Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre 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 New York punk rock and early proto-punk. New York punk had a harder-edged sound than its San Francisco counterpart, featuring anti-art expressions of masculine anger, energy, and subversive humor. 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."
AFI is an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres, starting with horror punk and following through post-hardcore and emo into alternative rock and gothic rock.
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been applied to a broad constellation of groups. Post-hardcore began in the 1980s with bands like Hüsker Dü and Minutemen. The genre expanded in the 1980s and 1990s with releases by bands from cities that had established hardcore scenes, such as Fugazi from Washington, D.C. as well as groups such as Big Black and Jawbox that stuck closer to post-hardcore's noise rock roots. In the 2000s, post-hardcore achieved mainstream success with the popularity of bands like My Chemical Romance, AFI, Underoath, Hawthorne Heights, The Used, At the Drive-In and Senses Fail. In the 2010s, bands like Sleeping with Sirens and Pierce the Veil, both of which being labeled as post-hardcore, achieved mainstream success. Meanwhile, bands like Title Fight and La Dispute experienced underground popularity.
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001.
American Nightmare is a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They have released three albums, one EP and a compilation of earlier released material under the name American Nightmare.
Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck, Michael Paget, Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias. Former members include Michael Thomas, Jason James and Nick Crandle; the latter were on bass. They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. A change of style from that of Jeff Killed John led the band to change their name. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.
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. The term "melodic punk" is often used to describe both melodic hardcore and skate punk bands.
Deathwish, Inc. is an independent record label conceived by Jacob Bannon of Converge and Tre McCarthy in 2000. Their first release was Deeper the Wound, a split album between Converge and Japanese band Hellchild on April 23, 2001. Deathwish established itself quickly, working with a diverse group of bands and eventually becoming one of the most respected and innovative labels in contemporary hardcore punk and aggressive music in general.
Black Dice is an American experimental rock group currently based in Brooklyn, New York. They released their debut album Beaches & Canyons in 2002.
Cancer Bats are a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. They have released six studio albums and six extended plays. The band is composed of vocalist Liam Cormier, guitarist Scott Middleton, drummer Mike Peters and bassist Jaye R. Schwarzer. Cancer Bats take a wide variety of influences from heavy metal subgenres and fuse them into hardcore and punk rock, and also include elements of Southern rock. Their sound has been likened to sludge metal, as well as to that of metalcore bands such as Converge and Hatebreed. The members of Cancer Bats have also toured and recorded as a Black Sabbath tribute band under the name Bat Sabbath.
Gallows are an English hardcore punk band from Watford, Hertfordshire. The band was formed in 2005 after Laurent Barnard's previous band disbanded. Gallows' debut album, Orchestra of Wolves, was distributed in the United States by Epitaph Records, and they were subsequently signed to Warner Bros. Records for a £1 million album contract and recorded Grey Britain. The band has been particularly successful in the UK, with three songs charting on the UK Single Charts, and have been featured in magazines such as Kerrang!, Alternative Press and Rolling Stone.
The Ghost of a Thousand were an English five-piece punk rock band from Brighton, England.
Your Demise were a British hardcore punk band from St Albans, England, formed in 2003. They shared stages and toured worldwide with the likes of Comeback Kid, Basement, Trapped Under Ice, Man Overboard, Enter Shikari, Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember and Bring Me the Horizon. On 22 September 2008, the band confirmed that they had signed a deal with Visible Noise. The band played their final gig at The London Underworld on 15 March 2014, after announcing in 2013 that they would be parting ways in March. They reunited for a one off benefit show for The Ghost Inside in 2015. They reunited again for the anniversary of The Kids We Used to Be but the shows were postponed due to the COVID-19 situation.
Lower Than Atlantis were an English rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire. They formed in 2007 as a hardcore punk band and gradually shifted into a melodic rock sound over five studio albums, their last being 2017's Safe in Sound. The band consisted of vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Mike Duce, bassist Declan Hart, drummer Eddy Thrower, and guitarist Ben Sansom. They announced in December 2018 that they would be disbanding after a final 3 tour dates in 2019.
Code Orange is an American hardcore punk band that formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2008. The band consists of guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Eric "Shade" Balderose, guitarist and vocalist Reba Meyers, vocalist and drummer Jami Morgan, bassist Joe Goldman, guitarist Dominic Landolina and touring drummer Ethan Young.
Landscapes was a British melodic hardcore band based in Somerset, England. Formed in 2009, the band released one EP and two albums. They played at Hevy Music Festival and toured throughout Europe several times. The band has appeared on the same bills as The Carrier, All Teeth, Brutality Will Prevail, Architects, Lay It on the Line, More Than Life, The Amity Affliction, and The Ghost Inside.
Heart in Hand were an English band from Bournemouth and Southampton, formed in 2008. Their musical style was a melodic blend of hardcore punk with heavy metal influences, described as both melodic hardcore and metalcore by reviewers. Their first release was the Heart in Hand EP in 2009, followed by 3 studio albums. The band's final lineup consisted of vocalist Charlie Holmes, guitarists Ed Hartwell and Ollie Wilson, bassist Gavin Thane and drummer Sam Brennan.
The White Noise was an American punk rock band from Dallas, Texas, later based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2009 under the name Set the Sun by guitarist and vocalist David Southern and drummer Alex Summers, the band has gone through many lineup changes. In 2013, Southern was the sole founding member and recruited vocalist Shawn Walker and guitarist Josh "KJ" Strock to form what would eventually become The White Noise.
