Metalcore is a broadly defined 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 and percussive pedal point guitar riffs 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.
Trustkill Records is an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle, formed a new label called Bullet Tooth Records. In 2022, the rights to the label were reverted to Grabelle and he resumed operations. The label has sold over two million albums worldwide.
Converge is an American metalcore band formed by vocalist and artist Jacob Bannon and guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990. While recording their landmark fourth album Jane Doe in 2001, the group became a four-piece with the departure of guitarist Aaron Dalbec and the addition of bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller. This lineup has remained intact since. The members have also been involved in various side-projects and collaborations, including the bands Supermachiner (Bannon), Old Man Gloom (Newton), and Mutoid Man (Koller). With their extremely aggressive and boundary-pushing sound, rooted in hardcore and heavy metal, they are pioneers of metalcore and its subgenre mathcore.
Kurt Ballou is an American musician and record producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for metalcore band Converge and for his prolific recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio.
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.
Randall Desmond Archibald, better known by his stage name Randy Rampage, was a Canadian musician and founding member, bass player and vocalist of the hardcore band D.O.A., often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk.
Animosity was an American death metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 2000. The band released three studio albums, toured in the United States and Europe, and disbanded in 2009. The classic lineup of Animosity consisted of vocalist Leo Miller, guitarists Frank Costa and Chase Fraser, bassist Evan Brewer and drummer Navene Koperweis.
Axe to Fall is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on October 19, 2009, by Epitaph Records. It is the band's most collaborative album, featuring a number of guest musicians, including members of Cave In and Genghis Tron and Steve Von Till of Neurosis, who performs lead vocals on the slow, Tom Waits-esque track "Cruel Bloom". The album was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou, and the artwork was created by vocalist Jacob Bannon.
"On My Shield" is a single released by American metalcore band Converge. It was originally made available during the band's European tour in July 2010. The single was self-released by the band, though it was distributed by Converge's labels, Epitaph Records and Deathwish Inc. The physical release does not contain a label catalog number, however Deathwish lists the single as CONCULT01. The song was recorded and produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his own GodCity studio between the band's 2010 US and European tours in support of Axe to Fall.
Code Orange is an American metalcore band that formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2008, while the members of the band were still in high school.
Abandon All Life is the second full-length studio album by American hardcore punk band Nails. The album was released on 28 March 2013 through Southern Lord Records to positive reviews with an aggregated score of 80/100 on Metacritic.
Killer Be Killed is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in early 2011. The lineup also features Mastodon bassist and co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge drummer Ben Koller. The band had slowly been working on material before announcing its name in October 2013, along with their signing to Nuclear Blast. The group's self-titled debut record was released in 2014. In September 2020, the group returned with a new single, and released their second album Reluctant Hero in November of that year.
From Parts Unknown is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Every Time I Die.
I Am King is the second studio album by American hardcore punk band Code Orange and first to be released under this moniker after previously being referred to as "Code Orange Kids". The Kurt Ballou-produced album was released on September 2, 2014 through Deathwish Inc. To promote the album, Code Orange released music videos for the tracks "I Am King" and "Dreams in Inertia", in addition to an online stream for "My World".
Nails is an American hardcore punk band from Oxnard, California. The group was formed in 2009 by frontman Todd Jones, formerly the guitarist of Terror, along with bassist John Gianelli and drummer Taylor Young of Disgrace. They released their debut EP Obscene Humanity in 2009, followed by the studio albums Unsilent Death (2010), Abandon All Life (2013), You Will Never Be One of Us (2016), a split EP with Full of Hell, and Every Bridge Burning (2024). Nails have achieved widespread notoriety and critical acclaim for their savage and intense sound.
Unsilent Death is the debut studio album by American hardcore punk band Nails, released in March 2010 by Streetcleaner Records/Six Feet Under Records. It was rereleased by Southern Lord Records.
You Will Never Be One of Us is the third studio album by American hardcore punk band Nails, released on June 17, 2016. It is the band's first album issued through Nuclear Blast Records. It is their longest release to date at 21 minutes, and features their longest song, "They Come Crawling Back", which runs for eight minutes. The record was produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge.
Beatdown hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk which incorporates elements of thrash metal and hip hop. The genre features aggressive vocals, heavy, palm muted guitar riffs and breakdowns. The genre has its origins in late 1980s tough guy hardcore bands such as Breakdown, Killing Time, and Madball, and was pioneered in the mid-1990s by bands like Bulldoze, Terror Zone, and Neglect. The definition of the genre has expanded over time to incorporate artists increasingly indebted to metal, notably Xibalba, Sunami, and Knocked Loose. Later acts also feature slam death metal riffs.
Forever is the third studio album by the American hardcore punk band Code Orange and its first on a major label, Roadrunner Records, following a stint on the indie label Deathwish Inc. It was released on January 13, 2017.
