Introduction to "Jazz" Metal

[ScreamxBloodyxGore]

As far as capturing as many elements of jazz on a metal album goes Jarzombek's Spastic Ink albums both do better than Opeth / Cynic / Atheist (Elements is the only album they even have that should qualify) the faceless etc... both stylistically and structurally, although Malone and Reinert have had some pretty jazzy playing on Cordlant and Aghora only the latter comes close to being Jazz METAL. Thordendal and Meshuggah as jazz is a stretch but... they share some characteristics.

[jorgeesp1]

jazz?!?!?!!?!?



[Izlsnizzt]

i'd call this djazz

[metalfan9151]

I've got your prog/jazz/metal intro right here (albums in no particular order):

1. Sol Niger Within - Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects

2. Both Animals as Leaders albums

3. T.R.A.M. (Animals as Leaders side project; no album as of yet, though there are live recordings on youtube)

4. Emergent - Gordian Knot (Cynic side project)

5. Samus Octology - Irepress

6. Heritage - Opeth (hell, a lot of Opeth songs show a strong jazz influence)

You're all welcome :)

[Mafujalate329]

Yo, this is cool and all, but do they make really heavy but also really simple jazz fusion? Like imagine Electric wizard with a trumpet played over it. That sort of thing.

[Lucicaare]

listen to Trepalium!! :D

[alexorwhatever]

Panzerballet. 

[PlebeianComplex]

cynic is cool but they are not the entire category of jazz metal, or even a really complete depiction of jazz metal. candiria was doing jazz metal a long time ago, and there are dozens of bands that fit into this genre that are not, and sound nothing like, cynic...

[kfinnseth]

this album is such a overlooked classick! ;)

[MaXaNoMaLoUs]

The TITLE of this video is perfect. You dont even need to know that its Meshuggah's Lead guitar player Fredrik Thordendal who did a solo Project and made THE Jazz/Metal album. IT IS the BAR. So Yes this IS your INTRO to JAZZ METAL.

[phreestylesk8r]

cynic

[aceshigh23650]

Alarum is a good jazz metal band too.

[darthsasuke554]

Atheist and Cynic

That is all

[94sprite]

well... except for meshuggah, i find that all so-called "jazz death metal" bands, are either to soft, and are a jazzband, only with a metalcore basis, or death metalbands- with weird rythms and stuff.. this sounded cool though

[LdcVortex187]

Alright did anyone write ATHEIST\m/ ???? also the drummer for Cephalic Carnage does some nice stuff.

[Nalgaspeludaszzz]

Just pure fucking Progressive Metal... I DO NOT see Jazz anywhere. Maybe in your imagination?

[superman321132231]

reminds me of electronic war of sounds

[megadeth1818]

i've always considered megadeth's first album to be pretty close to "jazz metal", at least a very primitive form of it anyway

[omphalopsychos1]

what the hell does this have to do with jazz?

[Joebo3]

@omphalopsychos1 Probably the weird rhythms and timing as well as free-form playing.

[omphalopsychos1]

@Joebo3 Gotta say that's a pretty pathetic definition of jazz. I guess Charlie Parker never quite got it right.

[Bebopopotamus]

@Joebo3 Do you even know what "free form" means?

[Bebopopotamus]

Jazz is a pretty general term. If it's largely improvised, it's as close to Jazz as anything else.

[aboothby]

Whats the song playing?

[Reaper2k]

@aboothby Bouncing in a Bottomless Pit from the album Sol Niger Within by Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects.

[hytek1]

I'd bet my CD collection that everyone praising CYNIC has never heard of PERIPHERY or HAUNTED SHORES or ANIMALS AS LEADERS.

Cynic to Djent fans is like Metallica to Metal fans... heard it - heard it again...need something new!

[leetsmithownsu]

@hytek1 sorry bro, a ton of people know all those bands

[nameless12345]

@hytek1 Cynic was around before all those bands so i dont know where u are going with this

[phreestylesk8r]

CYNIC, need say more

[TheCastagne]

Take a look at a band called Marty, very prog, with jazz influences

[konrad42o]

For all the noobs to music that don't know what this is, it's from the lead guitarist of Meshuggah (fredrik thordendal) special defects album with an insane jazz drummer from sweden named morgan agren. Both musicians have been playing jazz for over 30 years

[MonsterMash51]

So this seriously was a mash up of Thordendal with Morgan Agren and something else. FRUAD!!!!

[gibbsies]

@MonsterMash51 This is Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects, it's not a mashup, it's a side project with Morgan Agren and many other people.

[tungchiwahwah]

i cannot hear the jazz sound, but only phrygian sound. (coz not jazz chord involved=> no jazz feeling?)

[UShishko]

@tungchiwahwah it's not Jazz , it's jazz metal so it's not supposed to sound exactly as Jazz , after all Jazz means improvisation ; something different , and this definetely sounds different from any ither metal song you've heard. another specific element could be the time variations used for the chords , they're being played in a contra rhythm together with the drums , which make the song sound complicated even tho the time signature is pretty simple.

[holygroove2]

@UShishko - Jazz indeed means improv, but Freddy is def into jazz. I would say more avante garde jazz - just listen to all of his solos w/ Meshuggah. He chooses to use sounds that most "Metal" guitarist stray away from. The jazz elements are there, but as you say, they're not obvious. And the rhythms are absolutley jazz influence. We could really get deep with that, but let's leave it there. Good observations. Nice also to hear this with the voice.

[UShishko]

@holygroove2 yeah he separates himself from other metal guitarists with his unique play style . i think it also depends on if that certain person uses his tastes or knowledge to analyze the song , that's why they think it doesn't have anything to do with jazz cause it's something their ears are not used to. your opinion is great as well :)!

[Subsurface2]

Panzerballett = jazz metal

[icee562]

Wish there was more of this stuff around ;/

[jeromeknvb]

jazz?

[JayFFAFAlesanaES]

psyopus ftw tbh

[KackeEgal]

No Jazz here.

[ElusiveHermit]

@KackeEgal maybe if youre listening for bebop, but listen to the guitar phrasing and the drummer's "comping". definitely jazz fusion inspired metal.

[Msoulantzos]

Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Learn it fools

[Brutalyeah]

Hey all take a look at the band Dark Hall, it´s a band from Steve Digiorgio (once a bassist of the band Death) and its actually instrumental Jazz/Fusion with a metalish tint. (only made 5 songs tho, some crazy shit they made)

[feedyoursoul01]

lol theres no fucking jazz in it just prog look for atheist, planet x or spiral architect for real fusion metal

[bassbreaker]

@feedyoursoul01 Persoanly I think athiest and spiral architect are poop, althoughb i havent heard too much from them, just because its technical doesnt make it good prog. Planet X on the other hand are amazing.. But I think Sol Niger within has a lot of jazz elements too it, check the whole album, or songs like Z1-Reticiuli or De Profundus, Descent to the netherworld is pretty bad ass

[Msoulantzos]

@bassbreaker how about missing time buddy!

[EtherealWaves]

@feedyoursoul01 Cynic, Exivious??

[pabloAXMO]

i think this is mathcore

[den2k88]

@InstinctualJealousy the correctness of my arguments are demonstrated by your lack of arguments. Try to explain something with your own words for once, "way to go dumbass" is nowhere near similar to a comment, it smells just like a rant. Now go before your milk turns cold.

[sdtn666]

zzzzzz.....

[tehpeasant]

what does this have to do with jazz? its a -core whatever rythm and a quite basic solo

[remnant24]

The solo uses typical jazz scales, and the drum groove is a typical jazz one—any jazz fusion fan will tell you as much. From a jazz point of view this is entirely jazz fusion. From a metal point of view the only thing metal is the rhythm track.

[Residentevilgal]

@remnant24 what is a typical jazz scale oh expert in all things fudsion

[TyShredder]

All of you are so musically ignorant...you really have no idea what jazz is do you?

[stiltonchees]

@TyShredder I do, I play saxophone, go to school for jazz... You mean like Bird, Miles, Lee Morgan, Johnny Hodges, Chick Corea, ect.?

This doesn't sound like typical jazz, and yeah there is more Jazz influenced metal even, like Panzerballett which has a saxophone player and often goes clean in the solo's. But really the essence of Jazz is improvisation, I don't know if I'd call it jazz but some great Jazz musicians I have met likely would.

[icee562]

@TyShredder Im with you bro, these dudes are musically stupid

[LemonInYourEye]

i dont care what genre this is the groove is awesome!

[noiseintoner]

seek out Dark Magus and their Africa/Saturn ep from 04...doom metal Coltrane

[Polaris589]

I can't find this song. What's the name of the song and the band?

[Msoulantzos]

@Polaris589 Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects. The track is called Bouncing In A Bottomless Pit

[Mewtheed]

this is not Jazz metal.

[09sphinx]

@Mewtheed ja.

Vuvr.

Atheist.

Panzerballett.

Exivious.

Alarum.

This is Jazz Metal.

[Mewtheed]

@09sphinx

then i'm disappointed, it's my two favorites music style, i was expecting an awesome fusion style. : /

but i hear no jazz in this song. or it's 99% metal and 1% jazz.

[ExtremeUnction1]

@Mewtheed Actually this album is very jazz influenced. The drummer Morgan Agren is a renowned jazz drummer. This is a solo project between Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah and Agren of Mats/Morgan band and Kaipa called Sol Niger Within Ver. 33.33 released in 1997 which considering the year is WAY before its time.

[chucktheduck64]

@09sphinx Ja?

[pmasta333]

dude this does not remind me the slightest bit of jazz. Its just some metal with pointlessly weird time signatures. reminds me of periphery or somethin like that. and whats with that alarm clock in the background?

[RaggaDnB]

drums are jazzy .. but still to leaned to the metal side .. i was expecting pianos and or saxaphones .. nice riff dough

[foodmunkey]

There's nothing "jazzy" about this. Odd meters don't mean it's jazz. This is "technical" but not jazzy.

[ESP500]

Listen to Fatal Opera!!!

[kornvisiht]

WOW it's COOL!!!

[Anarkokapitalisme]

ephel duath is pretty good if you haven't heard of them same genre as this

[dockthorr]

wtf?This is part of Frederic Thordendal's CD Sol Niger Within (btw one of the treasures of music)and it is really NOT jazz metal.So please delete that shit video pls!

[shakunkadunk]

animals as leaders > meshuggah! it has to be said haha

[InstinctualJealousy]

@shakunkadunk Aghora is better than both.

[andrewmassacre1]

If you dig Jazz Metal I told suggest checking out The Faceless. Planetary Duality is a prime example of Jazz Metal.

[maxpowd3r]

that music has no characteristics of jazz whatsover lmao

[coolskaterlikeice]

it does it jsut played in a different matter that fits well,hes using jazzy notes

[Slipstream720]

@maxpowd3r you're an idiot if you believe that

[Hahanigarscantdrive]

@Slipstream720 derrpp

[MrZexion15]

if u want this genre just listen to cynic

[lorand133]

@MrZexion15 yup

[theif519]

@MrZexion15 I listened to everything by Cynic over 40 times, and I want more like them. Atheist are also another awesome Jazz Metal band.

[aboothby]

@theif519 Obscura's new album is the spiritual sequal to Focus, check it out if you havn't already.

[thenameiwantedwasnta]

@MrZexion15 No. Listen to early Meshuggah.

[LINKENSSPHERE]

@MrZexion15 or Animals As Leaders. ;)

[mortician001]

@MrZexion15 naaa cynic is more like progressive i'd suggest, atheist, aghora, Conflux, Exivious, Naked City, Iceburn or cause for effect (the last band is more like deathgrind with jazz but is more jazzy than cynic)

[aikarN1234]

Fredrik Thordendal.

[daveball147]

animals as leaders is alot jazzier than this 

[InstinctualJealousy]

@daveball147 And Aghora is far jazzier than AAL. Aghora makes AAL sound like mindless shred. He should've used Aghora as the forefront of the "introduction video". He did use the cover of their first album at the start of the video, oddly enough.

[alexicon89]

Damn this is hot

[K3VIN552]

No Cynic or Atheist ?

[InstinctualJealousy]

@K3VIN552 Yeah Cynic and Atheist should definitely be in this.

[tiki2188]

Aghora is amazing!

Though this is deff Meshuggah playing. Truly amazing stuff

[Ewwwww916]

There's no bending in jazz.

[MrXtamar999]

buckethead would like this...

[JukoDDT]

I can hear the jazz element in this, it's just hard to define. Still, pretty awesome stuff. Classic, Rave, Jazz & Metal are the few music types in the world that haven't fallen from grace in this world.

[marHAVIK]

@JukoDDT Rave?!?!? Really?!?!? Anything rave-related should never be referred to as music.

[JukoDDT]

@marHAVIK Not all forms of music are just to listen to. Some are just made to move to..

[homersimps1]

Nice.

[xMetalUpYourA55x]

Yes this is pure fucking Jazz Metal. And for the people who can't spot the Jazz element, just hear the drums, the drummer is having a blast with those odd signatures, and the guitarist is playing some chromatic patterns to add the final Jazz feeling.

[Ollievarium]

Special Defects?

[biglouie369]

I'm gonna show this to my jazz band teacher.

[deers5]

dude no CYNIC?!?!?!?!

[xdux]

hi thanks for promoting our cds on this video! alan / aghora and yes we love fredriks solo cd. sol N. within

[jamalhs]

Ok people listen to mahavishnu . The cord progressions and voicings are jazz originated. My question is who the hell is the band playing in this video and where do I hear more!!!!!!!! Jaw dropping!

[opeth333]

Im pretty shure that it is meshuggah

[alxwo6006]

Close, its Fredrik Throdinal's Special Defects.

[opeth333]

@alxwo6006 It had to be someone from Meshuggah:) hehe he is awesom:)

[tomer1224]

Well metal is kind of like jazz in a way. The double bass drum pedals originally came from Jazz music, and progressive metal bands like Dream Theater and Between Me and the Buried have some jazz elements in it.

[LfunkeyA]

so and the drumming are jazzy. even the rhythm is somewhat jazzy, melody/harmony wise. texture-wise it's very metal.

[punzpunzpunzmusic]

If you don't hear the jazz in this you are an ignorant fool... The drummer is playing an awesome jazz piece but you can't hear it because obviously he's using loud ass cymbals for METAL so it makes it not sound jazz but if you apply "weaker" jazzy sounds to what the drummer is hitting you will hear it very clearly..

Try smoking some greens, maybe it will make you understand music a little better.

[detectivepope]

jazz isn't a sound it is a type of music, they could use any instrument with any effect it would be jazz all the same. tradional metal is alot more percusive rather than improv based

[wcr4]

you mean compositional as opposed to improv? You can have percussive improv - take percussionists for example.

[detectivepope]

@wcr4 its quite hard to describe because its a part of music that isn't easily transferred to theory and usually requires experience, by no means am i predicting your level of ability, but the main differences of these 'genres' (in the loosest term) is their initial ethos. Metal was bore from the UK midland steel industry, where anger and misery were writhe. Jazz came from new ideas on classical composition and execution, namely improv through musical knowledge , e.g. the pulse or groove system

[xp0ferens]

where is the jazz

[adjrm]

which other artists have this style??

[subhumanmaster]

@adjrm cynic, atheist you probably heard of those guys though

[subhumanmaster]

@adjrm also meshuggah

[den2k88]

that is just metal. And stop with improbable fusions just like "jazz metal" and similar: you only demonstrate how much you don't know about music, and metal particularly.

[anonymousbl00dlust]

"improbably fusions like 'jazz metal'"

I highly suggest looking up the band "candiria". there IS such a thing- this just ain't it.

[InstinctualJealousy]

@den2k88 Wow, way to be a dumbass.

[julzgibson13]

I heard no jazz

[oz33mgs]

@julzgibson13 If you heard the sound coming from this vid then yes you did.

[abbath1586]

Wouldnt this just be considered part of Progressive Metal considering thats what it sounds like.

[AlexanderCzu]

You're talking about Jazzmetal so where is Death, Cynic and Atheist, three pioneers of technical death metal?

[MAGNVZ666]

0:42 . 0:52....SOUNDS LIKE DEREK SHERINIAN ON KEYS HAHAHAHAHAHA AWESOME B THE WAY...ALL BANDS...AND THIS GENGRE RULES!!! lml

[EligosPoltergiest]

Man this is another thing I really miss from the 90s. Progressive/Jazz-Fusion Metal!! Such brilliant works spawned from the acorn of spiritual intensity.

[mikor7878]

freaderick thordendals "sol niger within"

[StaulkHolm]

Cynic?

[ManiacSerialKilleR]

sounds like meshuggggggah lol

[BTMandy1]

its the guitarist of meshuggah its a great album

[PennyDreadful1]

@ManiacSerialKilleR I think special defects is a project by Meshuggah's guitarist.

[CoolCoverBro]

@ManiacSerialKilleR It is the guitarist's (Fredrik) project that he did in 99 I think.

[ManiacSerialKilleR]

@CoolCoverBro oh yea fredrick...he plays some really out of the world solos specially in bleed, this sounded kinda similar

[Fahogwagawd]

0:17 to 0:27 is possibly the most uplifting solo I have ever heard

[opaek1]

Thank god, I have been looking for something inovative and new in the metal genre for what seems an age. Amazed.

[CafeDkP13]

fredrik and mats morgan right??

[MaXaNoMaLoUs]

THIS IS the best

[Blackdragon5151]

check out Atheist - Elements. best jazz metal album ive heard

[StArMasteRz]

Unquestionable Presence is unquestionably better.

[InstinctualJealousy]

@StArMasteRz And Elements has more jazz elements than it. Only a Piece of Time until someone realizes this.

[kuyajesus]

lol THIS IS JAZZ METAL! i think..or progressive..whatever!!! haha nice shit!!

[gibbsies]

the soungs actually called Bouncing In a Bottomless Pit not just Bouncing In a Bottomless

[CaptainAshMorrigan]

i know, i just cant be bothered to sort it out.

[gibbsies]

lol no biggie im sure people will figure it out

[RATMfan92]

This is some cool shit.

[hungry4stink]

what song is this? its good

[Lethargyca]

Bouncing In a Bottomless

from Sol Niger Within

by Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects

[dragracedude1]

the best fusion of jazz and metal ive heard is the solo in insomnium's "death walked the earth' solo

[Mahavishnu80]

you never listed EPHEL DUATH (sp)

[EarthlyLove]

@Mahavishnu80 They are from Italy, not Spain

[Mahavishnu80]

(sp) is short for spelling not spain lol.

[EarthlyLove]

@Mahavishnu80 hahaha ok..

[MICEKSKACE]

I like it..didn´t need to put it into some of the reminded boxes of styles to enjoy it. :)

[AllThatRemains15]

As someone who loves Charlie Parker, Coltrane, and Miles, and who also listens to plenty of metal including greats like Cynic, "jazz" is not the term to define what this music is fused with.

[APBBMBVLB]

Jako Pastorius and Cynic are great following one another, and agrees, jazz is light years off this, Math Metal sounds right

[TheJPfanboy]

sounds like some meshuggah solo's except for the shredding stuff

[underscoreisnotvalid]

thats because its fredrik from meshuggah playing the solo :)

[MackBarrow]

Its funny how people come to this video and say that this is jazzy enough, which this song wasnt the best example but still this is Jazz influenced metal here. Listen to any part of Z2-Reticuli from this CD and if you don't think its jazzy enough you truly don't know what jazz is.

[Msoulantzos]

@MackBarrow Don't forget about Missing Time..!

[ironmaiden3103]

odd time signature is needed , haha \m/

[ironmaiden3103]

jazz metal, progressive metal, math metal, fusion, its all the same with complicated patterns,, and irregular pulse of drummer, haha,

[renzolikescheez]

so, hellborg plays jazz metal. I thought i just played jazz.

[CaptainAshMorrigan]

i dont understand what youre trying to say.

are you implying that you are jonas hellborg?

even if you were.

you cannot simply claim you play something, and then say youre right.

i could draw a line down a page and call it a self portrait. but it wouldnt be.

[Forrester]

ya you could. Just be like Andy Warhol and call it abstract.

[heavymetalgod345]

@CaptainAshMorrigan

That was an amazing shutdown. *applauds*