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.
Integrity is a hardcore punk band formed Cleveland, Ohio in 1988, but based in Belgium since 2003. A pioneer of the metalcore genre, the band's merger of influences from hardcore punk and heavy metal music, as well as gothic rock, industrial, noise, doomsday cults and western esotericism, was widely influential on the development of hardcore and metal. The band was a defining part of 1990s hardcore scene, influencing similarly influential bands such as Converge, Hatebreed and Killswitch Engage.
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.
Sunbather is the second studio album by the American metal band Deafheaven. After the release of their debut record Roads to Judah, the then two piece group consisting of George Clarke and Kerry McCoy began work on Sunbather under the label Deathwish and recorded in several days in January 2013. The recording process brought a third member into the fold with drummer Dan Tracy who would go on to become a permanent fixture of the band. The album was recorded in The Atomic Garden Recording Studio, owned by Jack Shirley who had been a long time producer of the band.
Wrongdoers is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Norma Jean. The album was released on August 6, 2013, and is the band's second release through Razor & Tie. It is the first album to feature guitarist Jeff Hickey, bassist John Finnegan and drummer Clayton Holyoak, and the last album with longtime guitarist Chris Day. Wrongdoers garnered critical acclamation by music critics at such publications as Alternative Press, Decibel, Exclaim! and Revolver Magazine, and sold 8,340 copies in its first week.
The Killing Gods is the fifth studio album by American death metal band Misery Index. It was released on May 23, 2014, by Season of Mist. The first five tracks of the album are all part of one collective song called "Faust".
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".
When Life Comes to Death is the second studio album by the American black metal band Young and in the Way. The album was released on May 27, 2014 through Deathwish Inc. To promote the album, Young and in the Way released music videos for the songs "Be My Blood" and "Final Dose". When Life Comes to Death peaked a number 11 on the Billboard 200 Top Heatseekers chart. It's their last album prior to their 2018 breakup following allegations of sexual assault.
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.
Slow Forever is the fourth studio album by American black metal duo Cobalt, released by Profound Lore Records in 2016. It is a double album and the band's first with vocalist Charlie Fell, who replaced founding member Phil McSorley. The album leans more heavily into blackened sludge metal, similar to acts like Anciients and Tombs.
What One Becomes is the second studio album by American post-metal band Sumac. It was released on June 10, 2016 through Thrill Jockey. The album was recorded at The Unknown studio in Anacortes then mixed and produced by Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studio in Salem.
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.
Stage Four is the fourth studio album by the American post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. The album was released in the United States and Europe on September 24, 2016, by Epitaph Records. The album's title is in reference to it being the band's fourth album, and due to the central inspiration for most of the album's lyrics being singer Jeremy Bolm's mother, who died of cancer.
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.
Nightmare Logic is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Power Trip. It was released on February 24, 2017 through Southern Lord Records and was met with critical acclaim. This marked the second collaboration with producer Arthur Rizk, having previously worked with Rizk on their debut album Manifest Decimation (2013). This is the last Power Trip studio album to feature vocalist Riley Gale before he died on August 24, 2020.
Time & Space is the second studio album and major label debut by the American punk rock band Turnstile. It was released on February 23, 2018, through Roadrunner – the band's debut on the label.
To Drink from the Night Itself is the sixth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates, released on 18 May 2018 via Century Media. The album is the first to feature guitarist Jonas Stålhammar and the first without co-founding guitarist Anders Björler, who had departed from the band in March 2017.
Underneath is the fourth studio album by American hardcore punk band Code Orange, released on March 13, 2020 through Roadrunner Records. It is their first album to be produced by Nick Raskulinecz. The album was also produced by Jami Morgan and Will Yip. It was preceded by three singles: "Underneath", "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole", and "Sulfur Surrounding". The album continues the band's metalcore and hardcore punk sound with a heavier emphasis on industrial and electronic elements. The album received critical acclaim with critics praising the use of glitches, electronics, and overall production.
