Musical Practices in Early Melodic Death Metal

Authors

  • Dr. Benjamin Phillip Hillier Conservatorium of Music, College of Arts and Law, University of Tasmania

Keywords:

music analysis, harmony, melodic death metal, death metal, NWOEHM

Abstract

This article investigates early examples of melodic death metal, a subgenre of metal that developed mainly in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the early- to mid-1990s. I examine how harmony is used in melodic death metal by undertaking a musical analysis of excerpts from three albums: The Gallery by Dark Tranquillity (1995), Slaughter of the Soul by At The Gates (1995), and The Jester Race by In Flames (1996). These analyses reveal a transformation of harmonic practices from melodic death metal’s parent genres of New Wave of European Heavy Metal and Swedish death metal. Melodic death metal also develops its own unique harmonic practices that point to a need to consider this style as a discrete subgenre beyond its development as The Gothenburg Sound. This enables a discussion of how these practices defined melodic death metal during its formative years and develops an argument for the differentiation of melodic death metal from local death metal sounds on musicological grounds. This article complements existing studies of melodic death metal by investigating an earlier period in the genre’s development than previous studies have observed and provides a foundation for further investigation into the development and proliferation of extreme metal subgenres.

Author Biography

Dr. Benjamin Phillip Hillier, Conservatorium of Music, College of Arts and Law, University of Tasmania

Benjamin Hillier is a PhD Candidate at the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music. His doctoral research focuses on musical characteristics of Australian extreme metal bands and the potential for a unique Australian sound among them. His interests are primarily in music theory and analysis of metal music, supported by ethnomusicological inquiries into metal communities and scenes. Beyond this, he maintains an interest in musicology that investigates genre, extreme music, popular music, and video game music.

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Published

2022-01-21

How to Cite

`Hillier, B. P. (2022). Musical Practices in Early Melodic Death Metal. Journal of Music Research Online, 11. Retrieved from https://www2.jmro.org.au/index.php/main/article/view/36

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Articles