“But does it djent?” It’s a question that’s haunted a generation (djeneration?) of progressive metal bands. Ever since Meshuggah first stormed onto the scene in the mid-1990s with their polyrhythmic extremity and headbangable backbeats, the parameters for top-shelf tech-metal have changed. The sound of the Swedes’ dense, eight-string guitars coined the onomatopoeia “djent”, and countless bands have taken their influence in their wake.
Djent has now risen from the muse of bedroom cult projects to the sound of bona fide mainstream superstars. So, in celebration, Hammer’s compiled a short list to get you up to date. Here’s the history of djent in just five must-hear albums:
