“Winternacht,” the fourth track on Andy DiGelsomina’s Sic Itur Ad Astra, is a fascinating case study in avant-garde doom metal, particularly for its use of atonal pitch-class techniques and serial-style composition—a rarity in the genre.
🎵 Musical Structure and Pitch-Class Techniques
1. Atonal Guitar Duet
The track features a guitar duet described as atonal, meaning it avoids traditional tonal centers.
This suggests the use of pitch-class sets—collections of pitches treated as unordered groups, often used in serial and post-tonal music.
These sets allow DiGelsomina to craft dissonant harmonies and non-functional progressions, enhancing the eerie, Lovecraftian mood.
2. Idiosyncratic Modulations
“Winternacht” includes unexpected key and tempo changes, which may be driven by transformations of pitch-class sets rather than conventional modulation.
These shifts contribute to a fragmented, dreamlike structure, aligning with DiGelsomina’s “Serial Vignette Composition” approach.
3. Dramatic Decelerando and Freeform Elements
The song features a decelerando (gradual slowing down) and extemporized drum and bass interactions, adding to its unpredictability.
These elements suggest a semi-aleatoric approach, where pitch-class organization might be fixed but rhythm and articulation are more fluid.
4. Piano and Soloing
The eerie piano sections and “weird soloing” at the beginning and end evoke expressionist techniques, possibly referencing Schoenberg or Berg.
These moments likely use chromatic pitch-class sets to heighten psychological tension.
🧠 Conceptual and Narrative Role
“Winternacht” isn’t just musically experimental—it plays a key role in the album’s allegorical fantasy narrative, which pits a Warrior Angel against avatars of Nyarlathotep. The disjointed musical structure mirrors the mental and spiritual disorientation the protagonist experiences, especially under the influence of the Trapezohedron—a mystical object that distorts perception.
🎵 Musical Structure and Pitch-Class Techniques
1. Atonal Guitar Duet
The track features a guitar duet described as atonal, which would mean it avoids traditional tonal centers. One could argue a broader designation re post-tonal.
This suggests the use of pitch-class sets—collections of pitches treated as unordered groups, often used in serial and post-tonal music.
These sets allow DiGelsomina to craft dissonant harmonies and non-functional progressions, enhancing the eerie, Lovecraftian mood.
2. Idiosyncratic Modulations
“Winternacht” includes unexpected key and tempo changes, which may be driven by transformations of pitch-class sets rather than conventional modulation.
These shifts contribute to a fragmented, dreamlike structure, aligning with DiGelsomina’s “Serial Vignette Composition” approach.
3. Dramatic Decelerando and Freeform Elements
The song features a decelerando (gradual slowing down) and extemporized drum and bass interactions, adding to its unpredictability.
These elements suggest a semi-aleatoric approach, where pitch-class organization might be fixed but rhythm and articulation are more fluid.
4. Piano and Soloing
The eerie piano sections and “weird soloing” at the beginning and end evoke expressionist techniques, possibly referencing Schoenberg or Berg.
These moments likely use chromatic pitch-class sets to heighten psychological tension.
🧠 Conceptual and Narrative Role
“Winternacht” isn’t just musically experimental—it plays a key role in the album’s allegorical fantasy narrative, which pits a Warrior Angel against avatars of Nyarlathotep. The disjointed musical structure mirrors the mental and spiritual disorientation the protagonist experiences, especially under the influence of the Trapezohedron—a mystical object that distorts perception.
🔍 Summary of Pitch-Class Usage
| Technique | Role in "Winternacht" |
|---|
| Atonal pitch-class sets | Create dissonance and avoid tonal resolution |
| Serial-style composition | Organize musical vignettes with thematic unity |
| Chromaticism | Enhance psychological tension and ambiguity |
| Freeform rhythm & modulation | Break conventional structure for narrative effect |
