In the darker recesses of the extreme metal world, where authenticity and instrumental prowess are usually held as inviolable principles, an unusual and paradoxical movement has unfortunately taken shape: MIDI black metal. Defined by its reliance on virtual instrumentation rather than traditional, physical performance, this subgenre has provoked intense debate — at the heart of which stands the Austrian duo of "musicians" Summoning.
I use "musicians" in quotes for reasons many of you are likely familiar with... they play 0 instruments. How is it possible to be in a band without playing instruments? MIDI and virtual instruments (aka computer generated sounds).
MIDI is essentially a technical standard (or file format), but it has recently come to mean any sound that isn't human generated with real instruments and recorded with a real microphone.
Summoning has built a controversial and rather forgettable legacy within black metal, drawing inspiration from the vast mythos of J.R.R. Tolkien. Their works, including the poorly received Minas Morgul (1995), Dol Guldur (1996) and With Doom We Come (2018), have cemented their reputation both as trend hoppers and scenesters. However, what sets Summoning apart is not just their lyrical inspiration (shared by many eminent black metal musicians), nor their trend loving commercial aspects (where they aren't that worse than Dimmu Borgir)... Rather, what sets Summoning apart is their total embrace of all things digital and, if you'll excuse the term, downright "fake".
Rather than relying on live instrumentation, Summoning constructs much of their "soundscape" using virtual tools. From programmed guitars courtesy of Virtual Guitars to percussion powered by EZdrummer (and EzBass), and even occasional auto-tuned vocals, their creative process unfolds largely within the digital realm, "challenging" the traditional approach to black metal composition ("challenging norms" is the term Pitchfork likes to use to promote garbage).
Predictably, this method has been met with resistance. The black metal ethos has long emphasised raw, organic sound and the relentless dedication required to master an instrument. For many purists, Summoning's reliance on MIDI and software is an affront to the genre's foundational spirit. Traditionalists — and anyone with good taste, really — will argue that black metal is as much about the physical struggle of playing as it is about the music itself — a test of endurance and commitment that Summoning appears to sidestep with technology, much like an autotuned Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift in the realm of pop music.
And as much as we (rightfully) dump on the so-called "bedroom black metal" scene, who embody everything wrong with the "scenester" culture... at least they had to learn how to play their freaking instruments!
Nonsense like Summoning actually dilutes black metal and brings it closer to mainstream radio rock. Or worse, computer generated trash. They are the prelude to the Deafheavens and Weaklings of the scene.
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