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".
Taang! Records is an independent record label with a roster of hardcore punk, punk rock, Oi!, power pop, ska, indie rock, psychedelic, and ambient artists and bands founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts in 1983.
Jade Tree International, Inc. is an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in 1990 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Youth crew is a music subculture of hardcore punk, which was particularly prominent during the New York hardcore scene of the late 1980s. Youth crew is distinguished from other punk styles by its optimism and moralistic outlook. The original youth crew bands and fans were predominantly straight edge and vegetarian.
Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston. Beginning the early 1980s, bands such as SSD, DYS, Jerry's Kids and Negative FX formed a hardcore nascent scene in the city that was notably captured on the compilation This Is Boston, Not L.A. (1982). By 1986, many of these bands had either disbanded or departed from the hardcore genre, instead beginning to play heavy metal. During the 1990s, the influence of extreme metal became prominent in the scene with Overcast, Converge, Cave In and Shadows Fall becoming prominent figures in the metalcore genre. However, a reaction against this metal influence quickly took place, which led to the mid-1990s youth crew revival of In My Eyes, Bane and Ten Yard Fight. By 2000, the youth crew revival had declined, and in response to its lyrical positivity, bands including American Nightmare, the Suicide File and the Hope Conspiracy began making music influenced by its music but centred on darker and nihilistic lyrics. In the following years, a reaction also took place against this lyrical style, which led to the rise of positive hardcore bands Mental and Have Heart. The 2000s also saw mainstream successful of Boston melodic metalcore bands including Killswitch Engage, All That Remains and Shadows Fall.
Champion was an American straight edge hardcore punk band formed by vocalist Jim Hesketh and guitarist Chris Williams in the spring of 1999 in Seattle, Washington.
Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and screaming. Nevertheless, the genre has been very diverse, with different bands showcasing very different styles. Many pioneering melodic hardcore bands, have proven influential across the spectrum of punk rock, as well as rock music more generally.
Ringworm is an American metalcore band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1989. Their name was derived from a Vincent Price movie. The band has toured extensively in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and has released four albums via Victory Records. In 2013, the band announced they had signed with Relapse Records, releasing three further albums with the label before moving to Nuclear Blast in 2023. Vocalist Human Furnace currently plays in the Cleveland metal band Gluttons and solo project Holyghost.
Chokehold is a Canadian vegan straight edge hardcore punk band from Hamilton, Ontario. They were active from 1990 to 1996, and came together again for a reunion tour in 2015, and five dates in Japan in September 2016. They released their third album in 2019.
The Suicide File was an American hardcore punk band from Boston that formed in April 2001. The band wrote songs mostly about social and personal problems. Most of the band's output was released on the Southern California-based hardcore label Indecision Records. The band reunited in June 2006 to embark on their first European Tour. Members of the bands are or have been affiliated with The Hope Conspiracy, Death By Stereo, When Tigers Fight, Adamantium, American Nightmare, Clouds, Panic and many more. Most of these are bands with whom Alexander has drummed for short periods of time. Despite their short tenure, The Suicide File continues to be revered within the hardcore punk community for their musical output and lasting impression on the flourishing Boston hardcore scene. The band since 2006 has played a small number of successfully sized reunion sets.
Jonathan Anastas is an American, Los Angeles–based marketing and advertising executive, and a musician who co-founded a number of Boston hardcore punk bands.
Have Heart are an American straight edge hardcore punk band formed in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2002. The band recorded a demo that was released in 2003. In 2004, they released the What Counts EP, with their debut full-length, The Things We Carry arriving in 2006. Their last full-length, Songs to Scream at the Sun, garnered much critical acclaim from hardcore critics and fans alike, winning 'album of the year' from many hardcore-oriented websites.
Richard Thurston is an American musician, songwriter and mixed martial artist. Thurston was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Florida in his late teens. He notably performed in such hardcore and metalcore bands as Timescape Zero, Culture, Blood Has Been Shed, Until the End, Diecast, Terror, Walls of Jericho, On Bodies and As Friends Rust. He has lived in and performed with bands from Florida, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Michigan and Ohio, the latter of which has been his home since 1997.
Polar Bear Club was an American post-hardcore band from Rochester and Syracuse in upstate New York. Formed in 2005, the band underwent multiple line-up changes, with vocalist Jimmy Stadt and lead guitarist Chris Browne as the only consistent members. The band released four studio albums and toured internationally before announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2015.
Iron Front is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Strike Anywhere. The album was released worldwide on October 6, 2009.
Chasing Hamburg, is the second studio album and fourth official release from the upstate New York-based post-hardcore/indie rock band Polar Bear Club. It is the follow-up to their teaser EP, The Summer of George, and received mostly favourable reviews.
The Things We Carry is a studio album by the straight edge hardcore punk band Have Heart. It was released in 2006.
No Sleep Records was an American independent record label in Huntington Beach, California. They were founded by Chris Hansen in 2006 and have released records by artists including Balance and Composure, La Dispute, and The Wonder Years. They have released free sampler albums on the internet on a number of occasions and the label closely associates itself with vegan lifestyle and the revived interest in vinyl record sales. On June 25, 2024 it was announced that No Sleep Records would be shutting down.
Brian "Mitts" Daniels is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He was the guitarist of Madball from 2001–2017.
Linas Garsys is an American punk rock graphic designer and co-founder of the record label, Malfunction Records.
