Structural Density and Clarity, Technical Death Metal, and Anomalous’s “Ohmnivalent”

Bibliographic Data

ID15006366
AuthorsCalder Hannan (0000-0001-5381-2641, Columbia University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume28
Issue1
Publication date2022-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMusic Theory Online (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1067-3040 • E-ISSN: 1067-3040
PublisherSociety for Music Theory (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.30535/mto.28.1.3
OpenAlexW4286530338
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited31

In this article I introduce the concepts of structural density and structural clarity , which describe how difficult or easy a given piece of music is to parse, and present an analysis of the song “Ohmnivalent,” by the technical death metal band Anomalous, as a case study. Because the song moves from high structural density at its start to structural clarity at its end, it allows for a nuanced discussion of the factors that contribute to these effects. I argue, drawing on the work of Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, Dora Hanninen, David Huron, and Lawrence Zbikowski, that repetition, clear cues for segmentation, schemas, and clear categorical belonging all contribute to structural clarity, while their lack or ambivalence contribute to structural density. While my article focuses on the specifics of a single, extraordinarily complex technical death metal track, I close by suggesting that the concepts of structural density and structural clarity have wider potential applicability as ways of thinking about the experience of musical form

CLARITY · Epistemology · Music History and Culture · Music Technology and Sound Studies · Musicology and Musical Analysis · Philosophy

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