Deathcore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore.[1][2][3][4][5] The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns.[6][7] 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.[8][9][10]

Some of the genre's earliest examples include Antagony, Despised Icon, and the Red Chord. Deathcore's expansion in the mid-2000s saw bands like All Shall Perish, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Bring Me the Horizon, Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Job for a Cowboy, Chelsea Grin and Whitechapel taking off. In the 2010s, deathcore bands began experimenting with an eclectic selection of other genres.

The genre is noted for its criticism from longtime fans of heavy metal music, usually for its frequent use of breakdowns. Some musicians classified as deathcore have rejected the label.

Characteristics[edit]

Deathcore combines death metal characteristics such as blast beats, down-tuned guitars, tremolo picking, and growled vocals with metalcore characteristics such as breakdowns.[citation needed] The genre is usually defined by breakdowns and death metal riffs or metalcore riffs played in the usual death metal tuning.[6][11] Like in other extreme metal fusion genres, deathcore guitarists down-tune their guitars to give their music a heavier sound. Deathcore bands may also employ guitar solos as well.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

Low growls and shrieked screams are common types of vocals in deathcore.[6][18] Some other techniques that deathcore vocalists have used include what is known as pig squeals.[19][20][21][22][23] Sung vocals in the genre are rare and most bands seldom if ever use them, but the idea has been experimented with by a few bands such as All Shall Perish (in the song "Awaken the Dreamers") and Oceano (in the song "Incisions").[24]

History[edit]

Predecessors (1990s)[edit]

Death metal band Suffocation

The term "deathcore" has had convoluted uses on-and-off in various metal/hardcore scenes far before it was considered an established or recognized genre. The earliest known use of "deathcore" as a word was by New York band N.Y.C. Mayhem, a self-description for their merger of hardcore punk and thrash metal.[25] Outside of the US however, there also existed some early exampled uses; a German deathgrind band named Deathcore existed in the mid 1980s, and another German deathgrind band Blood, used the word as the title for a demo put out in 1986.[26] However it wasn't until 1996 that "deathcore" eventually began gaining traction to describe a musical style; Nick Terry of Terrorizer magazine that year publicized: "We're probably going to settle on the term deathcore to describe the likes of Earth Crisis (as well as the more NYHC-ish but still as deathly Merauder)."[27] Embrace the Eternal (1998) by Embodyment, Yesterday Is Time Killed (1999) by Eighteen Visions, and Rain in Endless Fall (1999) by Prayer for Cleansing are early examples of albums that feature a metalcore sound combined with death metal influences,[28][29][30] in 2019 music site The New Fury has even gone on record to credit Embodyment as "[pioneers] of the deathcore genre" due to their performance on Embrace the Eternal.[31][32] Decibel magazine wrote that death metal band Suffocation were one of the main inspirations for the genre's emergence by writing: "One of Suffocation's trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore."[33]

The Belgian H8000 music scene was also influential to the development of the sound, with bands like Deformity, and Liar helping to pioneer a prototype for the genre in the late–1990s and early–2000s.[34] When writing about deathcore pioneers Despised Icon, Dom Lawson of Metal Hammer wrote: "blending death metal with hardcore was by no means a new thing when Despised Icon emerged."[35] Suffocation bassist Derek Boyer says Suffocation "were influenced by many early metal and hardcore bands".[35] Death metal bands like Dying Fetus, Suffocation, and Internal Bleeding were influential on deathcore due to their use of "crushing, mid-paced grooves and breakdowns", according to Lawson.[35]

Despised Icon

Origins (early–mid 2000s)[edit]

Despite a few earlier metalcore/death metal hybridizations, Antagony[36][37] and Despised Icon are considered to be the true pioneers of deathcore,[38][39] however both bands have rejected the label.[37][40] Antagony founder and frontman Nick Vasallo is credited as being the "father of deathcore" due to his work in the band.[41] The Red Chord is referenced as an early influential source for the genre due to their hybridization of metalcore and death metal sounds (among other genres).[42] New Hampshire band Deadwater Drowning and Californian group All Shall Perish are also seen as notable early entries of the genre. Deadwater Drowning's 2003 EP was remarked as "basically the blueprint for every current deathcore band out today,"[43] while All Shall Perish's debut album Hate, Malice, Revenge (2003) "never got tied down to [simply] death metal or metalcore."[44]

In the mid 2000s, deathcore spiked in popularity shortly after Job for a Cowboy released their EP Doom in 2005, which is heavily credited as one of deathcore's most significant and influential releases for the genre.[45] The genre saw an increase in popularity even further when English band Bring Me the Horizon released their deathcore debut full-length Count Your Blessings in 2006. The band were presented the 2006 Kerrang! Award for "Best British Newcomer" shortly after the album's release,[46] however the band abandoned the deathcore genre soon thereafter.[47]

Expansion (late 2000s and 2010s)[edit]

Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence

Deathcore began to gain further popularity in the mid to late 2000s and early 2010s. Suicide Silence's No Time to Bleed (2009) peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200, number 12 on the Rock Albums Chart and number 6 on the Hard Rock Albums Chart,[48] while their album The Black Crown peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200, number 7 on the Rock Albums Chart and number 3 on the Hard Rock Albums Chart.[48] Whitechapel's album This Is Exile sold 5,900 in copies, which made it enter the Billboard 200 chart at position 118.[49] Their self-titled album peaked at number 65 on the Canadian Albums Chart[50] and also at number 47 on the Billboard 200.[51] Their third album A New Era of Corruption sold about 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week of being released and peaked at position number 43 on the Billboard 200 chart.[52]

San Diego natives Carnifex witnessed success with their first album Dead in My Arms (2007), selling 5,000 copies with little publicity. On top of their non-stop touring, the band's methodical songwriting resulted in Carnifex quickly getting signed to label Victory Records.[53] Australian deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder debuted at number 35 on the ARIA Charts with their album Hate (2012),[54] making them the first extreme metal band to ever reach the Top 40 of this chart.[55] Russian deathcore group Slaughter to Prevail reportedly reached over 3.5 million streams on music services for their song "Hell" (2015); the band also performed a line of sold-out shows in China, which made the group the only foreign metal band to perform a sold-out concert in the country in all of 2020.[56][57] Lorna Shore's 2021 song "To the Hellfire", saw the band gain significant attention, primarily through videos shared on TikTok, to the extent that in a 2022 article by Revolver, writer Eli Enis called the band "the new faces of deathcore".[58]

Fusion with other genres[edit]

A variety of deathcore bands experimented with other genres into their music as influence and time progressed. Emmure has been credited to be heavily influenced by nu metal[59] and was described as "the new Limp Bizkit".[60] Suicide Silence's 2011 album The Black Crown is a deathcore album with some nu metal influences.[61] Other examples of nu metal-inspired deathcore bands include Here Comes the Kraken's later material.[61] The early 2010s saw bands fusing the genre with influences from djent and progressive metal, which began to achieve underground popularity. Examples of the aforementioned include Veil of Maya,[62][63] Born of Osiris,[64][65] and After the Burial.[66] Some bands, such as Make Them Suffer and Winds of Plague, mix deathcore with symphonic/classical elements.[67][68][69] French band Betraying the Martyrs has been described as "[the] punishing brutality of deathcore with melodic flourishes pulled from symphonic and progressive metal, giving it a theatricality that feels distinctly European."[70]

Criticism[edit]

Deathcore has been criticized, especially by longtime fans of other heavy metal subgenres, often because of its fusion of death metal with metalcore and use of breakdowns.[22][23][71][72]

In addition to this, members of certain deathcore bands do not take a liking to being labeled "deathcore". In an interview with vocalist Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain about the deathcore label, he said "Deathcore is the new nu-metal. [...] It sucks. And if anyone calls us 'deathcore' then I might do something very bad to them."[73] While in an interview with Justin Longshore from Through the Eyes of the Dead about the deathcore label, he said, "You know, I really hate that term. I know we've been labeled as that but I think there's so much more to our music than just a mixture of death metal and hardcore ( [sic]) even though we incorporate those elements in our music. To me it seems that is just the new and fresh thing that kids are following."[74]

In November 2013, Terrorizer wrote, "The term 'deathcore' is usually seen as a dirty word in metal circles" while interviewing vocalist Bryce Lucien of the Texas-based metal band Seeker. Lucien then stated:[75]

Much like what became of metalcore in the mid-2000s, deathcore is an often maligned term that can instantly diminish a bands credibility. What once conjured images of ridiculously brutal, unapologetically heavy bands like Ion Dissonance and The Red Chord now brings to mind bands full of twenty-year-olds sporting throat tattoos, matching black T-shirts, and trying desperately hard to look tough while they jump in sync onstage.

In contrast, some bands appear to be more lighthearted and less concerned over being described as deathcore. Scott Lewis of the San Diego-based deathcore band Carnifex stated, "We're not one of those bands trying to escape the banner of deathcore. I know a lot of bands try and act like they have a big problem with that, but if you listen to their music, they are very 'deathcore.' I know that there is a lot of resentment towards deathcore and kind of younger bands."[76] In a 2012 interview, former Chelsea Grin guitarist Jake Harmond said, "Everyone likes to flap their jaw and voice their own opinion how 'embarrassing' it is to be in a band that can be labeled 'deathcore,' but honestly we have never given a fuck".[77]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Desolation of Eden". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2015. Deathcore -- the type of noisy, caustic, abrasive mixture of metalcore and death metal that Chelsea Grin offer on their first full-length album, Desolation of Eden -- is bound to annoy a lot of parents, which is exactly the point."
  2. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Heaven Shall Burn". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  3. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Burning Skies". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  4. ^ Gorania, Jay H. "Despised Icon - 'Day Of Mourning'". About.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  5. ^ Chichester, Sammi (October 19, 2012). "Dan Kenny of Suicide Silence Picks the Top Five Underground Death-Metal Bands". Revolver. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Lee, Cosmo. "Doom". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  7. ^ Marsicano, Dan. "Rose Funeral - 'The Resting Sonata'". About.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  8. ^ Official SoCal DeathFest banner - held in Santa Ana, California Archived October 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Official Deathcore Fest banner - held in San Francisco, California". Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  10. ^ pyromusic.net Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Spiritech: "..., meet Californian quintet Suicide Silence, who have just released their debut album, 'The Cleansing'."
  11. ^ "chorus.fm". chorus.fm. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon - Count Your Blessings Review". Chad Bowar. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  13. ^ "Bring Me the Horizon, "Count Your Blessings"". Dead Tide. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  14. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon - Count Your Blessings". Blistering. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
  15. ^ "Whitechapel "Self-Titled" Album Review". Punk World Reviews. June 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  16. ^ "Whitechapel - Self-Titled Album Review". Sonic Abuse. July 6, 2012. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  17. ^ "Whitechapel - "A New Era of Corruption" CD Review". Metal Underground. June 5, 2010. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  18. ^ "CD Review: CARNIFEX Until I Feel Nothing". Metal Injection. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  19. ^ "Doom - Job for a Cowboy". Allmusic. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  20. ^ "Poll: Are Deathcore Vocalists Interchangeable?". MetalSucks. January 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  21. ^ "Interrupting Cow - Desecration of the Universe (EP) (2012)". Psychocydd. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  22. ^ a b "A Deathcore Extravaganza". Review the World. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  23. ^ a b "Leave The Pig Squeals on The Farm". American Aftermath. September 26, 2010. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013.
  24. ^ "Song Premiere: Oceano, "Incisions" - Features - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. August 12, 2013. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  25. ^ Doe, Bernard (1985). "MAYHEM (N. Y. C.) Mayhemic Destruction (1985)". No. 12. Metal Forces. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  26. ^ "Blood 1987-1988 Demo LPS Out Now | NWN! Productions".
  27. ^ Terry, Nick (December 1996). "So, Did Earth Crisis Move You?". Terrorizer #37, page 23. ISSN 1350-6978.
  28. ^ Alex Henderson. "Rain in Endless Fall (2003 reissue) - Prayer for Cleansing | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  29. ^ "Stealing 18 Visions' Ideas: A Book By the 2011 Metalcore Scene". January 21, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  30. ^ HM Magazine. Retrieved on May 11, 2016.
  31. ^ Pelt, Doug Van (2004) Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
  32. ^ "Religious Infamy: In 1998, Embodyment pioneered the deathcore genre with "Embrace The Eternal" - New Fury Media". Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  33. ^ Lee, Cosmo (September 2009). "Suffocation reclaim their rightful place as kings of death metal". Decibel Magazine (59). One of Suffocation's trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore
  34. ^ Hans Verbeke (2019). H8000 Documentary — Anger & Distortion; 1989 - 1999 (in Dutch).
  35. ^ a b c Lawson, Dom (August 15, 2016). "The rise and rise of deathcore: that genre that refuses to die". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  36. ^ "Metal Injection - Watch Dawn of Deathcore: The Story of Antagony For Maximum Deathcore History!". Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  37. ^ a b "NO CLEAN SINGING » ANTAGONY – Why you need to know this band…". January 28, 2013. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  38. ^ "Despised Icon". Decibel. November 2009. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013.
  39. ^ "Despised Icon: New Video Interview Available". Blabbermouth. May 22, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  40. ^ "Despised Icon Despised 'Deathcore'". MTV. June 8, 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  41. ^ RiffShop (March 1, 2017), Meet The Father of DEATHCORE! | Riffcast - The Songwriting Podcast #1, archived from the original on April 6, 2017, retrieved March 3, 2017
  42. ^ "Metal Blade artists". Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  43. ^ "Deadwater Drowning are heavy as fuck!". MetalInjection.com. Metal Injection LLC. March 30, 2009. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  44. ^ "HATE.MALICE.REVENGE ALL SHALL PERISH". Nuclear Blast. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020. ALL SHALL PERISH never got tied down to death metal or metalcore, they simply have become metal that breaks down genres and gets EVERYONE moving.
  45. ^ Lee, Cosmo. "Doom > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  46. ^ "Kerrang! Awards 2006 Blog: Best British Newcomer". Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  47. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon // Drowned In Sound". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  48. ^ a b "Suicide Silence Album & Songs Chart History". Billdboard. Billboard.com. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  49. ^ "Whitechapel's This Is Exile Lands on Billboard Chart". Blabbermouth. July 16, 2008. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  50. ^ "Albums Charts". Archived from the original on December 26, 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  51. ^ "Whitechapel's Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 5, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  52. ^ "Roadrunner Records Page Not Found". Roadrunner Records Official Website. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  53. ^ "Event – MassConcerts". www.massconcerts.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  54. ^ Steffen Hung (April 13, 2015). "Australian charts portal". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  55. ^ Eliezer, Christie. "Thy Art Is Murder break ARIA record - Music Industry - The Music Network". Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  56. ^ Slaughter to Prevail unleashed aptly titled new song Archived August 2, 2020, at the Wayback Machine The New Fury
  57. ^ SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL - Sold Out Show in Shanghai, China
  58. ^ ENIS, ELI. "HOW LORNA SHORE BEAT THE ODDS TO BECOME THE NEW FACES OF DEATHCORE". Revolver. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  59. ^ "Guest Insider: Mike Gitter Reviews Emmure's 'Felony'". Metal Insider. September 10, 2009. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  60. ^ "FURTHER MORE PROOF THAT EMMURE ARE THE NEW LIMP BIZKIT". MetalSucks. August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  61. ^ a b Sergeant D (October 24, 2011). "IS NU-DETHCORE THE NEXT BIG THING???? #bouncewitme". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  62. ^ Zorgdrager, Bradley (March 23, 2015). "Veil of Maya Announce First Album with New Singer, Share Video". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  63. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "[Id] - Veil of Maya". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  64. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Born of Osiris | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  65. ^ DiVita, Joe (October 8, 2015). "Born of Osiris, 'Free Fall' - Exclusive Song Premiere". Loudwire. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  66. ^ Morton, Luke (March 1, 2016). "After the Burial: Dig Deep". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  67. ^ True, Chris. "Winds of Plague - Biography & History : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  68. ^ Marcel (March 13, 2015). "Make Them Suffer – Mozart Trifft Deathcore" (in German). Impericon. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  69. ^ "MAKE THEM SUFFER's New Song "Ether" Is Pretty Damn Catchy - Metal Injection". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  70. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "Betraying the Martyrs - Biography & History : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  71. ^ "Why Do Metal Nerds Like All These Deathcore Bands????". Sergeant D from MetalSucks. May 16, 2012. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013. I like this band OK, but I think it's really funny how when they first came out everybody was like "WTF this band sucks they are posers/not real death metal!!!" Then they put out their second album, which was basically generic late-90s death metal like any of the 8962323 jillion bands who ripped off Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation at the time, and then everybody was all "I guess they are OK this record is pretty sweet."
  72. ^ "Deathcore... and how hard it is to find good bands???". David Dawson. October 15, 2012. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013.
  73. ^ Bee Roth, David (December 30, 2008). "Exclusive Interview with The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  74. ^ "Justin Longshore (Through the Eyes of the Dead)". Decoymusic. March 25, 2007. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013.
  75. ^ "Seeker's Bryce Lucien On The Term 'Deathcore'". November 4, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  76. ^ "Carnifex Vocalist Doesn't Fear the Deathcore Tag". Noisecreep. March 16, 2010. Archived from the original on April 9, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  77. ^ "Chelsea Grin interview". Lambgoat. January 7, 2012. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.