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OpEd

Hardcore to Me

posted Dec 4, 2007 at 12:03 AM by metal_dad.  (31 Comments)

I remember being at an Articles of Faith show back in the early 1980s in Chicago and thinking, "This is where I belong, these are my people." It's not 1982 anymore and you can't expect things to sound the same. The lines have blurred and you can nearly start a riot on some corners trying to define who and what is hardcore. Much of what is called hardcore these days has strong metal influences and sounds much different from what was called hardcore back in the day.

I'm a fan of lots of the old school stuff which came out of the punk scene but I also like a some of the newer 'metalcore' stuff. That being said, here are some of the recordings that are in my player or in the car on a regular basis:

Shai Hulud - Hearts Once Nourished With Hope and Compassion
This band mixes powerful music with impassioned lyrics about the struggles of life. Songs laced with rage and misanthropy are also filled with intelligent lyrics about perseverance in the face of frustration.

Bad Brains - Bad Brains
Four black guys from D.C got together to start a jazz/funk band and got swept up in the maelstrom which was the burgeoning hardcore scene. Along with bands like Teen Idles and Minor Threat, they produced a classic collection of blistering punk music which helped define hardcore. Later, reggae influences helped them break out of the "loud, fast rules" which was becoming a musical straightjacket.

Comeback Kid - Turn It Around
CBK may not be the most innovative band around but they play an infectious, engaging brand of punk influenced hardcore with lots of shout-outs and catchy guitar parts.

Madball - Hold It Down
Fans of New York-style hardcore like Agnostic Front and Sick of It All will not be disappointed by these hardworking guys.

Minor Threat - Complete Discography
What can I say, not only did they define the genre but started a sub-culture (straight-edge) as well. Impossibly fast, tuneful songs with something worth saying.

Throwdown - Haymaker
This is in your face, tough-guy, straight-edge hardcore. The themes of family and being true to yourself and your convictions run throughout their music. Although I am not edge, I can appreciate their call to be honest and true. For myself, for my friends, for my family, indeed.

Walls of Jericho - All Hail the Dead
A blistering mix of metal, thrash, and chugga-chugga hardcore from this female fronted band out of Detroit. Candace K. is a fiery ball of energy on stage who takes no prisoners. She once caught a fist in the face from an overly exuberant dancer and finished a show with a broken nose. My kind of woman.

Most Precious Blood - Our Lady of Annihilation
Strong, intelligent New York hardcore with a healthy dose of crushing riffs which rose out of the ruins of Indecision. Their live show is a thing of beauty and power.

What's Next?

31 Comments on "Hardcore to Me"

psythe's avatar

Writer, Reviewer

1. psythe writes:

I'm not at all big on punk, but as far as hardcore is concerned, I enjoyed 'Haymaker' for a while. Most Precious Blood are ok, and though I'm not big on Walls of Jericho, it IS refreshing to see a female vocalist in the genre. Havn't heard of the others- apart from Minor Threat who I have heard OF only and Comeback Kid, whose music I despise.

Now Playing: Bill Hicks - 'Rant in E Minor'

# Dec 5, 2007 @ 6:18 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
ZT's avatar

Member

2. ZT writes:

I prefer Old Hardcore.

Now Playing: MDC-Greedy and Pathetic

# Dec 5, 2007 @ 6:41 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
cruor's avatar

Supporter

3. cruor writes:

i like Minor Threat

I despise Walls of Jericho and Comeback Kid

# Dec 5, 2007 @ 9:34 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
deathbringer's avatar

Founder, owner & programmer

4. deathbringer writes:

I think my intro to hardcore was Vision of Disorder, then Snapcase and Earth Crisis and all of them were blurring the lines between hardcore and metal to some extent. While I'm not familiar with the entire history and scene back then, I consider VOD to be one of the pioneers in metalcore, since they did it well before it was trendy and were also fairly successful with it. It was probably done before them, however.

# Dec 5, 2007 @ 9:53 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

5. ...Just Another Number... writes:

Hardcore has always been a hit or miss genre for me, some bands are awesome, and some end up like Throwdown. Although for their crapass music Throwdown did have an awesome show last time I seem them.

# Dec 5, 2007 @ 12:58 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
psythe's avatar

Writer, Reviewer

6. psythe writes:

Know what's a band I hate? Bleeding Through. In fact, almost all the bands on the Trustkill label stink, hahah.

# Dec 6, 2007 @ 3:21 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

7. XWigglesX writes:

Trustkill talks about being hardcore but is infact an emo/metalcore label.
All these bands you have mentioned put on killer live shows (though I have never seen Minor Threat(I'm not that old) or Shai Hulud)

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 5:48 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

8. O-Matron writes:

One hardcore album (well sorta HC) I used to love was Quicksand - Slip. That was/is a great album. I guess it qualifies as more of a "post" hardcore album but its all the same to me.

NP - Overkill - solituide

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 7:10 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

9. rk writes:

heres my idea of good crossover www.myspace.com/blatherskiteindy other than that i dig shiit like sick of it all, murphys law, cro mags, crumbsuckers, gangreen, old biohazard, multiple choice/f***face and so on they used to play at this place called the sitcom back in the day.

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 7:26 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

10. rk writes:

oh yeah btw bad brains is the fukking ownAGE

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 7:27 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
ZT's avatar

Member

11. ZT writes:

"murphys law, cro mags, crumbsuckers, gangreen, old biohazard, multiple choice/f***face"

There ya go!

Don't forget Siege and The Meatmen!

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 9:49 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
arcanerainfell's avatar

Member

12. arcanerainfell writes:

if comeback kid comes up classed as emo thats saying something.and obviously that something is not hardcore.

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 11:13 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

13. Agnostic Priest writes:

Anybody heard of Crucifix, those guys were insanely good hardcore. The only bands on this list I don't like are Walls Of Jericho and Comeback Kid, CK really aren't hardcore in my opinion.

# Dec 7, 2007 @ 11:28 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

14. XWigglesX writes:

Converge-You Fail Me
Carpathian-Nothing to Lose
Sick of it All-Scratch The Surface
4Dead-Piss and Blood
100 Demons-In The Eyes of the Lord
Refused-The Shape of Punk To Come
Most Precious Blood-Merciless
Himsa-Hail Horror
Gallows-Orchestra Of Wolves


They are my favorites at the moment.
What hardcore are you guys listening to at the moment?

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 3:28 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

15. XWigglesX writes:

Also, Terro's Rythm Amongst The Chaos goes down pretty well.

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 3:35 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

16. Jrizzle writes:

Gallows
Stick To Your Guns
Bury Your Dead
Himsa

at the moment

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 12:59 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
metalmayhem's avatar

Supporter

17. metalmayhem writes:

converge, tragedy, the hope conspiracy, modern life is war, most precious blood, and move ahead to name a few. i love the quicksand, and siege references above. both awesome bands.

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 2:40 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
ZT's avatar

Member

18. ZT writes:

Well, i'm listening to some Krusty Hells at the moment...

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 7:30 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

19. XWigglesX writes:

Nice, I would have liked to see Bury Your Dead with Crafter singing but the c*** quit dammit.
I reckon their best is Cover Your Tracks.

# Dec 9, 2007 @ 11:23 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

20. hardcore sucks writes:

yea hardcore sucks d*** new hardcore is the worst its so far from punk its just takin the heavy out of metal and callin it their own

# Dec 12, 2007 @ 2:51 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

21. Jrizzle writes:

I suggest you see Bury Your Dead with their lastest singer. Put on a great show. Also, I can't believe i forgot Converge

# Dec 12, 2007 @ 9:50 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

22. Agnostic Priest writes:

Converge has the most horrible screaming I've ever heard, that band is such crap

# Dec 12, 2007 @ 9:55 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Dark_Funeral's avatar

Member

23. Dark_Funeral writes:

f*** hardcore. at obituary like 5 f***ing hardcore bands played. no origonality. i counted 20 breakdowns in one set for one of those bands.

They dress like absolute queers, with snap brim hats socks pulled up to their knees, the singer of merauder looked like the dude from malibu's most wanted. retards. Lets not forget their fans, the retardcore dancers, scum of the earth. What normal human swings his arms around like a f***ing ape on LSD? Iv also noticed that every single hardcore kid that loves "moshing" is some overweight a$$hole who likes to purposely run into the people who are trying to watch the show(swinging their arms and punching randomly of course)

Once obituary played though, all those straight edge hardcore fags disappeared and it was a real metal show. no retardcore dancers, no 2-stepping morons.

# Dec 12, 2007 @ 11:32 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

24. Zero 54 writes:

Throwdown's Haymaker is metalcore record, fusing elements metal and hardcore punk, i am not a fan of punk music, but i like almost all metal i hear. I consider most metalcore to be alot closer to metal than punk. Throwdown has a unique sound, now on Venom & Tears they have really took the out rawness and brought in Groove Metal Influences and remind me of Pantera at times, still an outstanding band.

# Dec 13, 2007 @ 1:22 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

25. CDP writes:

Not a giant fan of old school hardcore, but I respect it because it set the stage for the great music to come. I do love hardcore dancing. By the way, retardcore dancing? That's pretty creative how'd you think of that? People on here get all p***ed off because there's Hardcore on preciouse little Death metal site. I'm okay with that. You have to have stupid a$$holes in life to make you appreciate other people.

# Dec 24, 2007 @ 11:55 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Kalis_wrath's avatar

Supporter

26. Kalis_wrath writes:

Well metal daddy, you have covered what kind of music is hardcore to you, but want to delve deeper. The music is the heart of the beast if you will, but what of the attitude and the way one carries themself? If I have the grace and the desire of the readers would like to write what it means phycolocigly and what influances the hardcore female in scene? We read and hear about the male prospective and little on the female side.

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 2:33 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Dark_Funeral's avatar

Member

27. Dark_Funeral writes:

yes retardcore dancing. cuz you all look dumb as sh** doing it, punching at the ground and swinging your arms. hahaha
NP: Kalmah-They will Return

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 9:10 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

28. U kids are Fucking Stupid writes:

Its funny when people think Throwdown is a HArdcore Punk band, and for all you morons out their Hardcore is short for Hardcore Punk, they are NOT seperate music genres. You people are all f***ing retards, and back when i was growing up we never had stupid kids dance like they do now at shows, its f***ing retarted. People have raped the sh** out of Metal, and Hardcore Punk to the point where you have people calling Bleeding Through a Hardcore band, and Atreyu Metal. I fukcing hate all you and i hope you all die.

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 3:08 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

29. pursuit of vikings writes:

Post 26...what the hell are you talking about?

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 6:46 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Terminator's avatar

Reviewer

30. Terminator writes:

lol post 28, only a fool would waste time wishing for the inevitable. atreyu aint metal by a longshot.

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 7:17 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

31. Jrizzle writes:

Why do people still talk about Atreyu. They don't even play a sub-genre of metal anymore.

Now Playing: Black Sabbath - Paranoid

# Dec 25, 2007 @ 7:45 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address

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