Can anyone fill me in on modes used by bands like emperor, immortal, hypocrisy, opeth.. etc? :roc :hotjump:
Modes used in death/black metal?
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Melodeath
Moonbow
MFJ
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Wavebreaker
Apollo Rises!!!!
Aeloian, Phrygian, Locrian, and Dorian (the four minor modes) are most common, more or less in that order.
From the three major modes, Lydian and Mixolidian seem to be the most useful, as they have more of that epicness required for metal.
Keep in mind, however, that most of these songwriters do not write within fixed harmonic frameworks, they play it by ear, so there's a lot of chromaticism and atonalism (especially in Emperor), as well as harmonic sequences that simply fall out of the classic modal structure (Opeth
s chord progressions, for instance, often consciously avoid staying in a single key/mode for very long).
From the three major modes, Lydian and Mixolidian seem to be the most useful, as they have more of that epicness required for metal.
Keep in mind, however, that most of these songwriters do not write within fixed harmonic frameworks, they play it by ear, so there's a lot of chromaticism and atonalism (especially in Emperor), as well as harmonic sequences that simply fall out of the classic modal structure (Opeth
s chord progressions, for instance, often consciously avoid staying in a single key/mode for very long).
Melodeath
Moonbow
Episteme
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Locrian is indeed a more diminished mode. Everyone has been saying all these fixed modes and stuff. It'd be more interesting to try to write something say, in diminished, augmented, octatonic, or any scale that isn't involved with the major scale. Atonality is something that has been explored by alot of death metal bands, e.g Gorguts. Death Metal and Black metal has also used alot of exotic scales e.g Melechesh, Nile...
Well the modes listed, the Phrygian and natural minor scale and locrian which is a half diminshed scale.
Look these are pretty much mixed and matched with chromaticism thrown in.
But one things for certain the two intervals that make metal metal are the b2nd and the b5th. That is the basis of all death and black metal.
It just is.
Look these are pretty much mixed and matched with chromaticism thrown in.
But one things for certain the two intervals that make metal metal are the b2nd and the b5th. That is the basis of all death and black metal.
It just is.
A lot of the time though when you write in a mode like Locrian it sounds like a different mode though especially to people who don't have the hearing ability to grasp odd modes.
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I do not understand what these modes ('Locrian', and so on) mean, but many black metal bands use chromaticism and atonalism, as Wavebreaker has already mentioned. Generic melodic death metal bands tend to use harmonic minor keys. More traditional death metal bands are more often atonal.
anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
Actually, I've found it very rare that any band is purely atonal. More often than not, they'll use atonal harmonics or chordal mixes. Generally, death metal bands are intensely chromatic. Black metal bands are usually chromatic or in harmonic or melodic minor keys. Occasionally, some bands are minimalist. Melodic death is either in regular minor or occasionally major keys. Most notably E minor or C major.
Melodic death probably doesn't use THAT much to E minor since a lot of them tune down to something else don't they? But yeah I know what you meant.
I think if not atonal most black and death metal bands probably use minor keys.
I think if not atonal most black and death metal bands probably use minor keys.
Demiurge
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the use of modal harmonies in metal is something interesting, if rare. if anyone can think of some such obscure bands, please mention them to me.
anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
As opposed to how many define it as merely 'simple,' I'd say minimalist refers to a band using only one or two root chords played at a wickedly insane alternating tempo to blur them together and repeat this as a phrase before moving on to a logical progression, always returning to the original root. Either that, or one guitar doing this while the other one shifts chords in a chromatic progression behind it. A gret example would be the song "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" by Burzum. It's similar to Philip Glass composiitons in that it involves the steady repetition of phrases to create a hypnotic effect or ethereal quality. Although many minimalist works and black metal songs are referred to as atonal, songs like the aforementioned Burzum are actually almost entirely tonal, because the tonal center almost never varies in the traditional fashion. Bands like Burzum or Darkthrone or early Bathory are amazing, because they manage to weave subtle melodies into this rigid woodwork of pure tonality.
anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
Melodeath
Moonbow
narcisco said:
can you explain what makes it half diminished versus just diminished? I have forgotten what half diminished means and dotn feel liek lookign it up.
The only term about half dimished-isms that I can remember have to do with 7 chords like if its a diminished chord with a minor 7 its half diminished I think and its diminished if its a diminished chord with a diminished 7 on top (not necessarily on top but yeah).
