Metrical Dissonance in the Music of the Dillinger Escape Plan

Metrical Dissonance in the Music of The Dillinger Escape Plan

Item Type text; Electronic Thesis

Authors Carballeira, Lucas Julian

Publisher The University of Arizona.

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Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/642106

METRICAL DISSONANCE IN THE MUSIC OF THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN

Lucas Julián Carballeira

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the

FRED FOX SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

2020

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Mae Commiee, we certify that we have read the thesis prepared by: Lca J Cabaea titled: Meca Dace he Mc f The Dge Ecae Pa

and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirement for the Mae Degee.

John Muni ______Date: ______J 14, 2020 Jh Mz

______Date: ______J 14, 2020 Dad G. Ta

______Date: ______J 1 00 Mahew Mgm

Final approval and acceptance of this thesis i coningen on he candidae bmiion of he final copies of the thesis to the Graduate College.

I hereby certify that I have read this thesis prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the Mae requirement.

John Muni ______Date: ______J 14, 2020 Jh Mz The Cmmee Cha

Sch f Mc

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES………….…………………………………………….………4

LIST OF TRACKS……………………………………………………………...………………...5

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….…………6

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………...…….…………...7

II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND………………………...……………………13

III. ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………………20

Indirect Dissonance………………………………………………………………23

Accentual Shift………………………………………………………...…...…….33

Radical Metric Simplification……………………………………………………39

Heavy Syncopation and Stuttering Rhythms………………………..………...... 44

Subtle Metrical Dissonance…………..…....……………...... …….....…48

Electronic Music as Aesthetic Contrast and its Effects on Meter…………...…...54

IV. CONCLUSION………………………………………….……………………….63

REFERENCES…………………………………………………...……………………...………65

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example 1. “Honeysuckle” 0:00 – 0:11...... 15

Example 2. “Low Feels Blvd.” 0:00 – 0:11...... 18

Example 3. “Low Feels Blvd” 0:00 – 1:00...... 25-29

Example 4. “Wanting Not so Much to as To” 0:00 – 0:10...... 31

Example 5. “Honeysuckle” 00:00 – 00:11...... 34

Example 6. “Limerent Death” 00:00 – 00:14...... 35

Example 7. “Low Feels Blvd” 00:50-01:01...... 39

Example 8. “Low Feels Blvd” 0:14-0:20...... 40

Example 9. “Honeysuckle” 1:15 – 1:36...... 41-42

Example 10. “Limerent Death” 0:21 – 0:34 ...... 45

Example 11. “Honeysuckle” 1:15 – 1:23...... 47

Example 12. “Symptom of Terminal Illness” 00:00 – 01:15...... 49-50

Example 13. “Symptom of Terminal Illness” 2:05 – 3:11...... 52-53

Example 14. “Dissociation” hi-hat rhythm...... 58

Example 15. “Fugue” 0:05-0:09...... 60

Example 16. “Fugue”: 0:00-0:58...... 61

*All musical examples are from Dissociation (2016) and transcribed by Lucas Julián Carballeira 5

LIST OF TRACKS

Dissociation (2016)

1. Limerent Death

2. Symptom of Terminal Illness

3. Wanting Not so Much to as To

4. Fugue

5. Low Feels Blvd.

6. Surrogate

7. Honeysuckle

8. Manufacturing Discontent

9. Apologies Not Included

10. Nothing to Forget

11. Dissociation

ABSTRACT

The Dillinger Escape Plan employs novel and complex forms of metrical dissonance to create tension and resolution within songs. Their techniques of metrical dissonance can be illuminated by extending and applying the framework developed in Fantasy Pieces by Harald

Krebs. Such techniques are commonly utilized at formal divisions within The Dillinger Escape

Plan’s music, supplementing the effect of tension and resolution within harmonic structures.

Other techniques are used to color entire sections, providing appropriate musical context for lyrical themes. These features are elucidated by a rhetorical analysis of the lyrics and the album’s narrative structure.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The Dillinger Escape Plan (1997-2017; hereafter Dillinger) was one of the most influential groups in the modern era of metal music. Extreme dissonance, experimental rhythm, and the promise of concert mayhem quickly attracted a large following. The debut LP,

Calculating Infinity (1999) sold 100,000 copies, making the band the highest-selling artist on

Relapse records at the time of its release.1 As they developed, Dillinger incorporated influences from other genres, including electronica and jazz fusion. The band has won awards from publications such as Revolver, Kerrang!, and Metal Hammer, as well as the Association of

Independent Music (AIM) award for “Outstanding Contribution to Music.” In 2017, the band disbanded on good terms, citing a desire to present their music as a unified body of work rather than as a series with no definite end.2

Ben Weinman, the lead compositional force behind Dillinger, has expressed a desire to

“throw out the music theory textbook.”3 While the exact compositional process was not revealed in interviews, it is precisely music theory that turns out to be effective in illuminating key aspects of the music, most notably in the realms of rhythm and meter. Heavily syncopated rhythms, constant meter changes, and a perplexing sense of formal structure create a chaotic aesthetic that pairs effectively with the dissonant harmonies and distorted tones that characterize metal and

1. Natalie Zina Walschots, “The Dillinger Escape Plan: Hazard Warning,” Exclaim!, June 17, 2013, https://exclaim.ca/music/article/dillinger_escape_plan-hazard_warning. 2. Alternative Press, “Exit Interview: The End of The Dillinger Escape Plan,” December 18, 2017, video, 10:26, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTlPuVPCy8I. 3. Remfry Dedman, “The Dillinger Escape Plan Interview: ‘The only way to finish this correctly is to do it in a way that has a definite end’,” Independent, October 13, 2016, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts- entertainment/music/features/the-dillinger-escape-plan-interview-the-only-way-to-finish-this-correctly-is-to-do-it- in-a-way-that-a7359221.html. 8 hardcore punk. The band did everything it could to push these elements to their compositional limits and distinguish themselves from other bands in New York City’s extreme music scene.

This chaotic aesthetic was matched with an equally chaotic and engaging performance.

Dillinger performed in an unhinged, self-destructive manner, joining the crowd in the mosh pit and destroying their own equipment, smashing their guitars and burning their amplifiers. This practice resulted in many injuries inflicted on the band and its audience members, such as when vocalist Greg Puciato intentionally cut his forehead and bled profusely during Dillinger’s set at the 2013 Golden Gods, or when guitarist Ben Weinman fractured a vertebra by smashing his head into a low-hanging speaker cabinet. He proceeded to complete the show, not realizing the severity of his injury.

In this study, I focus exclusively on the sixth and final album, Dissociation (2016).

Dillinger’s songwriting ability and production quality matured significantly from album to album. The band also experimented extensively with genre contrasts. The third album, Ire Works

(2007), is perhaps most emblematic of this experimental ethos, with the band expanding into jazz, electronica, and even pop music. Nevertheless, Dissociation holds fast to Dillinger’s metal and punk roots and displays a consistent preoccupation with techniques of metrical dissonance and resolution. The tracks “Dissociation” and “Fugue” are exceptions and are therefore analyzed separately.

While Dillinger’s music incorporates numerous influences, their style is most simply described as a mixture between metal and punk rock. This mixture has been attempted numerous times since the 1970’s, but became most commercially viable with the development of thrash metal in the early 1980’s. During this period, Metallica was able to successfully market their 9 music to millions of metal-heads and punk fans alike, selling half a million copies of their album

Master of Puppets (1986) within one year, despite limited radio airplay and no music videos. The album was certified 6-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003.4 Members of Dillinger have cited Metallica as an important influence on their music.5

However, Dillinger’s “throw-out-the-textbook” ethos grew out of the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) punk scene, which stressed the importance of direct connection with the audience, criticized the excesses of the “rock star” image, and sought to subvert corporate control of music. Punk bands from the Northeastern United States, such as Cro-Mags and Bad Brains, were pivotal in this movement. Concerts were held in small venues and clubs, and bands would perform on the floor with the audience rather than on a raised stage. These practices served to efface the boundary between musicians and spectators, contributing to a sense of audience inclusion and participation.

The mixture of metal and punk would develop into a second trend by the late 1980’s: that of metalcore, which combined extreme metal with hardcore punk. The genre is best known for its liberal use of “breakdowns” (defined by John Muniz as a formal function characterized by some combination of simplified pitch structure, simplified rhythmic structure, slowing of the tactus, and increased aggression in vocal delivery and/or lyrics)6 and consistent screaming.

Metalcore also commonly uses scordatura (commonly referred to as alternative, lowered, or

“dropped” guitar tunings), along with blast-beats (a drum pattern in which bass, snare, and hi-hat

4. “Master of Puppets 25th Anniversary,” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, last modified July 28, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20130728223551/http:/rockhall.com/story-of-rock/features/all- featured/6840_master-of-puppets-25th-anniversary/. 5. Fret Twelve, “Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan: The Sound and the Story,” Interview, October 14, 2016, video, 7:51, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ugiy8Qexl0&t=296s. 6. John Muniz, Conversation with author, Tucson, 2019. 10 are struck repeatedly and simultaneously) and double bass (utilizing both feet to operate the bass drum, allowing for faster articulation). These three techniques are borrowed from hardcore punk and thrash metal. Metalcore songs are also typically slower than thrash metal: 90–120 bpm rather than 140–200+. Dillinger straddles this boundary, fusing metalcore elements with the fast tempos and complex song structure reminiscent of thrash.

Dillinger first attained a following in the New York City music scene with their second

EP, Under the Running Board (1997), and their debut LP, Calculating Infinity (1999). According to All Music writer Jason Hundley, Calculating Infinity “spews forth anger and venomous misery in a way that is comparable only to spontaneous combustion.”7 Critics and fans hailed the

LP as a landmark metalcore record due to its compositional ambition and distinctive aesthetic.

Tracks such as “43% Burnt,” containing great rhythmic and metrical complexity, prompted listeners to label the album as an example of “mathcore” (a term the band members themselves reject as simplistic). Other metalcore bands (e.g., Botch) would also take up the mantle of complex rhythmic sensibilities, but did not exploit metrical dissonance to the same extent; nor have they achieved comparable recognition for reconciling stuttering rhythms with inexorable forward drive.

Calculating Infinity is also significant in view of contemporaneous musical and technological developments. Tape recording would soon give way to digital production, and in

1997, Radiohead released their highly influential and critically acclaimed album, Ok Computer, cited by Weinman as a major influence on Calculating Infinity. Despite an initially low sales estimate by Radiohead’s record company, EMI, Ok Computer was a runaway success, selling an

7. All Music, “Calculating Infinity,” review of Calculating Infinity, accessed February 12, 2020, https://www.allmusic.com/album/calculating-infinity-mw0000695657. 11 estimated 7.8 million copies worldwide. The album was praised for its ambitious compositional techniques, incorporation of samples, and inclusion of the computer as an instrument and musical filter. As music journalist Tim Footman wrote, the “key paradox” of Ok Computer is that “the musicians and producer are delighting in the sonic possibilities of modern technology; the singer, meanwhile, is railing against its social, moral, and psychological impact. … It’s a contradiction mirrored in the culture clash of the music, with the ‘real’ guitars negotiating an uneasy stand-off with the hacked-up, processed drums.”8

This message of alienation amid an absurd and rapidly changing world was one with which guitarist Ben Weinman probably empathized. In Calculating Infinity, Dillinger consistently communicate this sense of alienation with electronic music and samples, displayed prominently in the track, “*#..”. The album’s reckless lyrical anger, credited to singer Dmitri

Minakakis, focuses on failing relationships, insecurities, and violence on individual and global scales. Some tracks acknowledge a broader socio-political context; “Weekend Sex Change,” for instance, uses a sample from a 1934 propaganda film about notorious bank robber John

Dillinger, titled “Dillinger, Public Enemy no. 1.” The phrase “crime never pays” repeats, and is easily misheard as the phrase “I am never safe.” It is an excerpt from the full quotation:

Here lies the inevitable end for criminals like Dillinger. The electric chair yawns for its fodder of calloused human beasts whose warped minds prompt evil deeds. The wages of sins is death. Crime never pays.9

A final sample is included in the hidden track following the last song, “Variations on a

Cocktail Dress.” It features industrial noise, followed by an audio sample from the 1959 film The

Diary of Anne Frank, taken from the scene in which she is discovered by the Nazis and taken to

8. Tim Footman, Welcome to the Machine: Ok Computer and the Death of the Classic Album (New Malden, Chrome Dreams, 2007), 46. 9. Dillinger: Public Enemy no. 1 (Midland Film Company, 1934), Film. 12 a concentration camp. Such a decision on the final, hidden track of the album is evidence that the band’s rhetorical perspective of human suffering was comprehensive and global rather than merely personal. Their music thus makes a powerful statement about modern Western society.

This political perspective is reminiscent of thrash bands such as Megadeth, whose songs often consider topics such as religious conflict, strife, and power.

Although my main interest in studying Dillinger’s music lies in its rhythmic structure, that structure coheres with another, more obvious characteristic: the music’s extreme harmonic dissonance. This dissonance is so pervasive that it evokes a continuous sense of anxiety over the length of an album. Entire formal sections are sometimes composed of single dissonant harmonies, usually involving diminished fifths and minor seconds. While the band’s precursors also made heavy use of dissonance, Dillinger surpassed them in their continual employment of this device.

Dillinger further exploits the tension-creating properties of dissonance by contrasting it with its diametric opposite: perfect consonance. Parallel octaves and fifths appear in consonant sections of the music, particularly choruses, where they are paired with poetic hooks and melodic lyricism. Instead of creating tertian harmony directly with tertian chords, as was done in earlier blues and jazz, rock with distorted guitar typically implies tertian harmony through a combination of “power chords” (chords that utilize perfect fifths and sometimes octaves) and major/minor scales (often replaced by pentatonicism). This nuanced use of consonance and dissonance lends vividness and impact to Dillinger’s harmonic choices.

CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This thesis’s ideas on how to analyze Dillinger’s music and metrical dissonance are influenced by a variety of sources. Academic music theory literature on rock music makes for a piquant contrast with a musician’s “on-the-ground” experience. The literature acknowledges the prevalent verse-chorus form of rock songs, but a wider variety of forms is suggested by Brad

Osborn’s article “Subverting the Verse-Chorus Paradigm: Terminally Climactic Forms in Recent

Rock Music.” Osborn expounds the notion of “Terminally Climactic Form” (TCF), in which a song develops toward a single climactic moment.10 This climax can be achieved in any number of ways, such as a single highest vocal note or contrasting countermelody. Many of Dillinger’s songs are TCFs, leading to a dissonant, cathartic climax and promptly ending. “Limerent Death” from Dissociation (2016) is one example; the song concludes with the line “I gave you everything you wanted, you were everything to me,” repeated louder and faster until the drums begin a blast-beat and the words turn to indecipherable screaming. The concept of TCFs helps to make sense of some of the seemingly anarchic structures in Dillinger’s music. In particular, it helps us to hear their songs as goal-directed via patterns of metrical dissonance and resolution.

Of singular importance to this thesis is Harald Krebs’s book, Fantasy Pieces (1999), which delineates the theoretical framework and taxonomy used in my metrical analysis of

Dillinger’s music. Krebs defines musical meter as “the union of all layers of motion.”11 Layers of motion are divided into three classes: the pulse layer, the micropulse, and interpretive layers. The

10. Brad Osborn, “Subverting the Verse-Chorus Paradigm: Terminally Climactic Forms in Recent Rock Music,” Music Theory Spectrum 35, no. 1 (Spring 2013): 23-24. 11. Harald Krebs, Fantasy Pieces (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 23. 14 layers of motion are observed from “perceptible phenomena arising from the regular recurrence of musical events of various kinds”11 rather than derived simplistically from the notated meter.

Krebs’s focus on the experiential component of meter is especially applicable to this thesis since the latter’s source material consists of recorded music rather than notated scores.

Fundamental to Krebs’s treatment is a distinction between metrical “consonance” and

“dissonance.” According to Krebs, “Metrical consonance… involves the aligned or nested presentation of interpretive layers whose cardinalities are multiples/factors of each other.”12 In metrical consonance, accent patterns do not cause conflict between layers. Metrical dissonance, by contrast, involves accentual conflict and the misalignment of layers of motion.

Krebs subdivides metrical dissonances into three categories: grouping dissonance, displacement dissonance, and subliminal dissonance. Grouping dissonance involves uneven groupings between layers; one example is hemiola, a conflict between triple and duple groupings, notated “G3/2” in Krebs’ taxonomy. Displacement dissonance is a conflict between layers of motion that share the same cardinality, or rhythmic length (notated as “x”-layer), but displaced or out-of-phase relative to one another. This type of dissonance is notated Dx+a, where x is the layer’s cardinality and a is the degree of displacement. Subliminal dissonance occurs when only one interpretive layer is established, but the layer conflicts with what the listener expected to hear. For instance, a 2-layer within a triple meter, a displaced 3-layer within a triple meter, or the direct conflict between two measures with changing accent patterns can be considered an instance of subliminal dissonance.

12. Harald Krebs, Fantasy Pieces, 30. 15

Example 1. “Honeysuckle” 0:00 – 0:11

q =2 180 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Electric Guitar 4 ‰ ‰ J ‰ & 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 x x x x x x xj x x x x x x x Drum Set > 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ã 4 œ œ J 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ E.Gtr. ‰ ‰ ‰ 9 ‰ 4 & 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 x x ‰ x x x x x x x x x x x D. S. œ œ œ œ œ œ 9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ã ‰ ‰ 8 ‰ 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ E.Gtr. 4 ‰ J ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ 9 & 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 5 j x x x x x x ‰ x x x x ‰ x x x x x x x x x D. S. 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 9 ã 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ 8 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 8 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ E.Gtr. 9 ‰ ‰ 4 ‰ J & 8 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 8 > x x x x x x x x x x x D. S. 9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ˙ ã 8 œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ 4 ˙

Krebs makes another distinction which is fundamentally important to this analysis: direct versus indirect dissonance. Indirect dissonance involves the juxtaposition of contrasting layers of ©2019 motion, while direct dissonance involves the superimposition of layers. Dillinger implements indirect dissonance extensively via constant meter changes. These structures are unique in their 16 effectiveness at creating the stuttering rhythms that are characteristic features of Dillinger’s music.

In addition to implementing techniques described in Krebs’s theory of rhythm and meter,

Dillinger’s music suggests how it could be expanded by incorporating additive rhythms. In

“Honeysuckle” (Ex. 1), an additive rhythm shifts the downbeat of the second half of the phrase one eighth note later. Although the second half of the phrase is nearly identical to the first, the use of additive rhythm changes the accent structure. The resulting out-of-phase quality of the rhythms suggests a natural connection with displacement dissonance.

In contrast to the voluminous literature on rhythm and meter, there are few extant publications on the analysis of metal, and fewer still on metrical dissonance within metal music.

This is a conspicuous lacuna given the importance of rhythm in metal, but is perhaps to be expected given the dismissive attitude with which scholars have traditionally regarded metal.

The polarizing nature of metal was noted by Robert Walser in his book, Running with the Devil:

“…a recent marketing survey found that ten million people in the United States “like or strongly like” heavy metal and that nineteen million strongly dislike it, the largest backlash of any music category.”13 There is little evidence that this attitude has changed substantially since 1993.

One notable exception to the widespread academic nescience of metal is Jonathan

Pieslak’s article on hypermetrical structures in the music of Meshuggah, (a Swedish extreme metal band) claiming to find “a distinct rhythmic and metric structure based on large-scale odd

13. Robert Walser, Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music (Middletown: Weselyan University Press, 1993), xi. 17 time signatures, mixed meter, and metric superimposition.”14 The article, “Re-casting Metal:

Rhythm and Meter in the Music of Meshuggah” highlights the cyclical construction of

Meshuggah’s songs, evidenced by small-scale conflicting rhythms between instruments on a local level, in contrast to the 4/4 patterns that predominate over longer time spans. This technique implies large-scale metrical consonance amid surface-level metrical dissonance.

Hypermeter was also discussed by Krebs, who distinguished between levels of dissonance (low, mid, and high—reflecting the relative speed of each set of micrometrical, metrical, or hypermetrical layers of motion).

Hypermeter plays a significant role in Dillinger’s music, sometimes resulting in an additional layer of grouping and/or displacement dissonance. This effect can be observed in the introduction to “Low Feels Blvd.,” in which accented chords outline a hypermetrical 3/4 (see Ex.

2, page 18). This hypermeter is displaced from the small-scale meter, with large accents sometimes occurring on off-beats. For example, the third beat of the first hypermetrical bar occurs on the second eighth-note of m. 4, rather than coinciding with the small-scale metrical accent (occurring on first eighth-note of m. 4).

Particularly chaotic sections of music—more prevalent in earlier albums such as Miss

Machine (2004)—prompt listeners to interpret a more predictable hypermetrical structure over low and mid-level metrical dissonance. The introduction of “Baby’s First Coffin” (from Miss

Machine) features a hypermetrical 4/4 that is in turn thwarted by changes in small-scale meter, causing the perception of an “uneven” hypermetrical 4/4. Such metrical complexity reveals the

14. Johnathan Pieslak, “Re-Casting Metal: The Rhythm and Meter in the Music of Meshuggah,” Music Theory Spectrum 29, no. 2 (Fall 2007): 219, https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/stable/10.1525/mts.2007.29.2.219. 18

Example 2. “Low Feels Blvd.” 0:00 - 0:11 L F B.

Hypermetrical beat number: 1

Mid-level layer of motion cardinality: 5 Lone- l

E G 5 4 4 D 2 3 1 2 3 4 (5) 5 5 4 (5) . In a room of memo- rie 3 E.G. 3 D. . 3 1 2 1 7 4 5 (4) 5 5 . From a-- no her life Wai - ing 7 E.G. 7 D. . depth of Dillinger’s music and presents the opportunity for further research into this area, expanding beyond the scope of a master’s thesis. This analysis instead focuses on low and mid- level metrical dissonance and the application of Krebsian terminology to explain such phenomena. The topic of “uneven” meter is referenced in this paper’s analysis of the track 19

“Dissociation”—specifically an 11/16 meter that is analyzed as an uneven 6/8 (see pages 55-59).

Further, this idea suggests a logical connection with subtractive/additive rhythm and alternative methods of analyzing relationships between different meters.

CHAPTER 3

ANALYSIS

Metrical dissonance exists as a defining feature within Dillinger’s music. It creates tension and resolution within formal structures, in tandem with harmonic dissonance, thematic development, and other compositional techniques. It serves as a suitable complement to the metal aesthetic, which relies heavily on dissonance in all its forms. Metrical dissonance has been with Dillinger since the reckless lyrical anger of Calculating Infinity (1999), but Dissociation

(2016) most clearly demonstrates Dillinger’s matured understanding of its compositional utility.

Dillinger’s metrical innovation merits a detailed analysis which will focus primarily on metrically-based compositional devices and their effects, rather than a track-by-track analysis. At times, this analysis will be given context via rhetorical analysis of the lyrics. Metrical dissonance is not a new concept, but the extent to which Dillinger exploits these devices as a central compositional tool makes this music truly unique and provides theorists with an excellent case study for the effects and uses of metrical dissonance.

Dissociation’s lyrical content also features a subject matter which provides a suitable foil to the associations made by Harald Krebs in Fantasy Pieces. Krebs’s book suggests a connection between the relative metrical instability of Robert Schumann’s late works and the mental instability he experienced during that time, which led to his voluntary commitment to a psychiatric institution. Likewise, metal music—often reviled by mainstream audiences for its incessant anger and purposefully ugly and aggressive aesthetic—is often used as a means for expression of negative emotion and sometimes mental instability. Dissociation is emblematic of 21 this dynamic, such as with its direct reference to suicide in the track, “Manufacturing

Discontent.” The lyrics explore themes of love, loss, anger, and death—brought into stark clarity with song titles such as “Limerent Death,” “Symptom of Terminal Illness,” and “Dissociation.”

Metrical dissonance and its resolution are not only used by Dillinger as compositional devices within songs, but also over the length of an entire album, providing listeners with a greater sense of consistency. The first few tracks begin with jarring metrical and pitch dissonance, but following the climax of the seventh track, songs begin with more conventional

4/4 rhythms and are less metrically dissonant. In the concluding title-track, the band slows its tactus significantly, utilizing micrometer and polyrhythm as devices to create metrical tension against a relatively consonant pitch structure. This technique contrasts with the opening tracks, which rely more on meter changes and additive rhythms. Throughout Dillinger’s music, 4-layers are posited as pillars of metrical stability and are often utilized in metric reinterpretations of previously metrically-dissonant riffs. Four-layers often appear abruptly, suddenly restoring order to the previously dissonant meter.

Two tracks stand alone in Dissociation in terms of their orchestration and character, providing a sense of genre-contrast that is emblematic of Dillinger’s music: “Fugue” and

“Dissociation.” Both tracks make use of metronomic rhythm (strictly adhering to a tactus devoid of rubato) and contrast live music with recorded samples and digital editing. These features allow Dillinger to explore metrical techniques that would otherwise be extremely difficult, if not impossible to play in a live setting. They also provide rhetorical depth in their sense of contrast between real and virtual instruments, illustrating pathological states involving separation from reality referenced in the track titles and lyrics. In this paper, both tracks are analyzed separately from the rest of the album. 22

The sonic construction of Dissociation presents a unified vision of dissonance across all musical features: rhythm, timbre, and pitch. This helps to create a sense of overarching dissonance that is far more visceral—involving metrical dissonance, tonal dissonance (distorted guitar, loud drums, and screaming vocals), and harmonic dissonance (especially the minor- second and diminished fifth). Extreme contrast in many forms is also central to the music, with some sections of songs bearing very little resemblance to each other, a feature that contributes to the characteristic sense of chaos. It is not uncommon, especially in their earlier work, for songs to blur the boundaries between metal, jazz, rock, blues, and electronica. Although the central style is decidedly chaotic and piercing metal, fleeting moments off bliss and release—such as in the bridge of “Nothing to Forget”—reward the patient listener. This sense of contrast is central to the notion of dissonance as a whole, defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary as either

“(music) a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant together,” or “(formal) lack of agreement.”15 This paper, and the work of other theorists such as Krebs, challenges the singular musical definition as relating only to pitch (musical notes)—I would argue that the perception of musical dissonance arises from a contrast between what is expected and what happens, as well as disharmony between constituent musical elements. Pitch dissonance, metrical dissonance, and tonal dissonance are therefore specific kinds of musical dissonance. Style contrast also affects the listener’s perception of dissonance.

15. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, s.v. “Dissonance,” accessed July 11, 2020, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/dissonance 23

Indirect Dissonance

Dillinger commonly uses indirect dissonance, juxtaposition of noncongruent interpretive layers of motion. With indirect dissonance, Dillinger is able to create chaotic and unpredictable structures that carry a great deal of tension. This use of indirect dissonance usually juxtaposes layers that are unified in their metrical structure across instruments, with imitative features between parts (such as alternation between bass drum and snare/cymbal articulations imitating the use of pedal points in the guitar parts). This tension is usually paired with screaming vocals and resolved with a break into metrical consonance, pitch consonance, and/or singing.

Sometimes the exact same riff is metrically reinterpreted within a consonant meter and presented as a new idea, creating thematic unity and stasis while maintaining the listener’s interest. At other times, these metric resolutions serve the same function as harmonic resolutions, helping to conclude a section of music by lowering overall tension.

The introduction to “Low Feels Blvd,” the fifth track on Dissociation, contains an indirect dissonance that is subsequently resolved by a metric reinterpretation. This indirect dissonance is shown in Ex. 3 with constant time-signature changes and Krebsian layer markings.

The constant metrical change at blisteringly fast tempo—330 bpm—does not allow the perception of a stable metrical state. The music is punctuated by accents resulting from the diminished-fifth chord structures and vocal/drum rhythms; these accents outline an interpretive layer of motion. In contrast to this fragmented metrical structure, the lyrics impose greater cohesion within the song’s meter and balance the effect of pervasive indirect dissonance. Amid the fragmented metrical structure, lyrical correspondences act as formal signposts. Measures 9- 24

12 and 17-20 are metrically consistent with one another and contain the same lyrics: “Waiting and chasing.” However, these iterations of the riff differ in their metric structure from that of mm. 2-5, which contain different lyrics: “Lonely, in a room of memories.” Another force for order amid this metrical dissonance is the consistent riff structure, which involves “chugging” technique (essentially a pedal) idiomatic to metal music.

The metrical dissonance of this main riff (which begins in m. 2) is caused by subtractive alterations of the rhythm—specifically truncation of the final beat of m. 2 to create m. 3. The song begins with an enigmatic 13/8 drum and guitar fill (the guitar fill is not included in the transcription), priming its listener with even more metrical instability. Although the structure of this first measure is irregular, its accent pattern is similar to that of the main riff, and it provides the eighth-note accent pattern of 5+4+4 in m. 1 (excluding the anacrusis). Similarly, the main riff alternates unpredictably between 5-layers and 4-layers set to an eighth-note pulse. The 13/8 fill corresponds further with the main riff by introducing a double-hit idea at the end of m. 1. This mirrors the main riff’s characteristic double hits, e.g., between the upbeat of m. 2 and the downbeat of m. 3.

Example 3. “Low Feels Blvd” 0:00 – 1:00L* F B.

5 Lone- l

E G 5 4 4 D

3 4 (5) 5 5 4 (5) . In a room of memo- rie 3 E.G. 3 D. .

7 4 5 (4) 5 5 . From a-- no her life Wai - ing 7 E.G. 7 D. .

*Indirect dissonances are shown via conflict between parenthetical numbers (what is expected) and numbers without parenthesis (what happens) 26

2 F B.

10 5 5 4 (5) 4 . and cha- ing Mem-- ie ha e 10 E.G. 10 D. .

14 5 (4) 5 4 (5) 4 4 3 (4) 3 . lde Wh can' I e- cae? 14

E.G. 14 D. .

17 5 (3) 5 5 4 (5) . Wai- ing and cha- ing 17 E.G. 17 D. .

F B. 3

21 5 4 (5) 4 4 4 4 . Mem-- ie f m - me ha ae ge Whe 21 E.G. 21 D. . 4 4 4 4 5 (4) 5 24 . fi he lked a me 24 E.G. 24 D. .

28 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 . Wha, Ad ied he dik a- c 28 E.G. 28 D. .

4 F B. 4 4 5 (4) 5 5 32 . fm me Ne - bn hell 32 E.G. 32 D. .

3 5 4 (5) 5 5 . a i all a - lng Righ 3 E.G. 3 D. .

3 5 5 5 5 . hee Wih me, in- ide Re - 3

E.G. 3 D. .

F B. 5

41 5 5 4 (5) 4 4 4 . fec-- ig he i ide, If i ' die ca 41

E.G. 41 D. .

44 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 . I? Se da I k a hig A 44 E.G. 44 D. . 4 . The same riff is also present during both breaks into 4/4 at mm. 22-25 and mm. 29-32.

4 These structures anticipate the eventual resolution of the riff into 4/4, which is not heard in its E.G. complete form (distinguished by a novel drumbeat ) until m. 44. This re -met ricized version of the 4 main riff is significantly different from its first iteration, but bears many similarities. Both D. . playings involve harmonic prolongation of the same dyad, A–D sharp, via a chromatic double neighbor figure—a feature first heard in m. 7, and then within the first 4/4 structure in m. 23. The chugging technique is also referenced at the start of each 4/4 structure with a single, low D sharp.

These features lend coherence and teleology to the introductory section of “Low Feels Blvd.,” with the structure beginning in m. 44 being interpreted as the metrically resolved form of this riff.

The turbulence of this introduction suits the subject matter of the lyrics, which center on the tumultuous ravings of an abandoned lover longing for a return to the past. The narrative expounds upon the theme of romantic infatuation and obsession explored on the opening track,

“Limerent Death” (discussed later in this analysis). “Low Feels Blvd.” foreshadows

Dissociation’s narrative conclusion with the line: “If it won’t die, can I?”

Low Feels Blvd, lyrics (partial)

Lonely, in a room full of memories

From another life

Waiting and chasing

Moments that elude

Why can’t I escape?

Waiting and chasing

Memories of moments that are gone

When first she looked at me

And sipped her drink across from me

Newborn hell, was it all along

Right there, with me, inside (reflecting on the outside)

If it won’t die, can I?

The introduction to the third track, “Wanting Not so Much to as To” (Ex. 4) presents another example of Dillinger’s pervasive use of indirect dissonance as a tension-building tool.

The song begins as a metrical pattern outlined with drum rolls and ad-lib guitar. This pattern is outlined with diminished fifth dyads and a more complete drum pattern following m. 13.

Example 4. Sc“Wanting Not soWa Much to as To”N 0:00 – 0:10Mc a T

A b. Ecc Ga 1 2 3 (2) 3 2 (3) 2 4 D S 33 33 3 3 333

7 E.G. 1 2 3 (2) 3 2 (3) 2 7 D. S. 3 33 33 3 3

12 1. 2. E.G. 1 4 4 4 12 D. S. 333 333 33

14 1. E.G. 1

E.G. 2

14 D. S.

This introductory section plays on the listener’s sense of rhythmic predictability, and again posits 4-layers (often arranged into duple meter) as pillars of metrical stability within

Dillinger’s music. Each phrase (outlined by the ad-lib guitar’s repeating motifs and the repeating metrical pattern) in this introduction concludes with a 4-layer, resolving the indirect metrical dissonance created by the section’s changing meter. The accent pattern provided by the drums reveals the metrical division of this section.

Accentual Shift

Accentual shifts are repeating fixtures in Dillinger’s music, and involve the reinterpretation of a riff with an accent structure that has shifted by one pulse-level beat. This is usually achieved with the insertion of a meter with an odd numerator (e.g. 5/4, 7/8, 11/16) and an uneven spacing of accents.

In the seventh track, “Honeysuckle,” Dillinger uses additive rhythm to create an accentual shift (see Ex. 5). The song starts idiomatically, with a jarring blast-beat on the drums, paired with a high minor second sonority on guitar. Measures 1–3 feature a highly-syncopated

4/4 meter; in m. 4 an eighth note is added, shifting the ensuing downbeat slightly later than expected. While the guitar rearticulates a downbeat on the first eighth-note of m. 5, the drums start a duple-rhythm drumbeat with accents on the upbeats. Importantly, this accent displacement is perceived as following logically from the inclusion of an additive rhythm (9/8, duple). This creates a displacement dissonance between the guitar and drum parts: D2+1. This is resolved by the end of the first formal section in m. 8.

The structure of this riff is further explained by analysis of rhythmic groupings of “hits”

(or rhythmic articulations). Each grouping is separated by a single eighth-note rest. Measures 1-3 and 5-7 of the guitar part follow the same sequence: 6, 4, 6, 3, followed by the 9/8 measure which is inconsistent between phrases: 4, 4 in the former and 4, 3 in the latter. In m. 5, the bass drum joins the hi-hat and snare, outlining the introduction’s bipartite phrase structure with the addition of a new drum beat. The alternation between bass and snare creates a duple rhythm that is idiomatic to rock music. It also underscores the metrical dissonance caused by the accentual 34 shift by placing a bass drum articulation (the drum component typically used to express a downbeat, especially within this idiomatic pattern) on the downbeat of m. 5, which is expected to sound like an upbeat—owing to the additive meter of m. 4.

Example 5. “Honeysuckle” 0:00 – 0:11

q =2 180 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Electric Guitar 4 ‰ ‰ J ‰ & 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 x x x x x x xj x x x x x x x Drum Set > 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ã 4 œ œ J 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ E.Gtr. ‰ ‰ ‰ 9 ‰ 4 & 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 x x ‰ x x x x x x x x x x x D. S. œ œ œ œ œ œ 9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ã ‰ ‰ 8 ‰ 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ E.Gtr. 4 ‰ J ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ 9 & 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 5 j x x x x x x ‰ x x x x ‰ x x x x x x x x x D. S. 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 9 ã 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ 8 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 8 b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœœ œœ œœ œœ bœœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ E.Gtr. 9 ‰ ‰ 4 ‰ J & 8 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 8 > x x x x x x x x x x x D. S. 9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 ˙ ã 8 œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ 4 ˙

The phrase ends with another 9/8 measure, which now lends stability by articulating a formal division as m. 4 did. The extra eighth note’s duration shifts the accent by another eighth note, resolving the conflict that began in m. 4. Following this section, there is a metrically consonant 4/4 rhythm paired with the entrance of vocals and a simplified drum beat. All of these elements, along with the extremely dissonant, distorted, and high-register minor second in the guitar combine to create one of the most captivating and unsettling moments on the album.

Example 6. “Limerent Death” 0:00 – 0:14 Sce Limee Deah

17 * Elecic Gia 4 16 E.G. 7 16 E.G.

This same compositional technique was also used in the introductory riff to the album’s opening track, “Limerent Death.” The riff proper begins on the downbeat of m. 1. In more typical writing, this opening riff would fill exactly two measures—16 eighth-notes. Instead, the riff is 17 eighth notes. This irregularity serves to drive the music forward and to shift the accent pattern of the succeeding material to be upbeat, rather than downbeat-heavy—similar to the

2020 36

“Honeysuckle” riff. This accentual shift lasts in effect through the remainder of the introduction via the subtraction of one eighth-note from the riff’s repetitions: making the second, third, and fourth iterations of the riff 16 eighth-notes long instead of 17. To facilitate this, the low E on the downbeat of beat 3 in m. 2 is removed from the riff’s successive repetitions (marked with an asterisk).

This accentual shift, among many other forms of dissonance, provides an appropriate musical context for the song’ anguished lyrics and rhetorical context. Limerence, a term first coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in her book, Love and Limerence: The Experience of

Being in Love, refers to an involuntary state of adoration and attachment to a limerent object involving feelings contingent on perceived emotional reciprocation.16 The title, “Limerent

Death,” therefore implies someone, likely the protagonist, is losing themselves to an obsession centered on another person. The song’s title also foreshadows the album’s narrative conclusion via inclusion of the word “death.”

Limerent Death, lyrics (partial)

I'm amazed at how you reinforce your guard, ‘cause

Deep inside, you're still a son of a bitch

Mistakes forever haunt you,

A lie to persecute you,

16. Dorothy Tennov, Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love (New York: Stein and Day, 1984). 37

So thoroughly, it's giving you fits,

It's giving you fits!

In your world, make believe,

No one loves you

As the opening track, this song provides an introduction to the album’s narrative, solidifying the singer as representative of both the narrator and protagonist. The song clearly begins in second person, but its lyrics shift perspective with the lines:

I thought that time was frozen

Instead we’re resting, scathed

I thought we’d be forever

What was I to say?

Evidence of the protagonist’s lessening grip on happiness is sarcastically articulated with the lines:

Do you (Are you okay?)

Feel Fine? (Do you wake up smiling?)

Do you (Do you feel alright?)

Feel fine? (Are you always shining?)

The song concludes with a manically-obsessive repetition of the line: “I gave you everything you wanted, you were everything to me,” louder and faster until the words become 38 indecipherable, and finally the lines: “In your world, make believe, in your world, no one loves you.” This represents a change in perspective from speaking in a frustrated manner towards the person of desire, to speaking of personal struggles, and back again. With the lines, “I thought that time was frozen… I thought we’d be forever,” the singer is clearly referencing inner turmoil caused by an emotional dependence.

This erratic narration is demonstrative of an inconsistent point-of-view that colors the lyrics of Dissociation. Most lyrics are written in the first-person perspective, referencing the protagonist’s inner turmoil, but some reflect his growing frustration with other people.

Throughout the lyrics and music, the sense of tone is often inconsistent and full of non sequiturs.

References to a loss of contact with reality and objective truth abound, seeming to suggest personal pathologies. The despondent emotions present in the lyrics are mirrored with metrical dissonance throughout Dissociation. These factors, along with other harmonic and melodic elements, combine to create one of Dillinger’s darkest and most compelling musical works.

Radical Metric Simplification

Dillinger’s music often juxtaposes metrical dissonance with subsequent downbeat stability and metrical consonance, suddenly restoring order. In particular, 4-layers are posited as pillars of metrical stability. The appearance of a 4-layer frequently signals a shift towards metrical consonance, sometimes coinciding with the arrival of the chorus. At times its expression is as overt as possible, as is the case in the song, “Low Feels Blvd.” Following its dissonant introduction, Dillinger radically simplifies the meter to 4/4 at 0:52 with the lyric: “If it won’t die can I?”

Example 7. “Low Feels Blvd” 0:50-1:01

F B. 5

41 5 5 4 (5) 4 4 4 . fec-- ig he i ide, If i ' die ca 41

E.G. 41 D. .

44 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 . I? Se da I k a hig A 44 E.G. 44 D. .

4 .

4 E.G. 4 D. . 40

Although this is the most conspicuous 4-layer in the song, a similar structure appears earlier with an extra quarter-note appended to the structure’s second measure, foreshadowing the arrival of this pivotal thematic moment. The inclusion of this extra quarter-note value also implies a sense of metrical dissonance as resolving in an analogous manner to pitch dissonance:

5/4 resolves into 4/4.

Example 8. “Low Feels Blvd” 0:11-0:20

2 F B.

10 5 5 4 (5) 4 . and cha- ing Mem-- ie ha e 10 E.G. 10 D. .

14 5 (4) 5 4 (5) 4 4 3 (4) 3 . lde Wh can' I e- cae? 14

E.G. 14 D. .

17 5 (3) 5 5 4 (5) .The same technique appears covertly in “Honeysuckle .” The main riff transitions from a Wai- ing and cha- ing complex triple17 pattern into a simple duple pattern, the latter of which forms the basis for what

E.G. sounds like a chorus (although it never repeats, the section involves a memorable melody, relative consonance,17 and rhetorical significance ). In typical Dillinger fashion, the riff itself is not D. . harmonically complex, including only three different chords. Instead, shifting rhythmic values 41 create an enigmatic resultant rhythm. This feature is combined with overarching G2/3 dissonance, which resolves by mm. 90.

For example, the first chord (the dyad, E–B flat) sees its rhythmic value unexpectedly shifting between a quarter and eighth note. Most unexpected is its quarter-note value at the end of m. 80, which serves to extend the measure by one eighth note. The rhythmic values of every chord are changed multiple times in this progression; the effect of this alteration is different for each chord. Here, each chord’s pitch level and position within the descending progression seems to be the main organizing feature, rather than the rhythmic value of each chord or its position within the overall meter. The changed rhythmic values create maximum aural unpredictability, appropriate for Dillinger’s style.

Example 9. “Honeysuckle” 1:15 – 1:36

8 H

3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 . Ted F - e Ted E - ae E.G. D. S. 3 2 2

. Y 2 E.G. 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 D. S. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 .

5 E.G. 2 3 3 1 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 5 D. S. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 H

3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 . Ted F - e Ted E - ae E.G. 42 D. S. 3 2 2

. Y 2 E.G. 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 D. S. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 .

5 E.G. 2 3 3 1 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 5 D. S. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 H 9

8 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 . F he ai ha e-- e fa , F he E.G. D. S. 8 4 4 4 4 4 4

. Following the pattern from mm. 83-88, which features a similar, yet more complex

3 metrical dissonance between the hi-hat pedal and snare cross stick, the band breaks into E.G. consonance on the line “From the rain that never falls,” proceeded by an entire measure of 4/4. 3 The newD. S. pattern at m. 90 features a simple-duple drum pattern in 2/2, a meter determined by the 43 prominence of the slow half-note alternation between the bass and snare in the mix. In addition, the tactus has slowed from 180 bpm dotted-quarter notes to 60 bpm half notes—a 67% reduction in overall tempo. These factors represent a significant shift in tone towards a resolution.

However, this resolution is short-lived and thwarted in typical Dillinger fashion.

Were it not for the guitar part, this section would be especially simple in a metrical sense.

Instead, it involves a kind of subliminal dissonance, subdividing the 2/2 into 3+3+2 eighth notes, suggesting triple meter while resetting at the beginning of each measure. While this pattern is relatively common in rock music, here it drags purposefully behind the tactus, serving to pull the music back even farther. Its suggestion of triple meter maintains the grouping dissonance from before, but in a less obvious or partially resolved manner.

Heavy syncopation and stuttering rhythms

Syncopation is a common tactic for producing metrical dissonance. Krebs explains this phenomenon by stating: “Syncopation is … actually a conflict between basic meter and a simultaneously presented nonaligned meter that endures throughout the syncopated passage.”17

This definition appears in the first chapter of Fantasy Pieces and serves as segue to Krebs’ definition of direct dissonance. Here, Krebs notes that while a layer of motion may conflict with the notated meter, it would be incorrect to resolve this discrepancy by changing the meter, as it is precisely this conflict that gives a syncopated passage its character.18 Dillinger often accent off- beats as a means of creating tension, exploiting this technique in a number of interesting ways.

In “Limerent Death,” (Ex. 8; 0:22) immediately following the introductory riff discussed previously, the tactus doubles its tempo from 100 to 200 bpm, maintaining 4/4. Here, the sixteenth-note rhythmic flourishes create metrical dissonance via an expanded sense of hierarchy, with each set of sixteenth notes representing a kind of ornamentation. They also form a rhythmic continuation that somewhat obscures succeeding accents, for example on beat 2 of m.

9. The next properly articulated accent after beat 1 of m. 9 is beat 4.5 of m. 9, which is a syncopated beat, causing conflict with the pulse layer.

The primary interpretive layer of motion, articulated by both guitar parts, alternates erratically between articulating downbeats of the pulse layer (1, 2, 3, and 4) and syncopated

17. Krebs, Fantasy Pieces, 10. 18. Krebs, Fantasy Pieces, 11. 45 beats. This provides the listener with a confusing sense of metrical dissonance because of the interpretive layer’s indecisiveness, even though it is solidly in 4/4 time.

In m. 13, the sixteenth-note flourishes drop away. As a result, the core idea this excerpt is based upon is more exposed—an inconsistent and unpredictable alternation between articulating pulse-layer downbeats and syncopated beats. In m. 13, for example, the first, second, and third downbeats are articulated, while the fourth is omitted. In m. 14, the same effect is achieved with via the omission of the third downbeat.

Example 10. “Limerent Death” 0:21 – 0:34

Further cohesion can be seen counting the number of “hits,” which reveals a consistent and repeating pattern: 1, 4, 2, 2, 3. This compositional method, revolving around a specified pattern of hits, is the same method used in the shifted-accent pattern of “Honeysuckle,” analyzed previously. This technique allows Dillinger to create metrically dissonant structures within consonant meter. The ear is drawn to the spacing of hits at the surface level, rather than the overarching 4/4, creating indirect dissonance.

In “Honeysuckle”, Dillinger makes use of a triple rhythm. The actual time signature of this section is difficult to determine because of its integration of multiple different metrical ideas.

I decided on this interpretation because of its synergy with the vocal line and its truncated repetition between m. 42 and m. 44. As discussed previously, the idea revolves around a descending pattern of three distinct chords, which change their length between most repetitions.

This makes a rhythm ambiguous, but with an easily predictable harmonic structure.

Similar to “Limerent Death,” the riff alternates erratically between accenting downbeats of the written meter and syncopated upbeats. Every downbeat of m. 42 is articulated with a chord, priming the listener to hear a pattern in 9/8 or some other triple rhythm. An agogic accent falls on the last eighth note of m. 42, obscuring the downbeat of m. 43. This accent is caused by the D sharp-A dyad’s unexpectedly longer duration compared to its first appearance, and the fact that this duration is taken from the rhythmic value of the following B-F dyad.

During m. 43, the triple-rhythm idea (based on accent groupings of dotted-quarter notes) is reinforced by the articulation of a downbeat on the eighth-note E-B flat dyad. Conversely, the following two anticipated accents (which should fall on the 7th and 10th eighth-notes of m. 43) 47 are obscured by two quarter notes, creating a greater sense of unpredictability for the listener.

This two-measure figure then repeats, but not without some change as is typical of Dillinger.

Measure 45 is analogous to m. 43, but omits the quarter note groupings, creating instability in yet another way—subverting the listener’s expectation of dotted-quarter note groupings with subtractive rhythm (5/8 instead of 6/8 or 9/8).

Example 11. “Honeysuckle” 1:15 – 1:23

Subtle Metrical Dissonance

The use of metrical dissonance in Dillinger’s music is not limited to the jarring indirect dissonance present in songs such as “Wanting Not So Much to as To” or “Low Feels Blvd.”

Sometimes the use of metrical dissonance is more subtle. In the song, “Symptom of Terminal

Illness,” Dillinger substitutes their characteristically chaotic and dissonant aesthetic for one that is significantly more pleasing to the ear. “Symptom of Terminal Illness” is possibly the closest track on Dissociation to a pop song and makes use of typical verse-chorus-bridge structure. The chorus melody is one of the most memorable on the album, providing a haunting depiction of the fear of mortality from a first-person perspective with the lyric: “I’m frightened in sleep, thinking my world will be gone. Promise me I won’t die.” Such a dark message is made in direct contrast to the comfortable and predictable pop format.

The song makes use of the metrical pattern 6/8, 4/8, 6/8, 6/8. This pattern repeats throughout the song, lending musical unity and a consistent, if uneven, four-bar hypermeter. The harmonic design revolves around an arpeggiated E minor chord, ornamented with F sharp, which creates a minor-second sonority against the G—typical of Dillinger’s discordant harmonic style.

Dillinger clearly conceives this idea with a subtractive rhythm in mind, demonstrated by its truncated characteristic—condensing the rhythm of m. 1 to fit within the 4/8 space of m. 2.

Interestingly, m. 2 avoids G, seemingly substituting harmonic dissonance for metrical dissonance in an effort to provide balance.

Example 12Sce. “Symptom of TerminalS Illness” f00:00 Teial – 01:15 Ille

3 3 4 3 3 3 3 Elecic Gia

5 2 V. To 5 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 E.G. sbio 10 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 V. those o I loed, this

10 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 E.G.

15 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 V. pains me to lose I hate to feel sed

15 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 E.G. 3 2 S f Tea Ie

20 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 V. I' fgh- eed ee, Th- g 20 E.G. 2020 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 V. d be ge, P - e e I ' 2 E.G. 3 3 4 3 3 3 3

2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 V. de. I a- c dea, F he Iag, 2 E.G. 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

34 V. Peae d' ha gh, 34 E.G.

3 V. Ica'ee . 3 E.G. W Dea Peda 2 S f TeaT IeI

20 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 20 V. . I' fgh- eed ee, Th- g 20 20 E.G. 50 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 V.. d be ge, P - e e I ' 2 2 E.G. 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 V. . de. I a- c dea, F he Iag, 2 2 E.G. 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

34 34 4 2 2 2 3 3 6 V.. Peae d'Peae d' ha ha gh, 34 34 E.G. 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 3 3 V.. gh,Ica'ee . I ca' ee . 3 3 E.G. W Dea Peda 3 3 3 3 3 3

In addition, the actual primary meter of this song exists somewhere between 3/4 and 6/8, with the vocal line ambiguously implying both via shifting accent groupings (2+2+2 vs. 3+3) between mm. 9 and mm. 19. Often, the drums express both sets of accents simultaneously, with each meter being relegated to a different drum component. For the sake of simplicity, this meter is labeled 6/8 consistently. Such a conflict could be considered a form of subliminal dissonance.

However, because the lack of official notation, it does not fit easily into Krebs’s definition: 51

“Subliminal dissonance arises when all musical features—accents, groupings, etc.—establish only one interpretive layer, while the context and the metrical notation imply at least one conflicting layer.”19 In addition, more than one interpretive layer is implied by the song’s musical features.

The sections from mm. 17-19, and then again in mm. 34-40 can be explained as metric resolutions due to their exclusive use of 3-layers (in lieu of either 2 or 4-layers). Similar to harmonic resolutions, they occur at formal divisions: the end of the verse and the end of the chorus, respectively. In m. 18, the previously truncated idea is now extended to fill an entire 6/8 measure, but is recognizable because of its characteristic sixteenth-note syncopations.

The final note of the rising guitar line in m. 19 is particularly interesting because of its effect on the meter of both m. 19 and m. 20. These measures are metrically ambiguous in that they can be interpreted as either 6/8-4/8 or 4/8-6/8. The final note, the high A, is exactly six eighth notes long. This implies a 6/8 meter in m. 20, and therefore triplet groupings of eighth notes. However, there is a distinct duple separation caused by the drummer. Most clearly audible is an open hi-hat sound (one quarter note long) on the third eighth note of m. 20 following two quick strikes (each one eighth note long). These features imply a quick 4-count leading into the chorus, (which begins in m. 21) an implication which is idiomatically consistent for rock music.

Because of the significance of 4-layers to Dillinger’s sense of metrical consonance, the duple interpretation of the rhythm by the drummer, and the ambiguity of the other layers, m. 20 is labeled as 4/8 rather than 6/8.

19. Krebs, Fantasy Pieces, 46. 52

At the conclusion of the chorus structure, from mm 34-40, there is another metric resolution. This time all rhythmic layers clearly articulate 6/8. The entire verse-chorus structure is then repeated before the bridge; the latter revolves around similar meters rearranged into a new structure. This resolution at the end of the chorus is decisively more consonant than the resolution at the end of the verse. This represents another musical hierarchy, one that is consistent with the sense of some resolutions as being more important or structurally conclusive than others. In fact, the song ends with a repetition of this chorus and its concluding structure, essentially ending after m. 37.

Example 13. “Symptom of Terminal Illness” 2:05 – 3:11

The band makes still more use of repeating indirectly dissonant patterns in the bridge of

“Symptom of Terminal Illness.” This time, the contrasting meter is 2/8, which still implies duple division in a similar manner to the 4/8 of the other structure.

Electronic Music as Aesthetic Contrast and its Effects on Meter

Dissociation contains two tracks that make a distinct break from Dillinger’s core aesthetic and instrumentation: “Dissociation” and “Fugue.” These tracks make more use of sampling and virtual instruments than any of the nine other tracks on the album, likely drawing inspiration from electronic music. In so doing, they break from the aesthetic that characterizes the majority of the album and provide the listener with relief from prevalent dissonance and screaming vocals. This contrast is typical of Dillinger’s previous albums, which balanced particularly dissonant songs with contrasting, relatively consonant material. This provides pacing, helping listeners to enjoy an entire album without becoming fatigued.

“Dissociation”

“Dissociation” carries special significance within Dissociation—not only because of its status as the album’s title-track, but also because of its genre-bending qualities. The attentive listener will notice remnants of a 16/16 click-track in “Dissociation’s” string-ensemble introduction, an element that was likely left in purposefully, judging by its conspicuousness.

Such rigid control of tempo—down to the sixteenth-note subdivision—is curious for a string- ensemble recording, which often utilizes natural rubato. Following its introduction,

“Dissociation” introduces virtual instruments and samples in order to form the basis of its accompaniment, maintaining adherence to a strict metronomic tempo. These features differ from every track except “Fugue,” which makes a similar effort to include electronic music as an aesthetic contrast, albeit with a very different style—more akin to drum and bass (a subgenre of electronic music that features fast, repetitive rhythms). During the string introduction, the first violin seems to challenge this metronomic rhythm by including some rubato, arriving at certain pitches slightly late, and thereby emphasizing a contrast between natural tempo and metronomic tempo. The rest of the ensemble adheres strictly to the metronomic tempo.

“Dissociation” utilizes an exceptionally slow tempo of 30 bpm during its introduction, a feature that is at variance with the much faster tempos that characterize the rest of the album.

This variance is consistent with Dillinger’s pervasive use of stark contrast, a core feature of their music. Following the introduction (0:49), there is a change in instrumentation from strings to synthesizer, samples, and other electronic instruments. After a descending cello line, a synthesizer emphasizes the repeated bass line C-E, arranged as very low open-octaves— 56 implying the static and repeating chord progression: VI-i in the key of E minor, prolonging tonic.

Simultaneously, the listener is presented with an enigmatic, repeating drum-sample that changes slightly with each repetition, as well as repeating mid-range G on synthesizer. The interaction between this drum sample, the overarching 4/4, and the beeping synthesizer implies an exceedingly complex and subdivided metrical structure. In addition, the song’s slow and precise tempo allows for extensive exploration into the effects of micropulse, defined by Krebs as: “an intermittently appearing layer of motion moving more quickly than the pulse layer.”20

This song contrasts with the rest of the album by incorporating compositional ideas reminiscent of electronic music, such as layering. Layering involves stacking previously recorded samples and musical ideas, often reusing musical material from outside sources, and combining them with instruments (virtual and real), noises, and effects to create a new piece of music. Layering is also common practice in hip-hop, which often incorporates a simple accompaniment, and adds or removes layers to create structural change.

Metrical structures in “Dissociation” are heavily affected by the song’s layered arrangement. This creates a metrical hierarchy that articulates all three Krebsian layers of motion: pulse layer, interpretive layers, and micropulse layer. These layers interact by virtue of their incongruences, forming the simultaneously enigmatic and simple duple rhythm that characterizes most of the song’s metrical structure. Whereas the unpracticed ear would likely hear only a 4/4 rhythm, those delving into the song’s nuanced meter would know this is not the whole story.

20. Krebs, Fantasy Pieces, 254. 57

The drum sample (first heard at 0:48) is of unique importance to the song’s metrical and thematic structure, clearly accenting the second and fourth beats of a faster 4/4 structure. Less clear is the articulation of the bass drum on beats 1 and 3, which is obscured by rapid alternations between bass and snare. The drum beat sample is further obscured by a noise effect, making it more difficult to discern the exact rhythm. It is because of this complexity that I decided not to attempt an exact transcription of the entire musical texture, opting instead for a written description of the music and basic transcriptions of rhythms.

To assist in the metrical analysis of this song, the track was placed into the computer program, Logic Pro X, which includes “Smart Tempo” software that analyzes tempo and meter.

This software can be adjusted to analyze “variable” or “constant” tempo. Adjusting this setting yielded interesting results. The computer was conflicted in its analysis between a constant 4/4 and a variable 6/8, possibly latching onto the hi-hat rhythm which seemingly implied triple rhythm and its conflict with the clear second and fourth-beat articulations created by the bass/snare rhythm. Even more interesting was the fact that the software, using the “variable” tempo setting, adjusted the tempo significantly for every single eighth-note duration of 6/8, always landing somewhere between 70 and 100 bpm. This led to an idea that perhaps Dillinger was utilizing an uneven 6/8-type rhythm (i.e. 6 pulses arranged into 3-pulse groupings) to conflict with the structural-level 4/4. When making an attempt at isolating this eighth-note triplet pulse articulated by hi-hat, it was clear that there existed some G2/3 or G3/4 dissonance between this rhythm and the 4/4, but this dissonance was not consistent across every beat. Some dotted- quarter note values are truncated, creating an 11/16 rhythm (Ex. 13).

Example 14. “Dissociation” hi-hat rhythm

This rhythm (a two-measure hi-hat pattern that coincides exactly with the faster 4/4 articulated by bass drum and snare) is further ornamented with a repeating G on synthesizer.

Together with the bare-bones synthesizer bass line C-E, this repeating G cements E minor as the song’s tonality.

In addition, the repeating G contributes to the song’s metrical hierarchy and depth. This depth is communicated by way of its alternation between slow and fast rhythms that ornament and mimic the hi-hat rhythm. This factor creates a micropulse, which appears intermittently at the beginning and end of each two measures of 11/16. This micropulse, together with the complex polyrhythmic structure, amounts to a kind of metrical “corruption,” articulated entirely with virtual instruments and samples. It conflicts with the 4/4 metrical structure implied by the snare rhythm and the string introduction. It also emphasizes the rhetorical significance of the conflict between metronomic and natural rhythms, suggesting an incompatibility and thereby creating direct metrical dissonance between layers. The tone of the bass drum is also either altered or over-dubbed with a tone reminiscent of a human heartbeat, and its rhythm mimics the characteristic sinus-rhythm of the heartbeat, with some irregularity.

Most interesting is the relationship between this 11/16 meter and the preceding sixteenth- note subdivision of the introduction’s 4/4. The sixteenth notes are kept consistent between the string introduction and the 11/16 hi-hat/synthesizer rhythm’s eighth notes, delineating a metrical 59 modulation. Simultaneously, the faster 4/4 articulated by bass drum, snare and the synth bass line provides both stability in the sense of a consistent meter with a simple tempo change, and instability in the sense of its conflict with the residual effects of the slower 4/4 tempo, now expressed in 11/16. This forms a complex metrical modulation, one that would only be feasible to perform with virtual instruments and samples—especially with the added rhythmic complexity and depth provided by the micropulse synthesizer’s repeating G.

This 4/4-11/16 polyrhythm is simplified later in the song to a conflict between 4/4 and

6/8. Although this polyrhythm is less complex than 4/4-11/16, the conflict it creates is used as a compositional device, outlining formal divisions of the song. In addition, the 4/4-11/16 polyrhythm is not felt as viscerally as the 4/4-6/8 polyrhythm because of its relative obscurity within the arrangement: the ear naturally works to resolve this sixteenth-note conflict, settling on the larger 4/4 as more structurally significant, and the accompanying 11/16 as a relatively minor metrical aberration, perhaps an uneven 6/8.

“Fugue”

Similar to “Dissociation,” “Fugue” makes rhetorical use of this duality between the artificial and the natural, but in a very different manner. Following in narrative from “Wanting

Not So Much to as To,” where the protagonist searches tirelessly for his chemical fixation, articulated by lyrics such as: “I’m getting an urge to fill the void, with whatever I need,” this track likely depicts the experience of succumbing to a drug trip from the first-person perspective.

This is depicted musically by the sensation of rising metrical dissonance, imitating a sense of rising anxiety, followed by a break into ambient calm at 2:26. In addition, the track’s title is likely referencing a fugue state which involves a loss of sensation and amnesia.21

The track begins with a single drum track: labored, dragging slightly behind the beat.

Example 15. “Fugue” 0:05-0:09

The entire track is based on this rhythmic motive, which evolves through multiple iterations of growing complexity. Similar to “Dissociation,” “Fugue” makes use of micrometer and metronomic tempo. Often the hi-hat sound is modified, possibly being replaced with a tom

21. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “Fugue states,” accessed June 23, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/science/fugue-state 61 fill in the same rhythm. Judging by the extremely precise and metronomic rhythm, the entire track was likely composed exclusively on computer, with the theme and the idea of growing complexity as its creative guide.

The main beat develops into a “breakbeat,” which is defined by Grove Music Online as:

“A sampled rhythmic fragment isolated from an extant sound recording and repurposed as a rhythmic hook in a new track.”22

Example 16. “Fugue” 0:00-0:58

22. Dale E. Chapman, “Breakbeat,” Grove Music Online, 6 Feb 2012; Accessed 12 Jul. 2020. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo- 9781561592630-e-1002218742?rskey=mjrK8Y&result=1. 62

Typical of this style of music, “Fugue” relies exclusively on duple divisions of beats rather than hemiola or another type of rhythmic subdivision. While it does not involve direct conflict of layers apart from simple syncopation, it features a kind of rhythmic fragmentation that creates its own sense of metrical dissonance. Following m. 12, the track moves into a double- time feel, depicting a sense of rising anxiety.

“Fugue” demonstrates the effectiveness of simple subdivision for creating metrical dissonance. Although this feature does not fit into Krebs’ definition of metrical dissonance, which is the misalignment of layers of motion, it absolutely creates tension throughout the track’s structure. This novel sense of metrical dissonance arises primarily from an expanded sense of rhythmic hierarchy—from the quarter note all the way down to the 64th note, measured precisely by a computer. Importantly, these fast hi-hat rhythms are not simple ornamentations, but rather fundamental features of the breakbeat’s structure—a point demonstrated by their repetition and alternation with other micrometer structures. This can be seen with the repetition of mm. 13-14 at mm. 21-22, both of which outline the phrase structure. Additionally, m. 13 repeats during mm. 17-18. An alternative pattern appears during m. 19, providing contrast. The track also incorporates a great deal of syncopation, which assists this expanded rhythmic hierarchy in creating an overarching sense of metrical dissonance.

CONCLUSION

It is hoped that this thesis will inspire further research on both Dillinger’s music and metal music as a whole. More work remains to be done on hypermeter in Dillinger’s music, especially its relationship to form and to smaller metrical structures. This would forge an additional connection with Krebs’s research on low, mid, and high-level metrical dissonances.

Although Krebs describes hypermetrical dissonance to be a rare fixture in the music of

Schumann, it is likely prevalent in the music of Dillinger. Many low-level metrical phenomena also remain to be investigated: “Dissociation” and “Fugue” delved deeply into expanded subdivision of the pulse-beat, aided by the precise measurements of a Digital Audio Workstation

(DAW) computer program. Analysis of electronic music and hip-hop could yield compelling implications for development of the study of micrometer and its effect on metrical dissonance.

This thesis is also intended to remedy the neglect of metal in music theory scholarship.

The present work barely scratches the surface of Dillinger’s exploration into metrical dissonance, which is only one facet of their creative output spanning over their 20-year musical career. A further compelling aspect of Dissociation is its duality between “reality” and perception. Such a duality calls to mind postmodernist criticisms of Enlightenment rationality and universalist ideas of objective reality, discrediting “truth” as socially conditioned. Dillinger’s music makes reference to this loss of objective reality via reference to the dissociative fugue, a pathological condition, with the album title and two of its tracks. In addition, the lyrics frequently depict and enact pathological, disordered behavior. The inclusion of drug references such as the literal depiction of succumbing to a trip in “Fugue” underscores Dillinger’s exploration of the relation 64 between putative reality and perception. The very notion of analyzing dissonant or chaotic structures in Dillinger’s music points up this paradox. Dillinger’s music is still conceived of riffs, choruses, bridges, verses, breakdowns, and other formalisms. Indeed, I have argued the complex tension between the formulaic and the unpredictable is a crucial dimension of their style. Lyrics, music, and expressive content therefore combine to make Dissociation a rich composition that repays careful analysis and pushes the boundaries of complexity on all fronts.

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