RM - Research Into the Metal-core Genre

Metal-Core

Killswitch Engage

Metal-core is a subgenre of the two genres hardcore and metal. The genre began in the late 80s, early 90s. The genre gained commercial success in the beginning of the 2000's with bands including Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine and The Devil Wears Prada.

Bullet for My Valentine

Metal-core is distinguished from other punk metal fusions by its emphasis on general heavy metal characteristics as well as breakdowns. These breakdowns consist of slower, intense passages conducive to moshing. The vocals are normally screamed with the occasional presence of clean vocals during either the chorus or bridge.



Throughout the evolution of the genre it has had phases of crossover thrash, metallic hardcore and melodic metal-core.


Crossover Thrash

Crossover Thrash is a form of thrash metal that combines hardcore punk and standard thrash metal. However bands in this genre were more influenced by the hardcore punk genre compared to the thrash metal genre. Throughout this genre inspiration was taken from bands such as Motörhead, and Black Sabbath. These influences carried on through the Metallic Hardcore age. During this genre Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax became popular and are now known as the big four. These four bands are still popular to date and are releasing new material.

Metallica, the biggest band of the big four, have produced an album with Lou Reed entitled “Lulu” this album is going to be released October 31, 2011 worldwide.

After finishing their latest tour for their album “World Painted Blood” Slayer is currently postponing creating a new album until Jeff Hanneman's, the guitarist, condition improves.

Megadeth are still currently touring their latest album “Thirteen”.

Whereas Anthrax have just released their latest album called “Worship Music”. The album was released on September 13.

The Crossover Thrash genre is often confused with thrash-core, which is essentially a faster hardcore punk rather than a more punk-oriented form of metal.


Metallic Hardcore

All Out War

Metallic Hardcore started in 1989 and carried on as a genre until 1995. This let a new wave of hardcore bands emerged included All Out War, Biohazard, Earth Crisis and Vision of Disorder. These bands took inspiration from many of the bands mentioned in the previous paragraph (see Crossover thrash) as well as Septic Death, Samhain, and Joy Division as well as taking some aspects from the death metal genre.





Melodic Metal-core

Avenged Sevenfold

In the early 1990s bands placed more significance on the emphasis of the melody. These bands combined more modern elements of punk and metal. This also included the fuse between the melodic death metal and post-hardcore genre, as well as some of the aspects associated to the emo genre. The first bands incorporate such genres include Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage and Bullet for My Valentine. These bands have emerged as the most commercially successful artists of metal-core. Unlike metal-core of older generations Melodic metal-core makes use of clean vocals.







Sourced: Wikipedia - Metalcore