One of the more enjoyable aspects of music is when a group of inventive minds decide to mix styles. This cross-pollination of genres can be a risky gamble, and more often than not creates a sub-par result. But the spirit to create is there, and that is what is crucial to great art. Today we are going to look a genre of music that 15 years ago people would have thought improbable. For as much as the two camps express a hatred for one another, metal and punk have intermingled throughout the years with varied results. The stylistic wars between two disparate forms of music eventually fade from memory, and the next generation knows little of the discord. They grow up and start their own bands, mixing their influences, and in some cases, another genre is formed. So is the case with metalcore.
Metalcore is the hybrid fusion of metal with hardcore punk. Metal, like punk and hip-hop, can be categorized into countless sub-genres. Now to those who don’t particularly like metal, or punk or hip-hop for that matter, the various categories contained within the genre all sound exactly the same; like shit. But like any other art form or expression of self, there is a multitude of styles and reference points that a true connoisseur can locate. The sound is abrasive, loud, and (at times) fast, with lyrics that are shouted or screamed, and therefore indecipherable to the uninitiated.
The genesis of metalcore actually begins almost thirty years ago with the formation of Motorhead, the highly influential band fronted by icon Lemmy Kilminster. More hard rock than metal, the speed along with the volume at which they play was so intense it attracted both punks and headbangers alike, bridging the ever increasing gap between metal and punk.
The emergence of hardcore punk in the early eighties, an even more acerbic attack discarding any direct connections to pioneers Iggy Pop and the Stooges and the MC5, saw the scene veer radically from the ’77 style New York/London ideal that was essentially a reinterpretation of rock n’ roll. Hardcore punk is the sound most associate with “true punk,” meaning barked vocals, songs lasting less than two minutes, and very poor recording quality.
One band born out of the hardcore movement that forecasted the intermingling of metal and punk were The Misfits. They were a loud, melodic, almost rockabilly band with a stage presence on par with rock gods Kiss, invoking imagery of b-film horror films, years before Rob ZombieThe Misfits last album Chaos A.D. was a fast album that had less hooks and more brutality. For many fans, it is a love/hate relationship and many are split about its direction. Singer Glen Danzig‘s next band, Samhain, blurred the line even further, only for his next band, Danzig, for all intents and purposes being a straightforward metal outfit.
Metal, much like punk, was going through its own metamorphosis throughout the eighties. The new wave of British heavy metal, typified by Iron Maiden and the Tygers of Pan Tang, was a revolution in metal on par with the arrival of punk a couple of years earlier. Using the first metal bands as a starting point (namely Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath), they reenergized the sound, played it harder and faster than before, and was a wake up to the acts that didn’t cut it anymore (namely Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath).
Those bands inspired an entire generation of American metalheads who took that sound and made it their own. Metallica and Anthrax were at the forefront of thrash, a more riff heavy style of metal. Former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth and helped bring about the emergence of speed metal to the scene. Speed metal is self-explanatory but unlike punk, which embraced its loose and sloppy play as a badge, its importance was to be incredibly clean and precise. The technical mastery utilized by Mustaine or Slayer‘s Kerry King both intimidating and inspiring to young guitar players.
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Nearing the end of the decade, several bands, such as Neurosis and Suicidal Tendencies were incorporating elements of alternative rock and punk into their respective sounds. Their success created an air of experimentation in the underground, which is especially crucial considering that this was at the height of hair metal.
The first crop of true metalcore bands sprouted up in the early nineties. Harvest and Bloodlet couldn’t be classified as either metal or hardcore nor did they want to. They embraced the ideal that angst ridden music is a release of one’s inner demons, and it didn’t matter if the singer was singing with an ear piercing scream or a blood curdling growl. At this time, the mainstream had a brief flirtation with death metal, and this type of music was a perfect counterbalance.
My first exposure to metalcore came about when I bought The Hope Conspiracy‘s Cold Blue on a recommendation from a friend a few years back. Featuring former members of Harvest, The Hope Conspiracy’s debut is a pounding onslaught of aggression and vitriol, all in under 30 minutes. Working my way through the ‘zines, I discovered that not only were they from Boston, but that New England had a thriving metalcore scene, including the phenomenal Converge, who I had always lumped in as heavier punk band, which is metalcore at its most simplistic definition.
One of the geographical features of New England that allows a great breeding for metalcore is the sharp urban/rural divide. Just a twenty-minute drive outside of Boston and you are in a bucolic backdrop that is indiscriminate from the heavily wooded western Massachusetts. Blue-collar Boston is a mecca for hardcore in the United States, home base for bands such as Bane and Ten Yard Fight.
On the other side, radio stations, like 107.3 WAAF, and night shows, like 88.9 WERS’s Nasty Habits, helped to keep a high profile for metal when grunge/alternative reigned supreme. Punks and metalheads would frequent the same venues for shows, sometimes even sharing bills. The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester is one of the premier stages for extreme musical acts in this country. Sure, there is an under riding animosity between “skin-heads” and “long-hairs” (the NEMH Festival has some of the most violent pits I have ever been in), it is inevitable that the music would cross breed.
There are some truly inspiring metalcore acts on the scene today, keeping the sound progressive and interesting. One of the best albums of the year is from Norma Jean, who’s O God, the Aftermath surprised many by charting high on Billboard. Another great metalcore band is Darkest Hour, who take the format and twist it slightly, incorporating more of a black metal approach to their assault.
It is amazing to realize that both metal and punk have only been around for roughly three decades. While both were initially thought of as a passing musical fad, its perseverance and relevance is a testament to those who have taken their ethos to heart and continue to make great music. Since both are relatively young, there are a multitude of influences and styles that remain open to an adventurous lot, if they so choose. There have been several punk-folk albums, but what about a metal-folk hybrid? Psychedelic punk? You may bristle at such ideas, but people thought the concept of metalcore would be ridiculous too.
What’s Going Around
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
This New York quintet is slowly making a name for themselves. Their music is a return to a special time when the U.S and U.K. underground were on the same page stylistically. The Feelies, R.E.M, and early Talking Heads can be heard under their new wave veneer. My review of their debut will be out next week, but if you are curious, check out their site; www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
Editors
In the wake of Interpol‘s worldwide success, the surface has been bubbling with highly stylized/Goth tinged post-punk bands. This British quartet takes the same influences (Joy Division, Magazine, Chameleons UK) and infuses it with stadium-sized melodic Brit-pop, namely Snow Patrol. Singer Tom Smith‘s voice has more than a passing resemblance to Paul Banks, which is funny because his voice was once accused of sounding too much like Ian Curtis. They only have a handful of singles out, but they are great and definitely worth checking out.
American Hardcore
I first read this book a couple of years ago, about the creation of the aforementioned hardcore punk movement, and have read it a couple of times since. It came in handy for today’s article, and I realized why not give it a plug. It covers all of the seminal bands (Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, etc) and albums (Zen Arcade, Damaged)
