Bernell Dorrough
Metalcore, or metallic hardcore, is currently one of the most prominent subcultures in the punk underground. It mixes the riffs and speed of both genres together and usually has scene-specific lyrics or anti-social rants delivered in a growling voice. Generally, this music is hard to take, but for some listeners it is music that means something. It’s urban and suburban blight music, heavy metal with the pretensions stripped away like a scab to reveal the blunt, angry wound at its core.
There have been a glut of high-profile metalcore releases recently, and here is Cadenza’s attempt to sort through them in an orderly fashion. Read on if what you want from music is anger, anger, and more anger.
Most Precious Blood
Our Lady of Annihilation
Trustkill Records
Grade: C
Brooklyn, NY’s Most Precious Blood has been around for some time, and were once known as Indecision. MPB play a stripped-down, raw style that is almost all riff. On their first album under the Most Precious Blood moniker, “Nothing in Vain,” the style worked to a T, anguish and hatred pouring from the speakers. Their original vocalist has been replaced, though, and on “Our Lady of Annihilation” they sound like any other thuggish band with baseball caps and heavy guitars.
All Out War
Condemned to Suffer
Victory Records
Grade: A
Recording on the label that has been home to many of metalcore’s most respected bands, upstate New Yorkers All Out War have crafted what may be a hardcore masterpiece. Lightning quick guitars and double bass drums, horrifying vocals and a concept centered around the end of the world have this album in the same territory as Slayer’s “Reign in Blood.” This is truly music to scare your parents/roommates/neighbors with.
Darkest Hour
Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation
Victory Records
Grade: D
The Darkest Hour, from New Jersey, sound like they’re from Sweden, copying almost note-for-note the Gothenberg death metal sound that emerged in the mid-90s around bands like At the Gates, In Flames, and the Haunted. The sound they copy is an interesting one, and those unfamiliar with the melodic death metal pioneered in Gothenberg might find this to be an entertaining listen. It is highly unoriginal, though, and when held up to the classics of the genre, it doesn’t cut it.
Every Time I Die
Hot Damn!
Ferret Records
Grade: B+
Every Time I Die is the smartest, funniest metalcore band around. Tempering their musical attack with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and song titles-“Pornogratherapy,” for one-the band illustrates that though they take their music seriously, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Their sound is also somewhat unique, the high speed metallic parts interspersed with southern rock guitars and well-sung vocals. The songs are catchy without resorting to pop clich‚, and overall, the album works.
Beloved
Failure: On
Solid State Records
Grade: C-
Beloved are in the new school of metalcore bands with, get this, a Christian background. Along with Zao, Norma Jean, and Living Sacrifice, Beloved try to show that indeed Satan didn’t get all of the good tunes. In Beloved’s case, however, they could have used a little more devil in their devil’s music-the guitars lack edge, and the vocals drift from screams to melodic croons in an uncreative and unoriginal manner. There are a couple of good tracks, but this record is nothing more exciting than could be heard on mainstream rock radio anytime, any day.
Shai Hulud
That Within Blood Ill-Tempered
Revelation Records
Grade: C+
Shai Hulud are probably the weirdest of the bands profiled in this piece. Their music involves a lot of intricate time changes, tempo shifts, and a genuine schizophrenic feeling. The lyrics leave a lot to be desired, however, and the songs are too long-Shai Hulud sins in the name of art a few too many times, often saying in five minutes what could have been said in half that time. There are also a strange amount of instances where the band seeks to remind the listener that it is sincere-but they come off sounding sincerely pretentious.
Poison the Well
You Come Before You
Atlantic Records
Grade: B
Poison the Well are on the artsy side of metallic hardcore, playing with sound and texture a lot more than most of their peers. They also vary their songs, often following peaceful interludes with bludgeoning, mountainous attacks. This, their major label debut, is not as good as their previous two albums, but it’ll get the job done. Strangely enough, there seems to be a lot of Radiohead and Incubus influence on various tracks.
Unbroken
The Death of True Spirit
Indecision Records
Grade: A
Unbroken, based in Southern California, were one of the first bands to mix metal and hardcore. Though they only existed for four years-1991-1995-their influence reached far beyond their popularity. This collection of their two out of print albums is the blueprint for metalcore, and puts nearly all of the band’s followers to shame. With admiring liner notes from members of the Locust, Bane, and Most Precious Blood, this is a true document of heavy music history.