Metalcore

Metalcore is a fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Among other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing. 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. In the late 1980s to early 1990s pioneering bands such as Integrity, Earth Crisis and Converge, whose hardcore punk-leaning style is sometimes referred to as "metallic hardcore", were founded. These pioneering bands took influence from a range of styles and genres such as hardcore punk, thrash metal and death metal. Journalists have dubbed records by The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch and Coalesce to be milestones in the genre. During the early 2000s, metalcore started to gain more prominence, with several independent metal labels signing metalcore bands. This lead to bands such as Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine, and Parkway Drive all rising to popularity.