Metalcore
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| Metalcore | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | Hardcore punk − Extreme metal − Crossover thrash |
| Cultural origins: | late 1980s North America |
| Typical instruments: | Vocals − Electric guitar − Bass guitar − Drum kit (Double kick) |
| Mainstream popularity: | Little to none during the careers of early bands, has gained much popularity in recent years |
| Subgenres | |
| Moshcore − Mathcore | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Deathcore − Melodic metalcore − | |
| Other topics | |
| Breakdown | |
Metalcore is a fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk that began in the United States. Defining the metalcore sound is not an easy task: various bands have fused a hardcore sound and attitude with many different types of metal. Some metal sources, such as Sam Dunn and Guitar One, have called the recent metalcore groups the "New Wave of American Heavy Metal."
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Though rarely referred to as "metalcore," Breakdown were arguably one of the earliest to fuse heavy metal-influenced riffing with a traditional hardcore punk sound without being a thrash metal band. Not long after, bands such as Damnation A.D., Integrity, Maximum Penalty, Leeway, Biohazard, Madball, Judge, and Raw Deal began releasing demos and albums, laying the foundation for metalcore bands to come.
Most of the songwriting by these bands was similar to the style of New York hardcore bands but differed in a more metallic sound, due largely to the use of double bass drums, harsher distortion, heavier riffs, and metal-influenced vocals.
This basic form of metalcore has received the epithets "tough guy hardcore"--due to many bands' lyrical content, which often focuses on "the scene" and/or violence--and "moshcore," due to the breakdown-centric, mosh-friendly songwriting that some bands use.
Groups such as Rorschach, Starkweather, Adamantium, and Deadguy expanded the metalcore sound, experimenting with looser, often dissonant songwriting, as well as odd time signatures.
Central to the bands of the genre, quite a few of which eschew verse-chorus songwriting, is the breakdown.
Typically, a breakdown consists of slowing a song down, usually to half time, giving the guitars room to play a set of rhythmically oriented riffs, usually on open strings so as to achieve the lowest sound for which the guitars are tuned. These riffs are often accented by the drummer through double bass drums and use of the china cymbal.
Breakdowns are usually responded to by an audience by hardcore dancing. Vocalists also often throw in a single, repeated statement throughout the breakdown, giving those who are not dancing an opportunity to sing along. Many Metalcore bands rely on having memorable breakdowns rather than memorable choruses. Some bands have used breakdowns far more often than was previously the norm, with some songs even resembling one elongated breakdown. Bands such as Boston's On Broken Wings and Bury Your Dead, along with New Jersey's Shattered Realm helped pioneer this method of songwriting.
Moshcore is a subgenre of metalcore characterized by breakdowns. Due in large part to its hardcore punk-based riffing and cleaner vocals. Moshcore is one of a few metalcore subgenres with a crossover appeal for fans of hardcore punk. Hatebreed is a well-known band in this genre.
Melodic metalcore is a fusion of melodic death metal and early metalcore. The subgenre often makes use of a melodic lead and heavy rhythm guitar, as well as death metal-influenced vocals and metalcore drumming. Overcast (band) and Zao are the pioneers of this genre. Other bands belonging to this genre are Hacksaw to the Throat, Ghostlimb, As I lay dying.
Deathcore is an amalgamation of two musical styles: metalcore and death metal. While similar to the more abrasive death metal of recent years, deathcore's aesthetics and following are more closely related to metalcore. While remaining a subgenre of metalcore, deathcore is heavily influenced by death metal in its speed, heaviness, and approach to chromatic, heavily palm muted riffing, dissonance, and frequent key changes. Though lyrics are not always in the death metal vein, growls, pig-like squeals, and shrieks predominate, with metalcore vocals rarely being used. Job for a Cowboy's Doom EP is an example of deathcore.
Mathcore is a style of metalcore recognized for a high level of technical musicianship. The music is usually filled with discordant, technical riffing, and complex time signatures and song structures. Songs played by bands of this style tend to vary from mere seconds in length to over 15 minutes and rarely feature a conventional verse-chorus song structure. The Dillinger Escape Plan is an example of mathcore.
- Christian metal
- Crossover thrash
- Death metal
- Grindcore
- Groove metal
- Hardcore punk
- Melodic death metal
- Thrash metal
- Emocore
- Screamo
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| Alternative metal · Avant-garde metal · Black metal · Christian metal · Classic metal · Crust Punk · Dark metal · Death metal · Doom metal · Extreme metal · Folk metal · Funk metal · Glam metal · Gothic metal · Grindcore · Groove metal · Industrial metal · Metalcore · Neo-classical metal · Nu metal · Post-metal · Power metal · Progressive metal · Rap metal · Sludge metal · Speed metal · Stoner metal · Symphonic metal · Thrash metal · Viking metal | |
| Regional scenes | Scandinavian death metal · New Wave of British Heavy Metal · Bay Area thrash metal · Brazilian thrash metal · Norwegian black metal |
| Other topics | Fashion · Subgenres · Bands · Festivals · Umlaut |
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| Christian hardcore - Crossover thrash - Crust punk - D-beat - Deathcore - Digital hardcore - Funkcore - Grindcore - Hatecore - Melodic hardcore - Metalcore - Oi! - Post-hardcore - Powerviolence - Queercore - Rapcore - Ska-core - Skate punk - Sludge metal - Taqwacore - Thrashcore - UK 82 - Youth crew | |
| Regional Scenes | Australia - Brazil - Canada - Italy - Greece - Japan - Scandinavia - South Wales - Umeå - Yugoslavia United States: Boston - California - Chicago - Detroit - Minneapolis - New Jersey - New York - Phoenix - DC |
| Other topics | DIY ethic - Hardcore bands - Hardcore dancing - Hardline - Punk ideologies - Second wave punk musicians - Straight edge |