Theme and Variation in Metal

[MasterOLightning]

It just occurred to me today that Deathspell Omega's Kenose album has the same general progression as the core riff in all three parts. The first heavy riff and the outro riff of I, and the opening riffs of II and III are essentially the same progression. I'll have to go back and listen to see how closely the three songs actually do mirror each other.

 

[panzerfaust666]

well, behemoth use the same progression in almost every song, the octave-egyptian scale thing, like intro to conquer all etc. i think thats also on the same lines as what you are asking...

 

[MasterOLightning]

No, not at all actually.

 

[panzerfaust666]

It just occurred to me today that Deathspell Omega's Kenose album has the same general progression as the core riff in all three parts. The first heavy riff and the outro riff of I, and the opening riffs of II and III are essentially the same progression. I'll have to go back and listen to see how closely the three songs actually do mirror each other.

well didnt he say basically the same thing? he made it sound as in every song on the album ha the same progression...am i right?

 

[MasterOLightning]

But you're not even right about that album, so it sort of kills your point.

 

[Scourge of God]

Can anyone think of any metal songs that adhere closely to this classical approach?

A partial definition from grovemusic.com :

A form founded on repetition...in which a discrete theme is repeated several or many times with various modifications. A theme for variations, rarely shorter than eight or longer than 32 bars, may be a melody, a bass line, a harmonic progression or a complex of such elements. Sets of variations may be freestanding, independent pieces, most often for solo keyboard but also for orchestra and chamber combinations, or they may be movements in a larger work...

Nothing obvious is coming to mind, or at least nothing that very strictly adheres to this idea. Burzum songs like Det Som En Gang Var and Tomhet seem to come close, but there are clear breaks from the original theme.

Both of the Burzum examples you cite are classic cases of thematic composition in the classical tradition. Most classical works incorporate more than one theme, as does Burzum. Summoning is another prime example of thematic composition in metal (really, most of the better black metal fits in this category). In fact, thematic composition is central to most metal of any significance.

 

[panzerfaust666]

well masteroflighting, w.e you say.they do use the same progression in many songs then. sound fair now?