Joseph’Perkins’ BMus’ · The guitar is of course, characterized by its distorted nature,...
Transcript of Joseph’Perkins’ BMus’ · The guitar is of course, characterized by its distorted nature,...
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Joseph Perkins
BMus
Terms 1-‐2: 2013/2014
Popular Music Studies MU2117/MU3117
Kyle Devine
Project
Adorno’s theory of Standardisation in relation to rhythmical elements in Deathcore music.
2736 words
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Introduction
Adorno’s theory of ‘standardization’ and ‘psuedo-‐individualisation’, although
controversial, can be applied to many popular music genres. Deathcore music is
a 21st century invention that was spawned from a combination of Metalcore and
Death Metal music of the late 20th Century. This study will demonstrate musical
similarities between Deathcore, Metalcore, and Death Metal, highlighting
Adorno’s theory of standardization. My own musical analysis will demonstrate
key elements of the music that Adorno would describe as ‘standardized’. This is
ultimately to prove that Deathcore music is defined by its often-‐recycled nature
using predetermined musical devices, whilst simultaneously borrowing ideas
from it’s preceding subgenres.
On examining the genre Deathcore, I will demonstrate that it can be defined on a
purely musical basis, such as its rhythmical qualities; including ‘blast-‐beats’,
‘punctuation’ of the kick drum and ‘breakdowns’. The Bass guitar predominantly
acts in unison with the Electric Guitar, although only playing root chord tones.
The guitar is of course, characterized by its distorted nature, drop tuning,
chromaticism and diminished phrases, palm-‐muted articulation and obligatory
guitar solo within the form of Death Metal performances. These musical
elements are the foundations by which one may describe the music, however
what defines them as different subgenres, and particularly Deathcore, is the role
of instrumental interaction and hierarchical importance of these defining
features. This suggests what Adorno would describe as ‘pseudo-‐
individualisation’ as a result of the standardization within the music.
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Standardization
On the standardization of popular music, Theodore W. Adorno writes:
“The whole structure of popular music is standardized, even where the attempt
is made to circumvent standardization. Standardization extends from the most
general features to the most specific ones. Best known is the rule that a chorus
consists of thirty-‐two bars and the range is limited to one octave and one note.”1
Adorno also argues that only the most ‘primitive’ harmonic facts; regardless of
what is harmonically ‘intervened’ are important. Adorno also suggests that only
the ‘amateur’ listener appreciates the most ‘primitive’ components, “The ear
deals with difficulties of hit music by achieving slight substitutions derived from
knowledge of the patterns. The listener when faced with the complicated actually
hears only the simple which it represents and perceives the complicated only as
a parodistic distortion of the simple”. 2
This generalization is often seen as elitist and therefore this point of view is
problematic. I shall argue that Deathcore music roughly follows Adorno’s theory
of standardization in a metaphorical sense; Deathcore music has spawned it’s
own ‘go-‐to’ components and not simply a list of musical factors common in
1 ADORNO, Theodore W. Essays on Music: Theodore W. Adorno. University of California Press. 2002. p. 438. 2 Ibid. p. 442.
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popular music of the 20th century, i.e. a ‘thirty-‐two bar chorus’. Similarly,
Adorno’s writing on pseudo-‐individualisation seems more accurate as a way of
explaining the cultural/ideological differences between Death Metal, Hardcore
and Deathcore musics. This study will be focusing on purely musical aspects,
through my own analyses, to demonstrate the common links between these
related genres, and how it came to define the subgenre, Deathcore. Despite the
three subgenres all sharing many identical aspects such as, instrumentation,
harmonic progressions, tone, and form, I will conclude that rhythmical aspects
are the true defining features that act as a distinction between them.
There have been many criticisms of Adorno’s writings on standardization, such
as Robert W. Witkin, in Adorno in Popular Culture. Witkin writes:
“The term ‘standardization’ becomes less obvious in its meaning when we try to
apply it to forms in serious art and exhibit a certain regularity. After all, it can be
argued that standard forms are ubiquitous in all art. Why should a sonnet by
Shakespeare be considered less standardized than a popular song by Irving
Berlin? Surely painting genres and the forms of classical music – symphony,
sonata, minuet, rondo, scherzo and so forth – all exhibit their regular features in
different works”.3
3 WITKIN, Robert W. Adorno on Popular Culture. Routledge 2003. Chapter 7. p. 2
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My study will not debate the argument between ‘popular’ and ‘serious’ music,
but instead take Adorno’s ideology of standardization as a way of defining key
musical features of these subgenres.
Death Metal
“The Lyrics and Vocals, which would strike the casual listener before anything
else, only augment the extremity of the music. In society at large, Death Metal is
probably best known for its vocals. Those who are outside the scene typically
classify it according to the vocals, ignoring the definite trends in the instrumental
music itself” – Natalie J. Purcell. 4
As a means of deconstructing Death Metal music I have chosen to research ‘Scars
of the Crucifix’ by Deicide as a case study. The album, Scars of the Crucifix
(2004), like many of their other releases, has caused much controversy; most
obviously due to antitheist ideologies that have come to define the music as
Death Metal as opposed to Black Metal which is defined by a specifically anti-‐
Christian ideological point of view. The often reactionary and ‘violent’ imagery
presented within the album artworks and texts within the lyrics have also come
to define the music. Despite these important ideological aspects, as mentioned
earlier, my own musical analysis will provide a list of musical characteristics that
I will argue support Adorno’s writing on standardization.
4 PURCELL, Natalie J. Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture. McFarland 2003. P. 9.
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Purcell states that, “The guitars in Floridian Death Metal are not generally tuned
as low as in other forms of Death Metal. The guitar work is more tight, precise,
and clear. Extremely fast, machine gun-‐like blast beats characterize the
drumming in Floridian Death Metal. Of the bands that designed and popularized
the Floridian sound… Deicide.”5
The opening three bars of ‘Scars of the Crucifix’ demonstrate a defining
rhythmical feature of Death Metal; in the drum notation, we see that the ride
cymbal (often crash cymbal) outline every crotchet beat. The kick drum outlines
exactly the same rhythm as the guitar and bass, as a way of emphasizing and
punctuating the ‘riff’. These are all prevailing element of the music that
recapitulates during verses.
5 PURCELL, Natalie J. Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture. McFarland 2003. p. 18.
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As the introduction or ‘verse riff’ leads into the chorus, rhythmical elements
intensify by straight quaver rhythms performed on the ride cymbal, which is
supported by the 2nd Rhythm guitar. The Snare drum is introduced on the 3rd
beat of every bar. Similarly, the kick drum is still following the rhythm of the 1st
Rhythm guitar and Bass Guitar.
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The next vital characteristic of the music is the rhythmical importance of straight
semiquavers, performed in this case, by every instrumentalist. This plays an
especially important role within the kick drum with double-‐pedal articulation.
Similarly, the guitar and bass lines follow this rhythmical pattern with alternate
plectrum technique in semiquavers. The ‘blast-‐beat’ rhythm, that has become
synonymous with Death Metal music, can be seen in the last beat of b.40 and
b.42 in the drum part; whereby both snare and kick drum play in semiquavers.
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As the music progresses, there is a tendency for the rhythmic patterns to
intensify, specifically concerning the use of constant semiquavers in every part,
such as in b.52 (third beat), where the blast-‐beat rhythm is prolonged for two
beats instead of one (as in b.42).
“Blast beats are achieved through the rapid, cut-‐time alternation of snare and
bass drum. The term ‘blast beat’ was reputedly coined by Mich Harris of Napalm
Death … There are now a number of different styles of blast beat, each of varying
degrees of difficulty and complexity.”6 – Michelle Phillipov.
Although not notated, the vocal style as presented by Glen Benton (Deicide),
consists of double tracked screams, (i.e. ‘highs’ and ‘lows’). Perhaps as a result of
this, the vocal style remains rhythmically free on top of the rigid/metronomic
precision of the other instruments. The vocals are predominantly in straight
quaver rhythms, but often semibreve screams are held.
Metalcore
As a means of deconstructing Metalcore music my case study involved an
investigation of ‘Smile’ by Bring Me The Horizon. Metalcore music can also be
defined by rhythmical features, most noticeably, the ‘breakdown’. But also it’s
roots in Hardcore Punk music play an important role. This is most apparent in
the introduction:
6 PHILLIPOV, Michelle. Death Metal and Music Criticism: Analysis at the limits. Lexington Books, 2012. p. 86
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This transcription demonstrates the use of the Hardcore-‐punk beat used in the
opening bars of the piece. This is played at 190 bpm, which is a typical tempo for
the fast paced rhythms of Hardcore-‐Punk Music. There is a snare hit on every
second and fourth beat of the bar, whilst the kick drum follows the guitar line.
This particular example demonstrates ‘Metal’ elements, similar to the kick drum
in Death Metal music. The kick drum punctuates even quavers and semiquavers
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throughout the verse riff, with the exception of the last two bars that preordain
the ‘breakdown’, which I will discuss next.
This is a transcription of the ‘breakdown’ in Chelsea Grin. The ‘breakdown’
always consists of a few select musical features. Either the tempo is reduced, as
demonstrated here at 120bpm, or it is performed in half-‐time of the original
tempo. To emphasize the power of the ensemble when performing at slower
tempo, more space is left throughout the entire group; the kick drum still echoes
the guitar parts, but they are often more sparse. The snare hits only on the third
beat of the bar, with the exception of ‘fills’ such as in the last two beats of this
example. The China Cymbal has also become a key feature of the ‘breakdown’,
depicted to outline every strong beat, alternating with the crash.
Similarly to Death Metal, the vocals are screamed and often double-‐tracked, but
more interestingly the vocals are also predominantly in straight quaver rhythms,
but often semibreve screams are held. The difference is that the voice is far more
rhythmically accurate or ‘in-‐the-‐pocket’ than ‘Scars of the Crucifix’. Metalcore is
less rhythmically intense as Death Metal, but relies on space and synchresis
between instrumentation for its effect.
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Deathcore
As a means of deconstructing Deathcore music my case study involved an
investigation of ‘You Only Live Once’ by Suicide Silence and, ‘I Thought You Met
Telly and Turned Me Into Casper’ by Emmure.
Similarly to Death Metal, the synchresis between kick drum and snare is
apparent, although at 120bpm it is arguable that the rhythmic pattern found in b.
2 and b. 4 could be defined as a blast-‐beat. (The blast-‐beats discussed in ‘scars of
the crucifix’ were performed at 190bpm). Other than this, there are similarities
to ‘Metalcore breakdowns’, such as snare on beat three and the china cymbal
being used (in the same way to the ride cymbal in a Death Metal context) i.e.
every crotchet beat of the bar. In addition to this, the kick drum shares the same
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rhythmical pattern as the guitar and bass parts. This example demonstrates that
Deathcore percussion is inherently determined by the guitars, (on the basis that
the guitar riffs are composed before the drum parts) or vice versa. When drum
fills and percussive embellishments are added, they are most commonly seen in
a predetermined beat (the fourth beat of the bar) and as a consequence only
‘intensify’ the rhythm to lead into the next bar or structurally important
measure; achieved by blast-‐beats and faster double kick drum articulation. The
constant as a stylistic aspect of Deathcore percussion is a crash cymbal on every
crotchet beat and a snare on every third beat of the bar. Deathcore music, is
usually performed at a slightly slower tempo, my given examples are performed
at 120bpm and 140bpm. I have concluded that these tempi are extremely
important to sustain elements of both Death Metal and Metalcore music; ‘half-‐
time breakdowns’ and semiquaver ‘blasts’ still work effectively.
Similarly to ‘You Only Live once’, ‘I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into
Casper’ by Emmure, also uses extremely down-‐tuned guitars. 7-‐string guitars are
used with the lowest string being A (4 tones lower than standard); this is a
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common feature of Deathcore music. As with all these examples there is the
rhythmical similarity between kick drum and guitar and bass parts. However,
Emmure certainly fixate more heavily on reliance to the ‘Hardcore/Metalcore
breakdown’ performance style. There are no Death Metal ‘blast-‐beats’ in this
piece, however semiquaver ‘blasts’ on the kick drum are still apparent (if only as
fills).
From b.10 there is a two bar guitar break playing a discord between the root
note and a minor 2nd on every crotchet beat. Deathcore music often presents this
textural contrast by a means of the instruments range. The notated reoccurring
discords sound an octave higher than presented in the score due to a ‘Whammy’
effects unit on the Electric guitars to raise the pitch by an octave. This is
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prominent throughout, such as in b.12 (beats 2.5 and 4.5). The discords are most
commonly presented on the offbeat; with the exception of the two bars break
presented in b.10-‐12. Consequently, the low/bass notes, such as the low A, are
most commonly played on the strong beats; this can be seen in b.12, beats 1 and
3.
This example presents more Death Metal inspired compositional elements such
as constant semiquavers for kick drum and a semibreve scream in the vocal part
with guitar and bass performing in rhythmical unison. At this point the guitar
and bass lines do not rhythmically influence the kick drum, and are autonomous
of the drum kit.
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This example in particular demonstrates the construction of a Deathcore
Breakdown. In b.35, there is a drum fill that it used to lead into the ‘breakdown’
section. The ‘breakdown’ starts in b.36, which is extremely similar to the way in
which this is deployed in ‘Chelsea Grin’. Every instrument plays a crotchet on
beats on 1 and 3, leaving space and rhythmic tension. This is followed by a
rhythmic phrase similar to what had been previously presented in the verse
sections, linking to Adorno’s theory of ‘nothing fundamentally novel will be
introduced’. Although one could argue that the recapitulation of musical material
is not only apparent in popular music, but many ‘serious’ musics too.
When examining the voice, it is interesting to note that the vocal phrase always
starts on the second half of the first beat. This is with the exception of the
‘breakdown’ and longer screams, such as in b.30. It is also important to note that
the music presented by Emmure and Suicide Silence is performed in metronomic
perfection. It is most common for Deathcore groups to record to a metronome, as
opposed to a purely ‘live’ recording. It could be argued that Deathcore music is
an extremely technologically reliant genre, when studio engineering determines
the prominence and overall sound of the most important factors of the
instrumentation: the double tracking of the voice, heavily compressed kick drum,
and overdubbed guitars. These studio enhancements are generally replicated
live, and have become associated with the Deathcore ‘sound’.
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Conclusion
Rhythm and Tempo are two defining features of these Heavy Metal subgenres.
Deathcore music is undoubtedly influenced and reliant on it’s founding
influences, but is innovative enough to be defined through musicological analysis
and not purely ideological/lyrical content of the music. Adorno’s building blocks
of popular music that define standardization do not apply to Deathcore music.
The chorus sections are predominantly 16 bars, not 32 bars. The range of the
voice is technically more than an octave, especially when ‘highs’ and ‘lows’
screams are used such as in Deicide and Bring Me the Horizon. The melodic
range of the guitars are also often more than an ‘octave and one note’. However,
Adorno argues, “[Music] regardless of what aberrations occur, the hit will lead
back to the same familiar experience, and nothing fundamentally novel will be
introduced.”7 From my own musical analysis, I have concluded that within these
compositions, nothing ‘fundamentally novel’ is introduced. The musical rules
that define them as their own subgenre, most noticeably rhythm, are a form of
this ‘familiar experience’. These ‘aberrations’ relate to slight variations, that
define one song from another, such as key/tone/melody, but as mentioned
earlier, they are all defined by their ‘most primitive’ rhythmical factors. Other
than these defining musical elements, Death Metal, Metalcore and Deathcore are
extremely similar.
7 Theodore W. Adorno. Essays on Music: Theodore W. Adorno. University of California Press. 2002. P. 438.
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Bibliography
ADORNO, Theodore W. Essays on Music: Theodore W. Adorno. University of
California Press. 2002.
BERGER, Harris M. Metal, Rock, and Jazz: Perception and the Phenomenology of
Musical Experience. Wesleyan University Press, 2011.
BUCHANAN, Ian. Deleuze and Music: Deleuze Connections Series. Edinburgh
University Press, 2004.
CHRISTE, Ian. Sound of the Beast. HarperCollins. 2010.
KHAN-‐HARRIS, Keith. Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge. Berg 2006.
MUNDRAIN, Albert. Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal &
Grindcore. Feral House 2004.
PHILLIPOV, Michelle. Death Metal and Music Criticism: Analysis at the limits.
Lexington Books, 2012
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PURCELL, Natalie J. Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture.
McFarland 2003.
WALLACH, Jeremy et al. Metal Rules the Globe: Heavy Metal Music Around the
World. Duke University Press, 2011.
WITKIN, Robert W. Adorno on Popular Culture. Routledge 2003
Discography
BRING ME THE HORIZON, ‘Chelsea Grin’. Suicide Season. Visible noise 2008.
DEICIDE, ‘Scars of the Crucifix’, Scars of the Crucifix. Earache 2004.
EMMURE, ‘I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into Casper’, Felony. Victory
Records 2009.