- Very low tunings and modern production with electronic and trap elements.
- Short structures built for streaming and vertical video.
- Vocals switching rapidly between rapping, processed singing and screaming.
Key acts
- Tallah
- Vended
- Sleep Token
Start here
The pickLoathe - I Let It in and It Took Everything. Deftones and shoegaze, done very well.
Full page →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 →