Hardcore punk is a punk rock subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C., and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics".
A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits. They may differ in terms of instrumentation, tempo, song structure, vocal style, lyrics, guitar playing style, drumming style, and so on.
Screamo is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics". San Diego-based bands Heroin and Antioch Arrow pioneered the genre in the early 1990s, and it was developed in the late 1990s mainly by bands from the East Coast of the United States such as Pg. 99, Orchid, Saetia, and I Hate Myself. Screamo is strongly influenced by hardcore punk and characterized by the use of screamed vocals. Lyrical themes usually include emotional pain, death, romance, and human rights. The term "screamo" has frequently been mistaken as referring to any music with screaming.
Metalcore is a fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy guitar riffs often utilizing percussive pedal tones and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming; more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However, the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by bands such as Bigwig and Dynamite Boy; and later Sugarcult; Plain White T's; The Aquabats; Amely; and post-hardcore releases by At the Drive-In and Anatomy of a Ghost. However, the label has experimented with different styles in recent years. Acts such as Blessthefall, The Word Alive, Ice Nine Kills, Mayday Parade, Pierce The Veil, Starset, The Pretty Reckless, Underoath and The Color Morale have showcased post-hardcore, metalcore, hard rock and alternative rock bands that have emerged in recent years. Fearless Records' releases were distributed in the US by RED Distribution, but after Concord Music Group's purchase of the label in 2015, it is now distributed by Universal Music Group worldwide.
Vanna was an American hardcore punk band from Boston that was formed in 2004. On December 15, 2017, the band played their final show at the Worcester Palladium.
Progressive metalcore is a fusion of progressive metal and metalcore characterized by highly technical lead guitar, "atmospheric" elements, and complex instrumentation. Some notable practitioners take influence from djent.
Nintendocore is a broadly defined style of music that most commonly fuses chiptune with various hardcore punk and/or heavy metal subgenres, most often metalcore and post-hardcore. The genre is sometimes considered a direct subgenre of post-hardcore and a fusion genre between metalcore and chiptune. The genre originated in the early 2000s and peaked around the late 2000s with bands like Horse the Band, I Fight Dragons, Math the Band, and Sky Eats Airplane pioneering the genre.
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of vocalist Tyler Smith, guitarist Jose DelRio, and drummer Daniel Nelson. The group has had several line-up changes throughout their career, with no founding members remaining. Their second EP, Empire reached No. 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009. The following year, the group recorded and released their debut studio album, Deceiver on August 31, 2010, which reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200 and 15 on Independent Albums.
Ice Nine Kills is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member.
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! is a French rock band formed in 2007 in Paris. The band consists of vocalist Bertrand Poncet, guitarists Éric Poncet and Paul Wilson and bassist Mathias Rigal, with founding drummer Jonathan Donnaes leaving in 2014 to be replaced by Bastien Lafaye.
Pardon My French is the second album by French rock band Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!. The album was released on April 30, 2013, on Fearless Records. The album was produced by Joey Sturgis, a well-known metalcore producer. It is the last album with original drummer Jonathan Donnaes.
Seaway is a Canadian rock band from Oakville, Ontario signed to Pure Noise Records and Dine Alone Records. The band has released three EPs and four studio albums.
The White Noise was an American punk rock band from Dallas, Texas, later based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2010 under the name Set the Sun by guitarist and vocalist David Southern and drummer Alex Summers, the band released two EPs and a series of singles while still based in Dallas. By 2013, Southern was left the sole founding member and recruited vocalist Shawn Walker and guitarist Josh "KJ" Strock. This lineup would relocate to Los Angeles and change their name to the White Noise. In total, the band released three EPs, in addition to one studio album, 2017's AM/PM.
Wage War is an American metalcore band formed in Ocala, Florida in 2010 under the name Empires. The band consists of lead vocalist Briton Bond, lead guitarist Seth Blake, rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist Cody Quistad, bassist Chris Gaylord, and drummer Stephen Kluesener.
Aren't You Glad? is the third release by American punk rock band The White Noise, and the first under their moniker The White Noise. The EP was released on February 26, 2016, under Fearless Records.
Knocked Loose is an American hardcore punk band from Oldham County, Kentucky, formed in 2013 and currently signed to Pure Noise Records. The band released its debut studio album, Laugh Tracks, in September 2016 through Pure Noise Records, which was followed by A Different Shade of Blue in 2019. Their 2021 EP ATear in the Fabric of Life incorporated elements of death metal and was released to widespread critical acclaim. They released their third album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, in 2024.
Trash Boat are a British punk rock band formed in St Albans in 2014. The group consist of Tobi Duncan, Dann Bostock, Ryan Hyslop, James Grayson, and Oakley Moffatt (drums).
Retrograde is the third studio album by American metalcore band Crown the Empire. It was released on July 22, 2016, through Rise Records and was produced by Drew Fulk. The album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. This is the first album the band released without lead guitarist Benn Suede, as well as the last album before co-lead vocalist Dave Escamilla left the band in January 2017.
Sharptooth was an American hardcore punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Formed in 2013, the band released two EPs and two studio albums, entitled Clever Girl (2017) and Transitional Forms (2020), before disbanding in 2023.
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