I effing hate the term "Djent" nowadays. Far too many children using it as the name of a genre rather than the name of a palm-muting technique. It's supposed to be "Technical Metal" or just "Tech". However, I really do love the kind of tones a lot of these bands use, but there are far too many screamers in the genre.
Having said that, you could always visit the originators... first of all there's
Meshuggah who really were the pioneers of the kind of guitar tones and "Djented" chords that are now prevalent in the over-saturated sub-genre of Tech Metal. Try songs like "Bleed" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc98u-eGzlc, "Rational Gaze" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obcDrjPblxs, and my fave "Combustion" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MKyOQU6EPc.
But then you have
Sikth, who don't necessarily use that kind of tone or even use "Djented" chords, but are the band who really set off this whole scene with their amazing songwriting and use of technical musical ability. I really can't pick many fave songs of theirs as I'm a massive fan of everything they've done, but I guess "Bland Street Bloom" is fairly accessible -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfT3vcG4qZc, and the first track "Scent of the Obscene" from their first album -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhcRkk5z_U4.
And then you have our forum's very own Nolly, whose work, which along with Misha "Bulb" Mansoor and Acle Kahney has really helped push the sound along and helped spread it to a wider audience. Check out Nolly's old band "
Red Seas Fire" who have some stonking songs, -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jNXbq2Qab0 and of course you are already aware of his current outfit "
Periphery" (check out the video version of "Jetpacks Was Yes" which is my fave version from the first album -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTICUhCqEaY), and Nolly's solo-penned effort from the "Clear" EP called "Extraneous" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAq-xM3sK_I.
And on to my fave band to have come out of this scene:
Tesseract. Clean vocals aplenty, and some of the most gorgeously crafted songs in the genre. Plenty of atmosphere and soul. The guitar tones are a lot more kind of Ice-Pickish, but they sit really well in the composition and definitely form a major part of their signature sound. Try "Concealing Fate Part Two: Deception" which is my top pick of their songs with Daniel Tompkins (amazing vocalist!) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_YIiRoRFM or "Nocturne" which is my fave from the second album with Ashe O'Hara taking on vocal duties. -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=get0cXOsSXgOther notable entries are:
Uneven Structure - I actually really REALLY dig this band, amazing vocals both harsh and clean, brilliant musicianship (I'm a huge fan of atmospherics) and... just look at this AMAZING video for "Frost / Hail". I've NEVER seen a music video that was so unbelievably awesome for a Tech band! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z38EuVhXzZ8Skyharbor - Daniel Tompkins left Tesseract after the first album and joined this band (I think he's still in it, actually), and this track "Catharsis" features a solo from none other than Marty Friedman! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFwYd_52lTsTextures - Not quite as "Tech" as others on the list, but another old fave of mine, not least because they definitely sport some Devin Townsend influences here on "Awake" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSYNhfkNGcoSome instrumental Tech in the form of
Animals As Leaders - Tosin Abasi really is one of those guys who can legitimately justify using an 8-string guitar. He uses every single string and every single fret. Very Jazz-based, but most of the stuff he does under the Animals As Leaders name has a heavier element to it. He's simply amazing. Try "Cafo" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmfzWpp0hMcChimp Spanner - I really like Chimp Spanner, definitely some Vai / Satriani / Petrucci influences shining through in his playing. "Harvey Wallbanger" is the nuts! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ArPLTLVolI but give some of his other stuff a go, there's a fair amount of variation going on in there.
Other names for the list:
Vildhjarta
Monuments
Veil of Maya
These three are rather on the heavy side, especially Vildhjarta and VoM. If you're not keen on filthy vocals, proceed with caution.
Something I've noticed - Vildhjarta are really trying to push a new onomatopoeia: "Thall", not sure whether I'm getting that right or whether they actually are trying to replace the word "Djent" or whether it's just a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun at how silly this whole "Djent" malarkey has gotten. You can hear the "Thall" sound in most of their songs. I may have that completely wrong and "Thall" could mean something totally different to my interpretation, but unfortunately facts are scarce on that particular semi-factoid.
