Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual transgression".
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.
The Black Dahlia Murder is an American melodic death metal band from Waterford, Michigan, formed in 2001. Their name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia. Currently, the band consists of lead vocalist Brian Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and guitarists Brandon Ellis and Ryan Knight. The Black Dahlia Murder has undergone various lineup changes, with Trevor Strnad and Eschbach remaining the only constant members, until the former's death in 2022, which then saw Eschbach take over lead vocals and Knight replacing him on rhythm guitar.
Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight, and drummer Kyle Rosa.
The Chariot was an American hardcore punk band from Douglasville, Georgia, that existed from 2003 to 2013. The last lineup consisted of drummer David Kennedy, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Brandon Henderson and Stephen Harrison. The band experienced frequent lineup changes since its inception, with Scogin being the only original member. The band played an abrasive style of metalcore that did not adhere to typical stylings popular among their contemporaries such as melodic/abrasive dynamics and harmonic vocals. They built a reputation around their powerful live performances, with Scogin's lyrics covering topics like materialism, personal struggle, current events, politics, and Christian themes.
Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Paul Waggoner, Dan Briggs, Dustie Waring (guitar) and Blake Richardson (drums).
Watchtower is an American progressive metal band based in Austin, Texas, active from 1982 to 1993 and they have reunited occasionally since 1999. The band has released two studio albums―Energetic Disassembly (1985) and Control and Resistance (1989)―as well as one compilation album, four digital singles, one EP and three demo cassettes, and has been featured on numerous compilation albums. They are also notable for featuring vocalist Jason McMaster, who left Watchtower after the release of Energetic Disassembly to form Dangerous Toys, and was replaced by Alan Tecchio, who appeared on Control and Resistance and the band's 2016 EP Concepts of Math: Book One. After leaving the band once again in 2010, McMaster returned to Watchtower for the second time in 2023.
Krisiun is a Brazilian death metal band, founded by brothers Alex Camargo, Moyses Kolesne (guitars) and Max Kolesne (drums). Since its formation in 1990, the group recorded two demos, Evil Age in 1991 and Curse of the Evil One in 1992, and self-released an extended play (EP) titled Unmerciful Order in 1993. After signing with Dynamo Records, Krisiun released the debut full-length Black Force Domain in 1995, followed by Apocalyptic Revelation, in 1998. They signed with major label Century Media in 1999, releasing a further nine studio albums.
Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with metalcore/hardcore elements seen in the 1990s, deathcore itself emerged in the early 2000s and gained prominence beginning in the mid-2000s within the southwestern United States, especially Arizona and inland southern California, which are home to many notable bands and various festivals.
Ember to Inferno is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on October 14, 2003, through Lifeforce Records and was produced by Jason Suecof and the band themselves.
John Pettibone is the former vocalist for the Seattle metalcore band Himsa. Before joining the band for the 2001 release of the Death Is Infinite EP, Pettibone was the lead vocalist for Undertow, a straight edge hardcore band which was also based in Seattle. He also sang for Nineironspitfire for a short time.
Black Tide was an American heavy metal band from Kendall, Florida. Formed in 2004, the band last consisted of Gabriel Garcia, Austin Diaz and Cody Paige (drums). They released their debut album, Light from Above, on March 18, 2008 through Interscope Records when Garcia was 15 years old. Their second album, Post Mortem, was released on August 23, 2011. Black Tide's EP Bite the Bullet was released on November 12, 2013 by InnerCat Music Group, a Miami-based boutique label. On October 16, 2015 band released their last album Chasing Shadows. On July 22, 2016 Garcia announced on his Instagram that the band is over and he is concentrating on his solo project.
Starkweather is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia formed in 1989. They have a complex experimental metal sound often including use of dissonance, intricate tempo changes and avant-garde sensibilities. Starkweather helped pioneer the hardcore punk/heavy metal crossover sound that would later be known as "metalcore", as well as being a major influence on the mathcore subgenre. They have influenced many of today's top selling hardcore/metal bands such as Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon and Coalesce among many others.
Destroy Destroy Destroy is an American melodic death metal band formed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in February 2003. With a lineup of rhythm guitarist Jeremiah Scott, vocalist Bryan Kemp, and drummer Andrew Hall, they began writing songs; soon thereafter Destroy Destroy Destroy completed their outfit with lead guitarist Way Barrier, bassist Adam Phillips and keyboardist Brian Shorter. The group then started playing shows locally and recorded a self-financed EP entitled Kill or Be Killed. They have released two studio albums, Devour the Power (2006) and Battle Sluts (2009), both through Black Market Activities. Destroy Destroy Destroy played their first show in a pizzeria as opening band for Mastodon.
Dance Club Massacre was an American deathcore band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 2004, the group originated as a simple recording project between founding members Nick Seger and Kurt Latos. After recording three songs described as "Halloween-core" and distributing them to friends, the project became a complete band when friends began rehearsals with one another all while attending college.
Abigail Williams is an American black metal band, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but now based in Olympia, Washington. Since their formation in 2004, the group has suffered near-constant changes to their line-up. The band even disbanded in 2007 for a short time before reforming and writing their debut full-length album. Shortly after an eight-week tour in support of their debut full-length album In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns (2008), vocalist Ken Sorceron would become the only original member remaining.
In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns is the debut album by American black metal band Abigail Williams. It was released on October 28, 2008 on Candlelight Records. A vast majority of the album was written and composed by lead vocalist Ken Sorceron, who played guitar on all the tracks, including bass and also co-produced the record.
Circle of Death is the second and last studio album by Dance Club Massacre, released November 11, 2008. It was recorded in 2008 at More Sounds Studios in Syracuse, New York with Jason "Jacko" Randall as the producer and was released through Black Market Activities.
The Silence and the Serenity was a short-lived metal band from Poughkeepsie, New York. They formed in 2005 under the name Bless the Fallen.
Global Flatline is the seventh album by death metal band Aborted. It was released on January 20, 2012, in Europe, through Century Media Records. The album was recorded at Hansen Studios in Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen, and is the first to feature ex-Abigail Williams members Ken Bedene on drums and Mike Wilson on guitar, as well as bassist J.B. Van Der Wal.
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