Hardcore punk
Encyclopedia
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre
that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock
. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A.
may have helped to popularize the term with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81
.
Hardcore has spawned the straight edge
movement and its associated submovements, hardline and youth crew
. Hardcore was heavily involved with the rise of the independent record label
s in the 1980s, and with the DIY ethic
s in underground music scenes. It has influenced a number of music genres which have experienced mainstream success, such as metalcore
, grunge
, thrash metal
, emo
and post-hardcore
.
Hardcore sprouted underground scenes across the United States in the early 1980s — particularly in Washington, D.C., California, New York
/New Jersey
, and Boston
—as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom.
While traditional hardcore has never experienced mainstream commercial success, some of its early pioneers have garnered appreciation over time. Black Flag
's album Damaged
was included in Rolling Stone
s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
in 2003, and
the Dead Kennedys
have seen one of their albums reach gold status over a period of 25 years.
Although the music started in English-speaking western countries, scenes have also existed in Brazil
, Japan
, Europe
and The Middle East.
rather than melody
. Hardcore vocalists screamed
, chant
ed and used spoken word poetry. Drummers would play fast D beat one moment and then drop tempo into elaborate musical breakdowns
the next. Guitarists were not afraid to play solos
, octave
leads, and grooves as well as tapping into the various feedback
and harmonic
noises available to them. The guitar sound was almost always distorted and amplified. With two minutes being considered a lengthy hardcore song, most of the songs were short and rushed.
In critic Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols
were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry
. Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form."
This distillation of punk was further emphasized through dress. Hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirt
s, jeans
, and crewcut-style haircuts. The style of the 1980s hardcore scene contrasted with the more provocative fashion styles of late 1970s punk rockers(elaborate hairdos, torn clothes, patches, safety pins, studs, spikes, etc.). Keith Morris
, "the...punk scene was basically based on English fashion. But we had nothing to do with that. Black Flag and the Circle Jerks were so far from that. We looked like the kid who worked at the gas station or submarine shop."
Michael Azerrad
, author of Our Band Could Be Your Life
, calls Black Flag
the "godfathers" of hardcore punk. Formed in Hermosa Beach, California
by guitarist
and lyricist
Greg Ginn
, they played their first show in December 1977. Originally called Panic, they changed their name to Black Flag in 1978.
By 1979, Black Flag were joined by other Los Angeles-area bands playing hardcore punk, including Fear
, The Germs
and the Circle Jerks
(featuring Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris
). This group of bands was featured in Penelope Spheeris
' 1981 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization
. By the time the film was released, new hardcore bands had formed in the area, including The Adolescents
, Angry Samoans
, Bad Religion
, The Descendents, Dr. Know
, Ill Repute
, Minutemen
, Suicidal Tendencies
, TSOL
, Wasted Youth
, and Youth Brigade
.
Whilst popular traditional punk bands such as the Ramones
, The Clash
, and Sex Pistols
were on major record labels, the hardcore punk bands were not. Black Flag, however, was briefly signed to MCA
subsidiary Unicorn Records, but were dropped because an executive considered their music to be anti-parent. Instead of trying to be courted by the major labels, hardcore bands started their own independent record label
s and distributed their records themselves. Ginn started SST Records
, which released Black Flag's first EP Nervous Breakdown in 1979. SST went on to release a number of albums by other hardcore artists, and was described by Azerrad as "easily the most influential and popular underground indie of the Eighties." SST was followed by a number of other successful artist-run labels — including BYO Records
(started by Shawn and Mark Stern of Youth Brigade), Epitaph Records
(started by Brett Gurewitz
of Bad Religion), New Alliance Records
(started by the Minutemen's D. Boon) — as well as fan-run labels like Frontier Records
and Slash Records
.
Bands also funded and organized their own tours. Black Flag's tours in 1980 and 1981 brought them in contact with developing hardcore scenes in many parts of North America, and blazed trails that were followed by other touring bands. Youth Brigade was one of the first hardcore punk bands to tour, chronicling it in the 1984 documentary Another State of Mind.
The Another State of Mind tour was funded by "Youth Movement '82", a concert organized by BYO at the Hollywood Palladium
that — in addition to Youth Brigade — featured TSOL, The Adolescents, Wasted Youth, Social Distortion
and Blades. The concert was one of the largest punk shows ever held around that time, attended by more than 3,500 people.
Concerts in the early Los Angeles hardcore scene increasingly became sites of violent battles between police and concertgoers. Violence at hardcore concerts was portrayed in episodes of the popular television shows CHiPs
and Quincy, M.E.
Shortly after Black Flag debuted in Los Angeles, Dead Kennedys
were formed in San Francisco. While the band's early releases were played in a style closer to traditional punk rock, In God We Trust, Inc.
(1981) marked a shift into what is considered hardcore. Similar to Black Flag and Youth Brigade, Dead Kennedys released their albums on their own label Alternative Tentacles
. In addition to Dead Kennedys albums, Alternative Tentacles released the seminal hardcore punk compilation Let Them Eat Jellybeans!
While not as large as the scene in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area
hardcore scene of the 1980s included a number of noteworthy bands, including Crucifix
, Flipper
, Kwik Way
, and Whipping Boy
. Additionally, during this time seminal Texas
-based bands The Dicks
, MDC
, Verbal Abuse
, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
(D.R.I.) relocated to San Francisco.
This scene was helped in particular by the San Francisco club Mabuhay Gardens
, whose promoter, Dirk Dirksen
, became known as "The Pope of Punk". Another important local institution was Tim Yohannan
's fanzine
, Maximumrocknroll, as well as his show on Berkeley, California
public radio
station KPFA
Maximum RocknRoll Radio Show, which played the younger Northern California
bands.
The first hardcore punk band to form on the east coast of the United States was Washington, D.C.'s Bad Brains
. Formed in 1977 and consisting of all African-American members, their early songs featured some of the fastest tempos in rock music
. The band released its first single, "Pay To Cum", in 1980, and were influential in establishing the D.C. hardcore scene.
Ian MacKaye
and Jeff Nelson
, influenced by Bad Brains, formed the band Teen Idles in 1979. The group broke up in 1980, and MacKaye and Nelson formed Minor Threat
, who became a big influence on the hardcore punk genre. The band used faster rhythms and more aggressive riffs than was common at the time. Minor Threat inspired the straight edge
movement with its song "Straight Edge
", which spoke out against alcohol and drugs. MacKaye and Nelson ran their own record label, Dischord Records
, which released records by D.C. hardcore bands including: The Faith, Iron Cross
, Scream
, State of Alert
, Government Issue
, Void
, and DC's Youth Brigade. The "Flex Your Head" compilation was a seminal document of the early 1980s DC hardcore scene. The record label was run out of the Dischord House, a Washington, D.C. punk house
.
Seminal Boston hardcore bands included Jerry's Kids, Gang Green
, The F.U.'s
, SS Decontrol, Negative FX
, The Freeze
and Siege
. A faction of the scene was influenced by D.C.'s straight edge
scene. Members of bands such as DYS
, Negative FX
, and SS Decontrol formed the Boston Crew, a militant straight edge group that frequently assaulted punks who drank or used drugs. The controversy surrounding this crew and their antics sparked a debate about violence within the hardcore scene. In the late 1980s, Elgin James
became involved in the militant faction of the Boston straight edge scene, and he later helped found the organization Friends Stand United
.
In 1982, Modern Method Records
released This Is Boston, Not L.A.
, a seminal compilation album of the Boston hardcore scene. The compilation included songs by The Proletariat
, The Freeze, The F.U.'s, Jerry's Kids and Gang Green. Curtis Casella's Taang! Records
was also pivotal in releasing material by bands from this era.
The New York City
hardcore scene emerged in 1981 when Bad Brains
moved to the city from Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1981, there was an influx of new hardcore bands in the city, including The Mob, The Abused, Heart Attack
, Kraut
, Beastie Boys
, Murphy's Law
, Urban Waste
, Agnostic Front
, Reagan Youth
, No Thanks, The Icemen
and Warzone
. A number of bands associated with the New York City hardcore scene came from nearby New Jersey
, most famously the Misfits. Others included Adrenalin OD, Mucky Pup
and The Undead
. In the early 1980s, the New York hardcore scene was headquartered in a small after-hours bar, A7
, on the lower east side of Manhattan. Later, New York's hardcore scene was centered around CBGB
, whose owner, Hilly Kristal
, embraced hardcore punk. For several years, CBGB held weekly hardcore matinees on Sundays. This stopped in 1990 when violence led Kristal to ban hardcore shows at the club.
Early radio support in New York's surrounding Tri state area came from Pat Duncan, who had hosted live punk and hardcore bands weekly on WFMU
since 1979. Bridgeport, Connecticut
had an early show that featured hardcore called Capital Radio, hosted by Brad Morrison
on WPKN
, beginning in February 1979 and continuing weekly until late 1983. In New York City
, Tim Sommer hosted Noise The Show on WNYU
. In 1982, Bob Sallese
produced The Big Apple Rotten To The Core
compilation on S.I.N. Records, featuring The Mob, Ism and four other bands from the early A7 era. The album gained notoriety on the commercial radio station WLIR
, and nationally on college radio. The LP was followed by The Big Apple Rotten To The Core, Vol. 2 in 1987 on Raw Power Records.
Minneapolis hardcore
consisted of bands such as Hüsker Dü
and The Replacements, while Chicago
had Articles of Faith
, Big Black
and Naked Raygun
. The Detroit area was home to Crucifucks
, Degenerates
, The Meatmen
, Negative Approach
, Spite
and Violent Apathy
. JFA
and Meat Puppets
were both from Phoenix, Arizona
, 7 Seconds from Reno, Nevada
, and Butthole Surfers
, Big Boys, The Dicks
, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
(D.R.I.), Really Red
, and MDC
were from Texas
. Portland Oregon bands included Poison Idea
, Final Warning and The Wipers. Hardcore bands in Washington state included The Accüsed
, The Fartz
, Melvins, and 10 Minute Warning
.
D.O.A.
formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1978 and were one of the first bands to refer to its style as "hardcore", with the release of their album Hardcore '81
. Other early hardcore bands from British Columbia included Dayglo Abortions
and The Skulls
.
a hardcore scene eventually cropped up. Referred to under a number of names including "U.K. Hardcore", "UK 82", "second wave punk", "real punk", and "No Future punk", it took the previous punk sound and added the incessant, heavy drumbeats and distorted guitar sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
bands, especially Motörhead.
Formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent
, Discharge
played a huge role in influencing other European hardcore bands. Their style of hardcore punk was coined as D-beat
, a term a number of 1980s by imitators of Discharge
associated with. Another U.K. band, The Varukers
, were one of the original D-beat bands, and Sweden
in particular produced a number of D-beat bands during this time period including Anti-Cimex
, Disfear
, and Totalitär
.
Scottish band The Exploited
were also influential, with the term "UK 82" being taken from one of their songs. They contrasted with early American hardcore bands by placing an emphasis on appearance with frontman Walter "Wattie" Buchan's giant red mohawk
, and the bands continuance of wearing swastikas a la Sid Vicious
. Because of this they were labeled by others in the scene as "cartoon punks".
Other U.K. hardcore bands from this period included Broken Bones
, Chaos UK
, Charged GBH
, Dogsflesh
, Disorder
, English Dogs
, and Napalm Death
.
, Articles of Faith
, and new bands formed by members of bands like Deep Wound
and Minutemen
experimented with other genres and were embraced by college radio, coining the term "College Rock
". Many Boston bands such as SS Decontrol, Gang Green
, DYS
, and The F.U.'s
, as well as Midwestern hardcore bands Necros
, Negative Approach
and The Meatmen
moved in a slower, heavier hard rock direction. Crossover thrash
was another influential movement in mid-1980s hardcore, with bands like DRI, Corrosion of Conformity
, Suicidal Tendencies
, Cro-Mags
, Agnostic Front
, Rich Kids on LSD
, Accused and Cryptic Slaughter
embracing the thrash metal of bands like Slayer
. And most of the Washington D.C. hardcore scene eschewed hardcore in favor of a college rock
-influenced style of punk. With hardcore punk diverging in so many directions, the mid-80's scene was a very fragmented one.
made a progressive rock
album with Into the Unknown, the Beastie Boys
gained fame by playing hip hop
, and Bad Brains
incorporated more reggae
into their music, such as in their 1989 album Quickness
. Social Distortion
went on hiatus after its first album was released, due to Mike Ness
's drug problems, and returned with a sound based more on country music
which was referred to as cowpunk
.
movement. Influenced by Minor Threat
, 7 Seconds, Bl'ast
, and Uniform Choice
, Youth of Today
spearheaded the movement, which went further than straight edge
by lyrically expressing views against drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sex, and views in favor of vegetarianism
or veganism
. In the late 1980s, other New York bands associated with youth crew included Bold
, Gorilla Biscuits
and Side by Side
. Youth crew spread beyond New York to Southern California
bands such as Chain of Strength
and Inside Out.
, Rorschach
, Burn and Drive Like Jehu
took the 1980s styles of hardcore and pushed them into more contemporary sounds. Many of the bands from this era were strongly influenced by other genres, such as heavy metal, alternative, pop, and even rap. Hardcore subsequently became a broad umbrella term, as a variety of different sub-genres arose, such as; melodic hardcore
(Avail
, Lifetime
, Kid Dynamite), emo
(Ashes
, Endpoint
, Saves the Day
), d-beat
(Avskum
, Aus Rotten, Skitsystem
), powerviolence
(Spazz
, Dropdead
, Charles Bronson
), thrashcore
(What Happens Next?
, Voorhees
, Vivisick
), mathcore
(Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch
, Converge
), screamo
(Heroin, Antioch Arrow
, Swing Kids
) and rapcore
.
While the 1990s had many different sounds and styles emerging, the genre primarily branched into two directions; new school metallic hardcore (sometimes referred to as metalcore
), which incorporated aspects of thrash metal
and death metal
for a heavier and more technical sound, and old school, reminiscent of classic styles of hardcore punk like youth crew
. "New school" bands such as Strung Out
, Earth Crisis
, Snapcase
, Strife
, Hatebreed
, 108
, Integrity
and Damnation A.D.
dominated the scene in the early 1990s, but towards the end of the decade, a new-found interest in "old school" had developed, represented by bands like Battery
, Ten Yard Fight
, In My Eyes, Good Clean Fun
, H2O
and Ray Cappo
's new band Better Than a Thousand
.
Many of the bands during this time wrote lyrics about straight edge
, politics, civil rights, animal rights and spirituality. Ray Cappo's views led him to become a Hare Krishna
and fellow members of the New York scene, John Joseph
and Harley Flanagan
of the Cro-Mags
also converted, as would new bands embracing youth crew. While most of the bands embraced the straight edge lifestyle, some prominent ones from this era did not, such as Biohazard
, Madball
and Sick of It All
. As a result of the Internet, music festivals such as Hellfest, and the commercial success of Victory Records
and Trustkill Records
, various bands such as Refused
went on to find success with a larger audience and eventually brought the term "hardcore" into the mainstream.
, who released its album Go
(2001) for MCA
. Despite an extensive tour and an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, the album was not commercially successful, and when the label folded, the band and the label parted ways. In 2002, California's AFI
signed to DreamWorks Records
and changed its sound considerably for its successful major label debut Sing the Sorrow
. Chicago's Rise Against
were signed by Geffen Records
, and three of its releases on the label were certified platinum by the RIAA
. Rise Against gradually diminished hardcore elements from their music, culminating with 2008's Appeal to Reason
, which lacked the intensity found in their earlier albums. And with Endgame
, it was substituted with a more melodic hardcore
approach.
United Kingdom band Gallows
were signed to Warner Bros. Records
for £1 million. Their major label debut Grey Britain
was described as being even more aggressive than their previous material, and the band was subsequently dropped from the label. Los Angele's band The Bronx
briefly appeared on Island Def Jam Music Group for the release of their 2006 self-titled album, which was named one of the top 40 albums of the year by Spin
magazine. They appeared in the Darby Crash
biopic What We Do Is Secret
, playing members of Black Flag.
In 2007, Toronto
's Fucked Up
appeared on MTV Live Canada, where they were introduced as "Effed Up". During the performance of its song "Baiting the Public", the majority of the audience were mosh
ing, which caused $2000 in damages to the set.
Apart from all of the genres that rose to prominence following hardcore, straightforward hardcore bands which take a stylistic approach more towards the first hardcore "sound", continue to rise and tour nationally/internationally. Such bands include Hoods
, Trapped Under Ice, and Stout
among many others.
. Bands such as Minutemen
, Meat Puppets
, Hüsker Dü
, and The Replacements drew from hardcore but broke away from its loud and fast formula. Critic Joe S. Harrington suggested that the latter two "paraded as Hardcore until it was deemed permissible to do otherwise."
In the mid-1980s, northern West Coast
state bands such as Melvins, Flipper
and Green River
developed a sludgy, "aggressive sound that melded the slower tempos of heavy metal with the intensity of hardcore," creating an alternative rock subgenre known as grunge
. One of the most popular grunge bands Nirvana
was particularly influenced by a number of hardcore bands, with band members Dave Grohl
and Pat Smear
being recruited from Scream
and The Germs
, and singer Kurt Cobain
listing hardcore albums among his top 50 favorites.
is a music genre fusing elements of hardcore punk and various forms of electronic music and techno
. It developed in Germany
during the early 1990s, and often features sociological or left-extremist lyrical themes. Nintendocore
, another musical style, fuses hardcore with video game music, chiptune
s, and 8-bit music.
, which took the hardcore style in a more complex and dynamic direction, with a focus on singing rather than screaming. The post-hardcore style first took shape in Chicago, with bands such as Big Black
, The Effigies
and Naked Raygun
, while later developed in Washington, DC within the community of bands on Ian MacKaye's Dischord Records
with bands such as Fugazi, The Nation of Ulysses, and Jawbox
. The style has extended until the late 2000s.
The mid-80's Washington D.C. post-hardcore scene would also see the birth of emo
. Guy Picciotto
formed Rites of Spring
in 1984, breaking free of hardcore's self-imposed boundaries in favor of melodic guitars, varied rhythms, and deeply personal, impassioned lyrics dealing with nostalgia, romantic bitterness, and poetic desperation. Other D.C. bands such as Gray Matter
, Beefeater
, Fire Party
, Dag Nasty
, also became connected to this movement. The style was dubbed "emo", "emo-core", or "post-harDCore" (in reference to one of the names given to the Washington D.C. hardcore scene).
, which is also a combination between Black Sabbath-style music and hardcore punk. This genre developed during the early 1990s, in the Southern United States
(particularly in the New Orleans metal scene). Some of the pioneering bands of sludge metal were: Eyehategod
, Crowbar, Down
, Buzzov*en, Acid Bath
and Corrosion of Conformity
. Later, bands such as Isis
and Neurosis
, with similar influences, created a style that relies mostly on ambience and atmosphere that would eventually be named atmospheric sludge metal or post-metal
.
Metalcore
is another metal-based fusion genre which combines hardcore ethics and heavier hardcore music with heavy metal
influences. It has been used to refer to bands that weren't purely hardcore and weren't purely metal such as Earth Crisis
, Deadguy
and Integrity
.
Metallica
and Slayer
, pioneers of the heavy metal subgenre thrash metal
, were influenced by a number of hardcore bands. Metallica's cover album Garage Inc.
included covers of two Discharge
and three Misfits songs, while Slayer's cover album Undisputed Attitude
consisted of covers of predominately hardcore punk bands. In turn, hardcore bands such as Corrosion of Conformity
, Suicidal Tendencies
, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
, started to incorporate thrash metal into their own music to create a style that DRI coined as crossover thrash
.
and sometimes thrash metal
, is thrashcore
. Thrashcore (also known as fastcore) is a subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. It is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beat
s.
Thrashcore spun off into powerviolence
, another raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan
, who served in office from 1981 to 1989. Reagan's policies, including Reaganomics
and social conservatism
, were common subjects for these bands. Shortly after Reagan's death in 2004, the Maximumrocknroll Radio Show composed an episode made up of anti-Reagan songs from the 1980s including material by Dead Kennedys
, Government Issue
, DRI
, Youth Brigade, Crucifucks
, Wasted Youth
, Dayglo Abortions
, Reagan Youth
, TSOL
, The Fartz
and others.
Similarly during the 2001–2009 presidency of George W. Bush
, a number of bands actively espoused anti-Bush stances. During the 2004 United States presidential election
, artists and bands including Brian Baker
, Jello Biafra
, Mike Watt
, Bad Religion
, Rise Against
, Circle Jerks
, Ensign
, Sick of It All
, The Unseen, Western Addiction
, and Youth Brigade
involved themselves with the anti-Bush political activist group Punkvoter.
A minority of hardcore artists were more right wing, such as Antiseen
, whose guitarist Joe Young ran for office in North Carolina
as a Libertarian
. Former Misfits singer Michale Graves
also infamously appeared on an episode of The Daily Show
, voicing his support for George W. Bush.
The early 1980s hardcore punk scene developed slam dancing
and stage diving
. A performance by Fear
on the 1981 Halloween
episode of Saturday Night Live
was cut short when slam dancers, including John Belushi
and members of a few hardcore bands, invaded the stage, damaged studio equipment and used profanity. They included John Joseph
of Cro-Mags
, as well as Ian Mackaye
of Minor Threat
. In the second half of the 1980s, the thrash metal
scene adopted this form of dancing, with bands such as Anthrax
and Stormtroopers of Death
(an Anthrax-affiliated project) popularizing the terms mosh and moshing with the metal
scene.
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A.
D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
may have helped to popularize the term with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81
Hardcore '81
Hardcore '81 is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A.. It is considered by some to be the first reference to the North American punk scene as hardcore.-Track listing:#"D.O.A"#"Unknown"#"Slumlord"#"Musical Interlude"...
.
Hardcore has spawned the straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
movement and its associated submovements, hardline and youth crew
Youth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
. Hardcore was heavily involved with the rise of the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s in the 1980s, and with the DIY ethic
DIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
s in underground music scenes. It has influenced a number of music genres which have experienced mainstream success, such as metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
and post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
.
Hardcore sprouted underground scenes across the United States in the early 1980s — particularly in Washington, D.C., California, New York
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...
/New Jersey
New Jersey hardcore
New Jersey Hardcore Punk refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New Jersey and to the subculture associated with that music.-Evolution from punk rock:...
, and Boston
Boston hardcore
Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. (Not to be confused with Boston metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore; itself an...
—as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom.
While traditional hardcore has never experienced mainstream commercial success, some of its early pioneers have garnered appreciation over time. Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
's album Damaged
Damaged (Black Flag album)
Damaged is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released in December 1981 through SST Records. In 2003, the album was ranked number 340 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time....
was included in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
in 2003, and
the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
have seen one of their albums reach gold status over a period of 25 years.
Although the music started in English-speaking western countries, scenes have also existed in Brazil
Punk in Brazil
The origin of Punk rock and hardcore punk in Brazil was around the end of the 1970s, by the influence of bands like Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Ramones.The first band to appear were Restos de Nada in mid 1978...
, Japan
Japanese hardcore
Japanese hardcore punk refers to the fast-paced Japanese punk/hardcore genre. The original intent of Japanese hardcore was to protest the social and economic changes sweeping Japan in the 1980s. The band SS is regarded as the first, forming in 1977. Bands, such as G.I.S.M. and The Stalin, soon...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and The Middle East.
Music and clothing style
In the vein of punk rock, most bands followed the traditional singer/guitar/bass/drum format. The songwriting had more emphasis on rhythmRhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
rather than melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
. Hardcore vocalists screamed
Screaming (music)
Screaming is a vocal technique that is most popular in subgenres of heavy metal, punk and hard rock, including metalcore, deathcore, post-hardcore, groove metal, black metal, and grindcore...
, chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
ed and used spoken word poetry. Drummers would play fast D beat one moment and then drop tempo into elaborate musical breakdowns
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
the next. Guitarists were not afraid to play solos
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
, octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
leads, and grooves as well as tapping into the various feedback
Audio feedback
Audio feedback is a special kind of positive feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
and harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
noises available to them. The guitar sound was almost always distorted and amplified. With two minutes being considered a lengthy hardcore song, most of the songs were short and rushed.
In critic Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form."
This distillation of punk was further emphasized through dress. Hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s, jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, and crewcut-style haircuts. The style of the 1980s hardcore scene contrasted with the more provocative fashion styles of late 1970s punk rockers(elaborate hairdos, torn clothes, patches, safety pins, studs, spikes, etc.). Keith Morris
Keith Morris
Keith Morris is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the hardcore punk bands Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and Off! Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, he formed Black Flag at the age of 21 with guitarist Greg Ginn and performed on the band's 1978 debut EP...
, "the...punk scene was basically based on English fashion. But we had nothing to do with that. Black Flag and the Circle Jerks were so far from that. We looked like the kid who worked at the gas station or submarine shop."
Los Angeles
Michael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad is an American author, journalist and musician. He grew up in the New York City area and received his BA degree from Columbia College in 1983...
, author of Our Band Could Be Your Life
Our Band Could Be Your Life
Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely influential in establishing American alternative and indie...
, calls Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
the "godfathers" of hardcore punk. Formed in Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
by guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
Greg Ginn
Greg Ginn
Gregory Regis Ginn is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986....
, they played their first show in December 1977. Originally called Panic, they changed their name to Black Flag in 1978.
By 1979, Black Flag were joined by other Los Angeles-area bands playing hardcore punk, including Fear
Fear (band)
Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981...
, The Germs
The Germs
The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
and the Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
(featuring Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris
Keith Morris
Keith Morris is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the hardcore punk bands Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and Off! Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, he formed Black Flag at the age of 21 with guitarist Greg Ginn and performed on the band's 1978 debut EP...
). This group of bands was featured in Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
' 1981 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization
The Decline of Western Civilization
The soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
. By the time the film was released, new hardcore bands had formed in the area, including The Adolescents
The Adolescents
The Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....
, Angry Samoans
Angry Samoans
The Angry Samoans are an American punk rock band in the first wave of American punk. Formed in August 1978 in Los Angeles, California by early 1970s rock writer "Metal" Mike Saunders and his sibling lead guitarist bonze blayk, along with co-conspirator Gregg Turner and original recruits bassist...
, Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, The Descendents, Dr. Know
Dr. Know (band)
Dr. Know is a punk band which began as a Nardcore band and now has roots in Los Angeles, CA.They are one of the founding figures of the "Nardcore" punk movement from Oxnard, CA. The band was started by Kyle Toucher, Ismael Hernandez, and Robin Cartwright in early 1981, and after auditioning a few...
, Ill Repute
Ill Repute
Ill Repute is an American hardcore punk band from Oxnard, California, formed in 1981. They are noted for popularizing the "Nardcore" sound in the mid-1980s hardcore punk scene, and recorded for Mystic Records....
, Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
, Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, TSOL
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
, Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
, and Youth Brigade
Youth Brigade (band)
Youth Brigade is a Southern California punk music trio formed in 1980 by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO , which served both as their record label and as a statement of their attitude toward the young people involved in the punk subculture, which...
.
Whilst popular traditional punk bands such as the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, and Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
were on major record labels, the hardcore punk bands were not. Black Flag, however, was briefly signed to MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
subsidiary Unicorn Records, but were dropped because an executive considered their music to be anti-parent. Instead of trying to be courted by the major labels, hardcore bands started their own independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s and distributed their records themselves. Ginn started SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
, which released Black Flag's first EP Nervous Breakdown in 1979. SST went on to release a number of albums by other hardcore artists, and was described by Azerrad as "easily the most influential and popular underground indie of the Eighties." SST was followed by a number of other successful artist-run labels — including BYO Records
BYO Records
BYO Records is a Los Angeles, California based independent punk rock record label created by Shawn and Mark Stern, two of the three brothers of the seminal California punk rock band Youth Brigade . BYO stands for Better Youth Organization and aims to promote punk and other alternative youth...
(started by Shawn and Mark Stern of Youth Brigade), Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
(started by Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
of Bad Religion), New Alliance Records
New Alliance Records
New Alliance Records was the record label founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon and Mike Watt and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich after the example of Black Flag's SST Records...
(started by the Minutemen's D. Boon) — as well as fan-run labels like Frontier Records
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....
and Slash Records
Slash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
.
Bands also funded and organized their own tours. Black Flag's tours in 1980 and 1981 brought them in contact with developing hardcore scenes in many parts of North America, and blazed trails that were followed by other touring bands. Youth Brigade was one of the first hardcore punk bands to tour, chronicling it in the 1984 documentary Another State of Mind.
The Another State of Mind tour was funded by "Youth Movement '82", a concert organized by BYO at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
that — in addition to Youth Brigade — featured TSOL, The Adolescents, Wasted Youth, Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
and Blades. The concert was one of the largest punk shows ever held around that time, attended by more than 3,500 people.
Concerts in the early Los Angeles hardcore scene increasingly became sites of violent battles between police and concertgoers. Violence at hardcore concerts was portrayed in episodes of the popular television shows CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
and Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
San Francisco
Shortly after Black Flag debuted in Los Angeles, Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
were formed in San Francisco. While the band's early releases were played in a style closer to traditional punk rock, In God We Trust, Inc.
In God We Trust, Inc.
In God We Trust, Inc. is a hardcore punk EP by the Dead Kennedys; it is now reissued with the Plastic Surgery Disasters album. The thrashing, lightning-fast beats and shouted vocals, on the first six tracks, resembles Washington D.C.'s punk bands of the time; more than on any other Dead Kennedys...
(1981) marked a shift into what is considered hardcore. Similar to Black Flag and Youth Brigade, Dead Kennedys released their albums on their own label Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
. In addition to Dead Kennedys albums, Alternative Tentacles released the seminal hardcore punk compilation Let Them Eat Jellybeans!
While not as large as the scene in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
hardcore scene of the 1980s included a number of noteworthy bands, including Crucifix
Crucifix (band)
Crucifix was an American hardcore punk band from Berkeley, California, active from 1980 to 1984. They were among the most popular acts of the San Francisco hardcore scene of the early 1980s...
, Flipper
Flipper (band)
Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands...
, Kwik Way
Kwik Way (band)
Kwik Way were one of Oakland, California's only hardcore punk bands. The band got its name from the Oakland fast food restaurant Kwik Way...
, and Whipping Boy
Whipping Boy (American band)
Whipping Boy was an American hardcore punk, psychedelic, and experimental-metal band from Palo Alto, California. The band was created in 1982, made up of four students from Stanford University: Eugene Robinson, Steve Ballinger, Sam Smoot, and David Owens. Their sound featured lightning-fast...
. Additionally, during this time seminal Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based bands The Dicks
The Dicks
The Dicks are an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, originally formed in 1980. They initially disbanded in 1986 before reforming in 2004...
, MDC
MDC (band)
MDC is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. The band were subsequently based in San Francisco, California, and are currently based in Portland, Oregon. MDC originally formed as The Stains before changing their name...
, Verbal Abuse
Verbal Abuse
Verbal Abuse is a hardcore punk band, originally from Houston, Texas, but which became successful after moving to San Francisco.Verbal Abuse was started in Houston, Texas in 1981 after singer and songwriter Nicki Sicki quit the band Sick Pleasure and moved to Virginia, then back to Texas when he...
, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
(D.R.I.) relocated to San Francisco.
This scene was helped in particular by the San Francisco club Mabuhay Gardens
Mabuhay Gardens
The Mabuhay Gardens was a San Francisco nightclub located at , on the Broadway strip of North Beach, an area best known for its strip clubs....
, whose promoter, Dirk Dirksen
Dirk Dirksen
Dirk Dirksen was a music promoter and emcee of the San Francisco punk rock clubs Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dirksen was nicknamed the "Pope of Punk"....
, became known as "The Pope of Punk". Another important local institution was Tim Yohannan
Tim Yohannan
Tim Yohannan, born August 15, 1945, died April 3, 1998 in San Francisco, California of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, was the founder of Maximum Rocknroll , a radio show and zine documenting the punk scene around the world...
's fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, Maximumrocknroll, as well as his show on Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
public radio
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
station KPFA
KPFA
KPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
Maximum RocknRoll Radio Show, which played the younger Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
bands.
Washington, D.C.
The first hardcore punk band to form on the east coast of the United States was Washington, D.C.'s Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
. Formed in 1977 and consisting of all African-American members, their early songs featured some of the fastest tempos in rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. The band released its first single, "Pay To Cum", in 1980, and were influential in establishing the D.C. hardcore scene.
Ian MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
and Jeff Nelson
Jeff Nelson (musician)
Jeff Nelson is best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk rock band Minor Threat. He and friend Ian MacKaye formed their first band, The Slinkees, in 1979. Their next band was The Teen Idles. Nelson and MacKaye founded Dischord Records in 1980, whose first record was the Teen Idles. They...
, influenced by Bad Brains, formed the band Teen Idles in 1979. The group broke up in 1980, and MacKaye and Nelson formed Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, who became a big influence on the hardcore punk genre. The band used faster rhythms and more aggressive riffs than was common at the time. Minor Threat inspired the straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
movement with its song "Straight Edge
Straight Edge (song)
"Straight Edge" is a track from Minor Threat's first EP, Minor Threat EP, later reissued both as part of the collection First Two 7"s on a 12", then as part of 1989's Complete Discography...
", which spoke out against alcohol and drugs. MacKaye and Nelson ran their own record label, Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
, which released records by D.C. hardcore bands including: The Faith, Iron Cross
Iron Cross (band)
Iron Cross is a hardcore/Oi! band from Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C..They play a rough form of streetpunk, and is the first band in the United States to adopt the skinhead look and the Oi! musical style...
, Scream
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
, State of Alert
State of Alert
State of Alert was an American hardcore punk group formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980, and disbanded in 1981.-History:State of Alert were fronted by Henry Garfield, who would later rise to fame as Henry Rollins. They formed in October 1980 and disbanded in July 1981...
, Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
, Void
Void (band)
Void was a Washington D.C.-based hardcore punk/crossover thrash band. They were one of the first hardcore outfits to fuse hardcore and some heavy metal in a way most hardcore and metal fans could accept, paving the way for bands such as The Melvins. They were one of the first local bands popular in...
, and DC's Youth Brigade. The "Flex Your Head" compilation was a seminal document of the early 1980s DC hardcore scene. The record label was run out of the Dischord House, a Washington, D.C. punk house
Punk house
A punk house is a dwelling occupied by members of the punk subculture. Punk houses are similar to the hippie crash pads of the 1960s and the slan shacks of science fiction fandom. The Factory, an alternative living space founded by Andy Warhol as the home base of The Velvet Underground, is directly...
.
Boston
Seminal Boston hardcore bands included Jerry's Kids, Gang Green
Gang Green
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty , Bill Manley and Mike Dean started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984...
, The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s were an early-mid 1980s Boston hardcore punk band, who later changed their name to Straw Dogs, moving toward heavy metal and reformed under their original moniker in 2010.-History:...
, SS Decontrol, Negative FX
Negative FX
Negative FX was a hardcore straight edge band from Boston formed in 1981. Though the band lasted only a short time, playing only a total of five shows , the band was well-known for their involvement in the local straight edge scene of the early '80s...
, The Freeze
The Freeze
The Freeze are a hardcore punk rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Freeze formed in late 1978. At the time all members were in high school. The Freeze are generally considered to be a Boston hardcore band, but they never truly fit into the typical Boston mold. Like most hardcore groups, the...
and Siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
. A faction of the scene was influenced by D.C.'s straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
scene. Members of bands such as DYS
DYS (band)
DYS is an American straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts who were part of the notorious "Boston Crew" in the 1980s, along with contemporaries such as SSD and Negative FX...
, Negative FX
Negative FX
Negative FX was a hardcore straight edge band from Boston formed in 1981. Though the band lasted only a short time, playing only a total of five shows , the band was well-known for their involvement in the local straight edge scene of the early '80s...
, and SS Decontrol formed the Boston Crew, a militant straight edge group that frequently assaulted punks who drank or used drugs. The controversy surrounding this crew and their antics sparked a debate about violence within the hardcore scene. In the late 1980s, Elgin James
Elgin James
Elgin James is a filmmaker, musician and a former member of Friends Stand United , a Boston, Massachusetts area group in the early 1990s. FSU has been classified by several law enforcement agencies as a gang, a distinction that James and FSU deny....
became involved in the militant faction of the Boston straight edge scene, and he later helped found the organization Friends Stand United
Friends stand united
Friends Stand United is a national organization in the United States which is classified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a street gang, a distinction that FSU members deny...
.
In 1982, Modern Method Records
Modern Method Records
Modern Method Records was a record label that helped to document the Boston hardcore scene in the early 80's. Modern Method was an offshoot of the Newbury Comics retail store and also the Boston Rock magazine. The label was located at 268 Newbury ST. in Boston....
released This Is Boston, Not L.A.
This Is Boston, Not L.A.
This Is Boston, Not L.A.is a hardcore punk compilation album released in 1982. It is considered the definitive album from the Boston hardcore scene, as several of the bands that were prominent in that scene appear on the album...
, a seminal compilation album of the Boston hardcore scene. The compilation included songs by The Proletariat
The Proletariat
The Proletariat was a punk band from Fall River, Massachusetts. They were active during the 1980s in the Boston Hardcore scene, despite their recorded output having a decidedly non-hardcore sound; The Proletariat show more strongly the musical influences of bands such as Wire, and Gang of Four in...
, The Freeze, The F.U.'s, Jerry's Kids and Gang Green. Curtis Casella's Taang! Records
Taang! Records
Taang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
was also pivotal in releasing material by bands from this era.
New York
The New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
hardcore scene emerged in 1981 when Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
moved to the city from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Starting in 1981, there was an influx of new hardcore bands in the city, including The Mob, The Abused, Heart Attack
Heart Attack (band)
Heart Attack was an early New York hardcore band, formed in 1980 and active until 1984.-History:Formed in the suburban area of Whitestone, Queens, they were probably the youngest punk band in the NYC area at the time, according to some flyers and fanzines, as the first line up was formed by people...
, Kraut
Kraut (band)
Kraut was a New York band who started playing in 1981. Their very first performance was opening for the Clash at Bonds in NYC . Members Include: Davey Gunner , Doug Holland Don Cowan , and Johnny Feedback , and Ryk Oakley, producer...
, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Murphy's Law
Murphy's Law (band)
Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...
, Urban Waste
Urban Waste
Urban Waste was a hardcore punk band that was part of the New York renaissance of hardcore punk in the early 1980s. Much more raw, visceral, and overtly confrontational than their New York punk predecessors, they were contemporaries of Reagan Youth , the earliest incarnation of the Beastie Boys,...
, Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
, Reagan Youth
Reagan Youth
Reagan Youth is an American punk rock band formed by singer Dave Rubinstein and guitarist Paul Bakija in Queens, New York in early 1980. They are known for introducing the style of hardcore punk to the East Coast punk scene, but were also a part of the peace punk movement...
, No Thanks, The Icemen
The Icemen
The Icemen is a hardcore punk and metal band from New York City, New York, USAThe Icemen were created late 1982. Founded by Guitarist and Songwriter Marco Abularach, he was joined by Noah Evans on Bass and Mackie Jayson on Drums ....
and Warzone
Warzone (band)
Warzone was an American hardcore punk band formed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1982. The band helped develop the New York hardcore sound, the hardcore skinhead style and the youth crew subgenre...
. A number of bands associated with the New York City hardcore scene came from nearby New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, most famously the Misfits. Others included Adrenalin OD, Mucky Pup
Mucky Pup
Mucky Pup began as an American hardcore and crossover thrash band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1985, when brothers John and Chris Milnes joined up with Dan Nastasi and former Hades member, Scott LePage . The band went through various incarnations and several musical style changes while...
and The Undead
The Undead
The Undead is a horror punk band formed in 1980 in New Milford, New Jersey by Bobby Steele , Chris "Jack" Natz , and Patrick Blanck . Bobby had just been fired from his previous band, The Misfits, when forming The Undead.They released their first EP 9 Toes Later in 1982...
. In the early 1980s, the New York hardcore scene was headquartered in a small after-hours bar, A7
A7 (bar)
A7 was a club in New York City, United States. From 1981 to 1984, it was the unofficial headquarters of the New York hardcore scene. The tiny space was located on the southeast corner of East 7th Street and Avenue A in Manhattan's East Village. Many bands which later became hardcore icons began at A7...
, on the lower east side of Manhattan. Later, New York's hardcore scene was centered around CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, whose owner, Hilly Kristal
Hilly Kristal
Hilly Kristal was an American club owner and musician who was the owner of the iconic New York City club, CBGB, which opened in 1973 and closed in 2006 over a rent dispute. -Early years:...
, embraced hardcore punk. For several years, CBGB held weekly hardcore matinees on Sundays. This stopped in 1990 when violence led Kristal to ban hardcore shows at the club.
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
since 1979. Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
had an early show that featured hardcore called Capital Radio, hosted by Brad Morrison
Brad Morrison
Brad Morrison is an American record producer, musician, artist manager, record label owner and radio personality.From 1978 to 2006, Morrison produced and engineered about 70 independent records...
on WPKN
WPKN
WPKN is a 100% non-commercial, listener-supported† radio station broadcasting at 89.5 FM in Bridgeport, Connecticut and formerly 88.7 FM in Montauk, New York. Its volunteer programmers present a wide variety of music and public affairs programming including the syndicated weekly radio news magazine...
, beginning in February 1979 and continuing weekly until late 1983. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Tim Sommer hosted Noise The Show on WNYU
WNYU
WNYU-FM is a college radio station owned and operated by New York University. Until 2004, it served lower Manhattan and surrounding areas, but thanks to a new booster, it now broadcasts to the tri-state region. The station can be heard on 89.1 FM at 8,300 watts from 4pm until 1am on weekdays,...
. In 1982, Bob Sallese
Bob Sallese
Bob Sallese is a New York City manager/producer known for his involvement n the city's punk rock and hardcore scene in the early 1980s. Sallese managed the band Ism and co-produced their Diet For the Worms LP on his S.I.N. Records label. He also produced the compilation albums The Big Apple Rotten...
produced The Big Apple Rotten To The Core
The Big Apple Rotten to the Core
The Big Apple Rotten to the Core is a hardcore punk compilation album that was released in 1982. It was the second release by S.I.N. Records, and was produced by Bob Sallese. It was the first hardcore punk compilation from New York City, and was distributed internationally...
compilation on S.I.N. Records, featuring The Mob, Ism and four other bands from the early A7 era. The album gained notoriety on the commercial radio station WLIR
WLIR
WLIR-FM is a Christian radio station as part of the WLIX Voice of Hope Radio Network. WLIR-FM broadcasts in the Hamptons-Riverhead area. Its transmitter is currently located near East Quogue, New York....
, and nationally on college radio. The LP was followed by The Big Apple Rotten To The Core, Vol. 2 in 1987 on Raw Power Records.
Other North American regions
Minneapolis hardcore
Minneapolis hardcore
The Minneapolis and St. Paul area, which is also known as The Twin Cities, has been a fertile ground for a hardcore punk scene since the mid-70s....
consisted of bands such as Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
and The Replacements, while Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
had Articles of Faith
Articles of Faith (Band)
Articles of Faith were a Chicago-based hardcore punk band notable for songwriting in a class above most of their contemporaries . The band's later work, the posthumous In This Life LP in particular, either founds or foreshadows the emo sound...
, Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
and Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
. The Detroit area was home to Crucifucks
Crucifucks
The Crucifucks were a Lansing, Michigan-based punk band formed in 1981. Throughout their career, the band had a revolving-door line-up, the only constant member being lyricist and frontman Doc Corbin Dart. They were noted for their anarchist political agitation...
, Degenerates
Degenerates
Degenerates originated in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan in 1979, during the formative years of the Detroit hardcore scene. The group predated the Process of Elimination EP, which some reviewers view as the beginning of the Midwest hardcore scene. Members branched out to other bands, including...
, The Meatmen
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
, Negative Approach
Negative Approach
Negative Approach is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered among of the pioneers of hardcore punk, particularly in the Midwest region. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known in its day outside of its hometown...
, Spite
Spite (punk band)
The Hardcore punk rock band, Spite, was an essential musical hub in the Michigan hardcore scene. It was made up of members from other notable bands, who branched out to play an essential role in the musical community, both inside and outside the region...
and Violent Apathy
Violent Apathy
Violent Apathy is a U.S. hardcore band that formed in March 1981 at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan and sparked the Kalamazoo hardcore scene. The original band was three high school friends from Jackson, Michigan along with Eliot Rachman, another WMU student who hailed from East...
. JFA
JFA (band)
JFA is a hardcore punk band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon , Don "dred" Pendleton , Michael Cornelius , and Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold . Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls also played bass for a while...
and Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
were both from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, 7 Seconds from Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, and Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, Big Boys, The Dicks
The Dicks
The Dicks are an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, originally formed in 1980. They initially disbanded in 1986 before reforming in 2004...
, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
(D.R.I.), Really Red
Really Red
Really Red was one of Houston Texas' first Punk bands in the late 70's, along with The Legionaire's Disease Band, Plastic Idols and the Hates. Their roots can be traced as far back as the late 60's when Ronnie Bond and Kelly Younger had a high school band called The Lords...
, and MDC
MDC (band)
MDC is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. The band were subsequently based in San Francisco, California, and are currently based in Portland, Oregon. MDC originally formed as The Stains before changing their name...
were from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Portland Oregon bands included Poison Idea
Poison Idea
Poison Idea was an American hardcore punk band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1980. The band originally dissolved in 1993, but has been playing intermittently since 1998.-Formation, 1980's and 90's:...
, Final Warning and The Wipers. Hardcore bands in Washington state included The Accüsed
The Accüsed
The Accüsed is a crossover thrash band from Seattle, WA, founded in 1981. They are considered to be an important progenitor of the crossover style that bridged the gap between thrashcore and thrash metal, later influencing grindcore and some crust punk bands; as well as an influential band in the...
, The Fartz
The Fartz
The Fartz were originally formed in 1981 and were one of the first well-known hardcore bands from Seattle, Washington. They were signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Record label...
, Melvins, and 10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning
10 Minute Warning was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. They became famous locally as one of the first bands to adapt the popular punk sound to something slower and heavier, paving the way for grunge bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone before breaking up in 1984.-Early years...
.
D.O.A.
D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1978 and were one of the first bands to refer to its style as "hardcore", with the release of their album Hardcore '81
Hardcore '81
Hardcore '81 is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A.. It is considered by some to be the first reference to the North American punk scene as hardcore.-Track listing:#"D.O.A"#"Unknown"#"Slumlord"#"Musical Interlude"...
. Other early hardcore bands from British Columbia included Dayglo Abortions
Dayglo Abortions
The Dayglo Abortions are a Canadian punk band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics are informed by a complete disregard for societal norms. They formed in 1979 and released their first album in 1981...
and The Skulls
The Skulls (Canadian band)
The Skulls were an early Vancouver punk rock band, whose members would later found two of the area's bands: D.O.A. and The Subhumans. They toured heavily and issued a demo, but never released any albums.-Biography:...
.
Europe
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
a hardcore scene eventually cropped up. Referred to under a number of names including "U.K. Hardcore", "UK 82", "second wave punk", "real punk", and "No Future punk", it took the previous punk sound and added the incessant, heavy drumbeats and distorted guitar sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
bands, especially Motörhead.
Formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
played a huge role in influencing other European hardcore bands. Their style of hardcore punk was coined as D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
, a term a number of 1980s by imitators of Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
associated with. Another U.K. band, The Varukers
The Varukers
The Varukers are a UK D-beat band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin, which produced its most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band are one of the first to play in the musical style of the hardcore punk band Discharge, known as D-beat...
, were one of the original D-beat bands, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in particular produced a number of D-beat bands during this time period including Anti-Cimex
Anti-Cimex
Anti Cimex were a Swedish hardcore punk band, based in Skövde, Göteborg, Linköping, and Malmö, at different times, that formed in 1981. They were one of the first bands to define Scandinavian hardcore punk. Their second 7", Raped Ass, is considered to be a subgenre-defining D-beat record...
, Disfear
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring...
, and Totalitär
Totalitär
Totalitär is a Swedish hardcore punk band formed 1985 in Hudiksvall. The band plays in the style of D-beat and hardcore punk. Its original members were Poffen, Lanchy, Andreas and Lennart...
.
Scottish band The Exploited
The Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk band from the second wave of UK punk, formed in 1979. Originally a street punk band, they transformed into a faster hardcore punk band with a heavy political influence. From about 1987 on they changed into a crossover thrash band...
were also influential, with the term "UK 82" being taken from one of their songs. They contrasted with early American hardcore bands by placing an emphasis on appearance with frontman Walter "Wattie" Buchan's giant red mohawk
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
, and the bands continuance of wearing swastikas a la Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
. Because of this they were labeled by others in the scene as "cartoon punks".
Other U.K. hardcore bands from this period included Broken Bones
Broken Bones
Broken Bones are a Hardcore punk band with a distinct sound that is heavily influenced by other UKHC punk bands such as Discharge, and in later cases, crossover thrash.-Career:...
, Chaos UK
Chaos UK
Chaos UK are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1979 in Portishead, near Bristol. They played fast aggressive hardcore punk rock initially. The original line up of Simon on vocals, Andy on guitar, Chaos on bass and Potts on drums recorded two EP's and a full LP for Riot City Record...
, Charged GBH
Charged GBH
Charged GBH are an English Street punk band, formed in 1978 by vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin "Jock" Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy and Drummer Andy " Wilf" Williams. GBH were early pioneers of English street punk, often nicknamed "UK82", along with Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited...
, Dogsflesh
Dogsflesh
Dogsflesh are an English UK82 Punk Rock band, formed in May 1982 by guitarist Rob Moore. Dogsflesh were early pioneers of English hardcore punk, often nicknamed "UK82", and were heavily influenced by The Exploited, GBH, Discharge, and Broken Bones....
, Disorder
Disorder (band)
Disorder are a hardcore punk band that formed in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups to this day. Faithful to anarcho-punk ethics, Disorder are a band who aligned with politically-charged punk bands like Crass and Conflict.-History:Disorder formed...
, English Dogs
English Dogs
English Dogs are a British crossover punk rock/heavy metal band that began life in the early eighties.-History:English Dogs formed in October 1981 in Grantham and produced two demos during 1982 entitled 'Show No Mercy' and 'Free To Kill'. The band toured as support to fellow punk band Charged GBH...
, and Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
.
Mid-1980s
The mid 1980s were a time of transition for the hardcore scene. Bands such as Husker DuHusker Du
Husker Du means "Do you remember" in Danish and Norwegian, and may refer to:*Hüsker Dü, American punk band*Hūsker Dū?, a Danish board game*Husker Du, a Danish documentary series about the 1970s...
, Articles of Faith
Articles of Faith (Band)
Articles of Faith were a Chicago-based hardcore punk band notable for songwriting in a class above most of their contemporaries . The band's later work, the posthumous In This Life LP in particular, either founds or foreshadows the emo sound...
, and new bands formed by members of bands like Deep Wound
Deep Wound
Deep Wound was a hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Westfield, MA. They released one self-titled 7" and contributed two songs to the compilation LP, Bands That Could Be God, both of which are sought after by fans and record collectors alike.-Overview:...
and Minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
experimented with other genres and were embraced by college radio, coining the term "College Rock
College rock
College rock is a term that was used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. The term's use of the word "college" refers to campus radio stations located at institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States, where...
". Many Boston bands such as SS Decontrol, Gang Green
Gang Green
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty , Bill Manley and Mike Dean started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984...
, DYS
DYS (band)
DYS is an American straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts who were part of the notorious "Boston Crew" in the 1980s, along with contemporaries such as SSD and Negative FX...
, and The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s were an early-mid 1980s Boston hardcore punk band, who later changed their name to Straw Dogs, moving toward heavy metal and reformed under their original moniker in 2010.-History:...
, as well as Midwestern hardcore bands Necros
Necros
Necros were an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene. They are the first band to record for Touch and Go Records.-History:...
, Negative Approach
Negative Approach
Negative Approach is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered among of the pioneers of hardcore punk, particularly in the Midwest region. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known in its day outside of its hometown...
and The Meatmen
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
moved in a slower, heavier hard rock direction. Crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
was another influential movement in mid-1980s hardcore, with bands like DRI, Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
, Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
, Rich Kids on LSD
Rich Kids on LSD
Rich Kids on LSD was a Californian hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Montecito, California, a suburb of Santa Barbara. They were associated with the "Nardcore" scene that evolved out of nearby Oxnard. Their music expanded over the years from West Coast hardcore to a mix of hardcore with rock...
, Accused and Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter was a Santa Monica, California-based crossover thrash band.-Biography:Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans , Scott Peterson and Adam Scott , who met through their mutual participation in the American Youth Soccer League . Soon they were joined by Bill Crooks , a...
embracing the thrash metal of bands like Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. And most of the Washington D.C. hardcore scene eschewed hardcore in favor of a college rock
College rock
College rock is a term that was used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. The term's use of the word "college" refers to campus radio stations located at institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States, where...
-influenced style of punk. With hardcore punk diverging in so many directions, the mid-80's scene was a very fragmented one.
Late 1980s
By the mid to late 1980s, many of the most prominent hardcore punk bands had broken up. Bad ReligionBad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
made a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
album with Into the Unknown, the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
gained fame by playing hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, and Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
incorporated more reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
into their music, such as in their 1989 album Quickness
Quickness
Quickness is the fourth full-length studio album by hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains. At the time of its release, it was the best selling Bad Brains album and also featured an MTV video for the lead-off track "Soul Craft" directed by Paul Rachman who later went on to produce and direct the feature...
. Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
went on hiatus after its first album was released, due to Mike Ness
Mike Ness
Mike Ness is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band...
's drug problems, and returned with a sound based more on country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
which was referred to as cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
.
Youth crew
While hardcore punk was declining in many American cities, New York City was becoming an even bigger epicenter for hardcore, particularly the youth crewYouth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
movement. Influenced by Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, 7 Seconds, Bl'ast
Bl'ast
Blast was a California hardcore punk and rock band from Santa Cruz. The original lineup consisted of Clifford Dinsmore on vocals, Mike Neider and Steve Stevenson on guitars, Dave Cooper on bass, and Bill Torgerson on drums....
, and Uniform Choice
Uniform Choice
Uniform Choice is an Orange County, California hardcore punk band.-History:Uniform Choice was started by guitarist Myke Bates, bassist Hanson Meyer and drummer Eric Hanna during the Spring of 1982. Bates had been playing with a couple of bands previously in Palm Springs...
, Youth of Today
Youth of Today
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk straight edge band, formed in 1985 and still in activity. The band played a major role in establishing the Youth Crew subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.-History:Youth Of...
spearheaded the movement, which went further than straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
by lyrically expressing views against drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sex, and views in favor of vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
or veganism
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
. In the late 1980s, other New York bands associated with youth crew included Bold
Bold (band)
Bold is a late 1980s youth crew hardcore band from Westchester County, New York, which along with bands like Youth Of Today and Side By Side were a part of the Youth Crew, and an influence in the late 80's straight edge hardcore scene...
, Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits are a New York City-based vegan straight edge hardcore band consisting of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios, Alex Brown and Luke Abbey. The band is currently signed to Revelation Records.-Early career:...
and Side by Side
Side By Side (band)
Side By Side was an American hardcore punk band on Revelation Records. They were a band from NY of youth crew persuasion. Recorded output was limited to a single 7", You're Only Young Once... Their 7" was the fifth record released by Revelation Records....
. Youth crew spread beyond New York to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
bands such as Chain of Strength
Chain of Strength
Chain of Strength was a late '80s and early '90s straight edge hardcore punk band from Southern California.-Biography:The first Chain of Strength release was a 7" EP entitled True Till Death, released through Revelation Records. After parting ways with Revelation, they formed their own Foundation...
and Inside Out.
1990s
At the beginning of the 1990s, bands such as Born AgainstBorn Against
Born Against was an American hardcore punk band from New York active between 1989–1993. In addition to their radical leftist politics, the group espoused a DIY punk message and challenged what they perceived as problematic within the punk subculture of their time.-History:The group was founded in...
, Rorschach
Rorschach (band)
Rorschach is a New Jersey-based band that existed from 1989 to 1993 and reformed in 2009. The group often blended hardcore punk and dissonant elements of metal providing the inspiration to a number of hardcore and post hardcore bands thereafter....
, Burn and Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore and alternative rock band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. Formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis following the breakup of their band Pitchfork, the band's lineup also included bassist Mike Kennedy and...
took the 1980s styles of hardcore and pushed them into more contemporary sounds. Many of the bands from this era were strongly influenced by other genres, such as heavy metal, alternative, pop, and even rap. Hardcore subsequently became a broad umbrella term, as a variety of different sub-genres arose, such as; melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on vocal melody. The genre is commonly defined with fast hardcore drum beats, complex guitar riffs and melodic singing with occasional screaming and shouting.-History:...
(Avail
Avail
Avail is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brian Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's Tim Barry...
, Lifetime
Lifetime (band)
Lifetime is an American melodic hardcore/emo band from New Jersey. Lifetime was formed in 1990 and disbanded in 1997. In late 2005, they announced their reunion.-History:...
, Kid Dynamite), emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
(Ashes
Ashes (band)
Ashes were a hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. The band was known for their heavy guitars and female vocals.Ashes featured musical contributions from Matt Squire, who is a multi-platinum music producer, and Brian McTernan, who went on to play in the D.C...
, Endpoint
Endpoint (band)
Endpoint was a hardcore band from Louisville, Kentucky.Endpoint was one of the most popular underground bands to come out of Louisville, Kentucky. Their initial sound developed from speed-orientated punk/hardcore, with songs inducing audience sing-alongs...
, Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
), d-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
(Avskum
Avskum
Avskum is a Swedish D-beat punk band from Kristinehamn, Sweden. Playing classic Swedish hardcore influenced by Discharge, Avskum started in the early 1980s, only to temporarily disband until the mid 1990s where they returned more productive than ever. All original members except the original...
, Aus Rotten, Skitsystem
Skitsystem
Skitsystem is a Swedish crust punk band formed in early 1994. Their sound was heavily influenced by death metal and d-beat. In actuality, band members originally came from different death metal bands, bonding over a common interest in d-beat. The band announced in December 2007 that they were on...
), powerviolence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
(Spazz
Spazz (band)
Spazz was an influential American powerviolence band active between 1992 and 2000. The trio released numerous records within this time, many of which are now highly collectible due to their relative rarity...
, Dropdead
Dropdead
Dropdead is a hardcore punk band based in Providence, Rhode Island. Dropdead has been active in the punk scene since 1991. Dropdead tends to address subjects such as animal rights, pacifism, and anti-authoritarianism. The band members are supporters of the ALF.Their name is derived from the demo of...
, Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (band)
Charles Bronson was a prolific powerviolence band from DeKalb, Illinois, existing from 1994 to 1997. Although they were often associated with the straight edge scene, only two of the members actually abstained from drug and alcohol use.-Musical style:...
), thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
(What Happens Next?
What Happens Next?
What Happens Next? is a thrashcore and crossover thrash band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Known for their DIY ethic, anticonsumerism, and worldwide unity; as well as energetic performances.-Band members:*Devon Morf - Vocals*Robert Collins - Bass...
, Voorhees
Voorhees (band)
Voorhees is a hardcore punk band formed in Durham, England. From early 1990 until late 2001 they released numerous records on various international record labels and toured Europe and the USA frequently...
, Vivisick
Vivisick
Vivisick is a four piece Thrashcore punk band hailing from Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 1996 by bassist/vocalist Yuki and guitarist Sunao, Vivisick has become fairly prominent in their local scene but remains almost unheard of outside of Japan.-History:...
), mathcore
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
(Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch
Botch (band)
Botch was a four-piece mathcore band from Tacoma, Washington, United States, that formed in 1993 and disbanded in 2002.-History:The band released two full-length albums and a handful of smaller releases including several singles and an EP. Its members went on an indefinite hiatus to form Roy,...
, Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
), screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
(Heroin, Antioch Arrow
Antioch Arrow
Antioch Arrow, from San Diego, California, was on the seminal post-hardcore label Gravity Records, responsible for putting San Diego on the map in the mid-90's as one of the centers of the movement....
, Swing Kids
Swing Kids (band)
Swing Kids were a hardcore band from San Diego California during the mid 1990s. They were closely involved with and influenced by the forerunners of the San Diego hardcore punk scene of the 1990s....
) and rapcore
Rapcore
Rapcore is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with punk rock .-History:...
.
While the 1990s had many different sounds and styles emerging, the genre primarily branched into two directions; new school metallic hardcore (sometimes referred to as metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
), which incorporated aspects of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
and death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
for a heavier and more technical sound, and old school, reminiscent of classic styles of hardcore punk like youth crew
Youth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
. "New school" bands such as Strung Out
Strung Out
Strung Out is a Californian punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, formed in 1992. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of punk rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. They have released seven albums on Fat Wreck Chords and appeared on numerous...
, Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Their most recent record, To the Death, was released in May 2009 through Century Media....
, Snapcase
Snapcase
Snapcase is a hardcore punk band from Buffalo, New York. Their records have been released on the Chicago record label, Victory Records. Through the course of the band's initial run of fourteen years, they released six studio albums before disbanding in 2005....
, Strife
Strife (band)
Strife is an American hardcore punk band from Thousand Oaks, California. But is now primarily based out of Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1991...
, Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, 108
108 (band)
108 is an American hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflected the Hare Krishna faith of its members. Their name comes from the number of beads on the Japa mala, or mantra counting beads.- History :...
, Integrity
Integrity (band)
Integrity is a metallic hardcore band formed in 1988. Their lyrical themes include religion, the supernatural, mental illness, individualism, and the occult.- Discography :*Harder They Fall - Demo cassette - 1989...
and Damnation A.D.
Damnation A.D.
Damnation A.D. is an American band from Washington, D.C.. The group released several albums in the 1990s before disbanding. They reformed in 2007.-History:...
dominated the scene in the early 1990s, but towards the end of the decade, a new-found interest in "old school" had developed, represented by bands like Battery
Battery (band)
Battery was a Washington D.C. hardcore band that existed from 1990 until 1998. During this time they released a 7", a split 7" with Ignite, two MCDs and three full-length albums on Deadlock, Lost & Found, Tidal, Conversion, and Revelation Records....
, Ten Yard Fight
Ten Yard Fight
Ten Yard Fight was a straight edge, football-based band formed in 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with In My Eyes and Floorpunch, they spearheaded the youth crew revival in 1997. Ten Yard Fight's "official" last show was in Boston on October 17, which would become the first National Edge Day...
, In My Eyes, Good Clean Fun
Good Clean Fun
Good Clean Fun is a hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. who took their band name from the Descendents song of the same name.-History:...
, H2O
H2O (American band)
-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
and Ray Cappo
Ray Cappo
Ray Cappo is the former vocalist for the hardcore bands Youth of Today, Reflex From Pain, Shelter, Better Than A Thousand, and the project recording "Pour Water On It". This icon of New York hardcore was originally from Connecticut, and played drums for the Connecticut band Violent Children...
's new band Better Than a Thousand
Better Than a Thousand
Better Than A Thousand was a hardcore band with former Youth of Today singer Ray Cappo, Graham Land and Ken Olden from Battery fame. It was a side project of Shelter, Ray originally intended just to record a couple songs with some friends and it spawned three world tours and two...
.
Many of the bands during this time wrote lyrics about straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
, politics, civil rights, animal rights and spirituality. Ray Cappo's views led him to become a Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
and fellow members of the New York scene, John Joseph
John Joseph (rock singer)
John Joseph McGowan is a punk rock singer from New York City, most famous for his work with the Cro-Mags in the 1980s.Joseph was raised in foster care and grew up on the streets of New York. He was the lead singer for the New York hardcore punk band Cro-Mags from 1984 until 1987, though he...
and Harley Flanagan
Harley Flanagan
Harley Frances Flanagan is the founder of the Cro-Mags, an influential 1980s hardcore punk band. Flanagan was the drummer for The Stimulators in 1980, when he was 12...
of the Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
also converted, as would new bands embracing youth crew. While most of the bands embraced the straight edge lifestyle, some prominent ones from this era did not, such as Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
, Madball
Madball
Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...
and Sick of It All
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
. As a result of the Internet, music festivals such as Hellfest, and the commercial success of Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
and Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994...
, various bands such as Refused
Refused
Refused was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1991. In total the band released five EPs and three albums, before splitting up in 1998...
went on to find success with a larger audience and eventually brought the term "hardcore" into the mainstream.
2000s
With the increased popularity of punk rock in the mid-1990s and the 2000s, some hardcore bands signed with major record labels. The first was New York's H2OH2O (American band)
-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
, who released its album Go
Go (H2O album)
Go is the title of the fourth album released by H2O. It was released on May 15, 2001. This and the All We Want EP are the only releases the band made with the major label, MCA Records....
(2001) for MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Despite an extensive tour and an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, the album was not commercially successful, and when the label folded, the band and the label parted ways. In 2002, California's AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
signed to DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
and changed its sound considerably for its successful major label debut Sing the Sorrow
Sing the Sorrow
Sing the Sorrow is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on March 11, 2003 through DreamWorks Records. It debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Platinum in December 2004 by the RIAA. The album was supported by three singles, "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving...
. Chicago's Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
were signed by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, and three of its releases on the label were certified platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. Rise Against gradually diminished hardcore elements from their music, culminating with 2008's Appeal to Reason
Appeal to Reason
The Appeal to Reason was a weekly political newspaper published in the American Midwest from 1895 until 1922. The paper was known for its radical politics, lending support over the years to the Farmers' Alliance and Populist movement before becoming a mainstay of the Socialist Party of America...
, which lacked the intensity found in their earlier albums. And with Endgame
Endgame (Rise Against album)
Endgame is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Produced by Bill Stevenson, it was released on March 15, 2011. Rise Against began work on the album in September 2010, after completing touring in support of its previous album, Appeal to Reason, in mid-2010...
, it was substituted with a more melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on vocal melody. The genre is commonly defined with fast hardcore drum beats, complex guitar riffs and melodic singing with occasional screaming and shouting.-History:...
approach.
United Kingdom band Gallows
Gallows (band)
Gallows are a hardcore punk band from Watford, England. The band was formed in 2005 after the disbandment of founding member Laurent Barnard's previous band, My Dad Joe. Gallows' debut album, Orchestra of Wolves, was distributed in the United States by Epitaph Records, and they were subsequently...
were signed to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
for £1 million. Their major label debut Grey Britain
Grey Britain
Grey Britain is the second album by English Hardcore punk band, Gallows. It was released on May 2, 2009 through Warner Bros. Records. It is the last album to feature lead singer Frank Carter.-Background information:...
was described as being even more aggressive than their previous material, and the band was subsequently dropped from the label. Los Angele's band The Bronx
The Bronx (band)
The Bronx is an American hardcore punk band from Los Angeles formed in 2002. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Matt Caughthran, guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bass guitarist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik...
briefly appeared on Island Def Jam Music Group for the release of their 2006 self-titled album, which was named one of the top 40 albums of the year by Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine. They appeared in the Darby Crash
Darby Crash
Darby Crash was an American punk musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear , co-founded The Germs...
biopic What We Do Is Secret
What We Do Is Secret (film)
What We Do Is Secret is a 2008 American biographical film about Darby Crash, singer of the late-1970s Los Angeles punk rock band the Germs. Rodger Grossman directed the film and wrote the screenplay, based on a story he had written with Michelle Baer Ghaffari, a friend of Crash's and co-producer of...
, playing members of Black Flag.
In 2007, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Fucked Up
Fucked Up
Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. The band won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for the album The Chemistry of Common Life.-History:The band formed and played their first shows in early 2001...
appeared on MTV Live Canada, where they were introduced as "Effed Up". During the performance of its song "Baiting the Public", the majority of the audience were mosh
Mosh
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
ing, which caused $2000 in damages to the set.
Apart from all of the genres that rose to prominence following hardcore, straightforward hardcore bands which take a stylistic approach more towards the first hardcore "sound", continue to rise and tour nationally/internationally. Such bands include Hoods
Hoods (band)
Hoods is a hardcore punk band from Sacramento, California. Formed in 1994 by Mike Mraz who later added Logan Murray, Tony Goodloe and Billy Gaffney. With influences such as Madball, Sick of it All, Minor Threat and Cro Mags. The Hoods were known as one of the hardest working bands...
, Trapped Under Ice, and Stout
Stout
Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
among many others.
Alternative rock
Some hardcore bands began experimenting with other styles as their careers progressed in the 1980s, becoming known as alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. Bands such as Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
, Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, and The Replacements drew from hardcore but broke away from its loud and fast formula. Critic Joe S. Harrington suggested that the latter two "paraded as Hardcore until it was deemed permissible to do otherwise."
In the mid-1980s, northern West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
state bands such as Melvins, Flipper
Flipper (band)
Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands...
and Green River
Green River (band)
Green River was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active from 1984 to 1988. Although the band had little commercial impact outside of its native Seattle, Green River proved to have significant influence on the genre later known as grunge, both with its own music and with the...
developed a sludgy, "aggressive sound that melded the slower tempos of heavy metal with the intensity of hardcore," creating an alternative rock subgenre known as grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
. One of the most popular grunge bands Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
was particularly influenced by a number of hardcore bands, with band members Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
and Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
being recruited from Scream
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
and The Germs
The Germs
The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
, and singer Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
listing hardcore albums among his top 50 favorites.
Electronic music
Digital hardcoreDigital hardcore
Digital hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk incorporating influences from electronic music. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music...
is a music genre fusing elements of hardcore punk and various forms of electronic music and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
. It developed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the early 1990s, and often features sociological or left-extremist lyrical themes. Nintendocore
Nintendocore
Nintendocore is a music genre that fuses aggressive styles of modern rock with chiptune and video game music...
, another musical style, fuses hardcore with video game music, chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
s, and 8-bit music.
Emo and post-hardcore
The 1980s saw the development of post-hardcorePost-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, which took the hardcore style in a more complex and dynamic direction, with a focus on singing rather than screaming. The post-hardcore style first took shape in Chicago, with bands such as Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
, The Effigies
The Effigies
The Effigies is an early post-hardcore group from Chicago. The band, first formed in 1980, was active for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes, with frontman John Kezdy the only constant, before disbanding in 1990 . The band released 5 LPs and several EPs, most on...
and Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
, while later developed in Washington, DC within the community of bands on Ian MacKaye's Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
with bands such as Fugazi, The Nation of Ulysses, and Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
. The style has extended until the late 2000s.
The mid-80's Washington D.C. post-hardcore scene would also see the birth of emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
. Guy Picciotto
Guy Picciotto
Guy Picciotto is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and producer from Washington, DC.He is most widely known for his role as the guitarist and vocalist of Fugazi, as well as Rites of Spring.-Rites of Spring & Early Projects:...
formed Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s, known for their energetic live performances. A part of the D.C. hardcore punk scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with...
in 1984, breaking free of hardcore's self-imposed boundaries in favor of melodic guitars, varied rhythms, and deeply personal, impassioned lyrics dealing with nostalgia, romantic bitterness, and poetic desperation. Other D.C. bands such as Gray Matter
Gray Matter (band)
Gray Matter was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., who played in the 1980s and '90s. They disbanded in 1986, but reformed in 1990.On September 12, 2008, the band reformed for a one off reunion show to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Black Cat, a night club in Washington DC,...
, Beefeater
Beefeater (band)
Beefeater was an American post-hardcore band from late 1984 until 1986. Formed by Tomas Squip, Fred "Freak" Smith, Dug E. Bird and Bruce Atchley Taylor, they were pioneers of the post-hardcore genre and the Revolution Summer which took place in the Washington D.C. hardcore in the mid-'80s with...
, Fire Party
Fire Party
Fire Party were an emotional hardcore band from Washington, D.C. They were together from the autumn of 1986 to the spring of 1990. The band members were Amy Pickering , Natalie Avery , Kate Samworth , and Nicky Thomas ....
, Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty was a Washington D.C. punk band formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown...
, also became connected to this movement. The style was dubbed "emo", "emo-core", or "post-harDCore" (in reference to one of the names given to the Washington D.C. hardcore scene).
Metal
The Melvins, aside from their influence on grunge, helped create what would be known as sludge metalSludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
, which is also a combination between Black Sabbath-style music and hardcore punk. This genre developed during the early 1990s, in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
(particularly in the New Orleans metal scene). Some of the pioneering bands of sludge metal were: Eyehategod
Eyehategod
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans who formed in 1988. They have become one of the most well known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene...
, Crowbar, Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
, Buzzov*en, Acid Bath
Acid Bath
Acid Bath was a seminal American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana that was active from 1991 to 1997. Acid Bath combined doom metal roots with influences from black metal, death metal, gothic rock, blues, folk, and country...
and Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
. Later, bands such as Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
and Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
, with similar influences, created a style that relies mostly on ambience and atmosphere that would eventually be named atmospheric sludge metal or post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
.
Metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
is another metal-based fusion genre which combines hardcore ethics and heavier hardcore music with heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
influences. It has been used to refer to bands that weren't purely hardcore and weren't purely metal such as Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Their most recent record, To the Death, was released in May 2009 through Century Media....
, Deadguy
Deadguy
Deadguy was a metalcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.-History:Formed in 1994, Deadguy took inspiration from bands like Unsane and Today is the Day. The band took their name from a line in the John Candy movie, Only the Lonely,...
and Integrity
Integrity (band)
Integrity is a metallic hardcore band formed in 1988. Their lyrical themes include religion, the supernatural, mental illness, individualism, and the occult.- Discography :*Harder They Fall - Demo cassette - 1989...
.
Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, pioneers of the heavy metal subgenre thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, were influenced by a number of hardcore bands. Metallica's cover album Garage Inc.
Garage Inc.
-Disc two:These tracks are a collection of B-sides from artists Metallica were inspired by, throughout the early years of the band.-Personnel:* James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Whiskey In the Jar"...
included covers of two Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
and three Misfits songs, while Slayer's cover album Undisputed Attitude
Undisputed Attitude
Undisputed Attitude is the seventh studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. The album is a collection of punk covers of bands like Minor Threat, T.S.O.L., D.R.I and The Stooges...
consisted of covers of predominately hardcore punk bands. In turn, hardcore bands such as Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
, Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
, started to incorporate thrash metal into their own music to create a style that DRI coined as crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
.
Thrashcore
Often confused with crossover thrashCrossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
and sometimes thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, is thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
. Thrashcore (also known as fastcore) is a subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. It is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beat
Blast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s.
Thrashcore spun off into powerviolence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
, another raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk.
Politics
Many bands took left wing political stances and were vocally against RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, who served in office from 1981 to 1989. Reagan's policies, including Reaganomics
Reaganomics
Reaganomics refers to the economic policies promoted by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s, also known as supply-side economics and called trickle-down economics, particularly by critics...
and social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
, were common subjects for these bands. Shortly after Reagan's death in 2004, the Maximumrocknroll Radio Show composed an episode made up of anti-Reagan songs from the 1980s including material by Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
, DRI
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
, Youth Brigade, Crucifucks
Crucifucks
The Crucifucks were a Lansing, Michigan-based punk band formed in 1981. Throughout their career, the band had a revolving-door line-up, the only constant member being lyricist and frontman Doc Corbin Dart. They were noted for their anarchist political agitation...
, Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
, Dayglo Abortions
Dayglo Abortions
The Dayglo Abortions are a Canadian punk band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics are informed by a complete disregard for societal norms. They formed in 1979 and released their first album in 1981...
, Reagan Youth
Reagan Youth
Reagan Youth is an American punk rock band formed by singer Dave Rubinstein and guitarist Paul Bakija in Queens, New York in early 1980. They are known for introducing the style of hardcore punk to the East Coast punk scene, but were also a part of the peace punk movement...
, TSOL
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
, The Fartz
The Fartz
The Fartz were originally formed in 1981 and were one of the first well-known hardcore bands from Seattle, Washington. They were signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Record label...
and others.
Similarly during the 2001–2009 presidency of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, a number of bands actively espoused anti-Bush stances. During the 2004 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, artists and bands including Brian Baker
Brian Baker (musician)
Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
, Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
, Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
, Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
, Ensign
Ensign (band)
Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in...
, Sick of It All
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
, The Unseen, Western Addiction
Western Addiction
Western Addiction is a punk rock band based in San Francisco. The band was formed by four veterans of the punk scene. All four members work for Fat Wreck Chords.-Members:*Jason Hall - Vocals/Guitar*Ken Yamazaki - Guitar*Chicken Annicharico - Bass/Vocals...
, and Youth Brigade
Youth Brigade (band)
Youth Brigade is a Southern California punk music trio formed in 1980 by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO , which served both as their record label and as a statement of their attitude toward the young people involved in the punk subculture, which...
involved themselves with the anti-Bush political activist group Punkvoter.
A minority of hardcore artists were more right wing, such as Antiseen
Antiseen
Antiseen is an American punk rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina by vocalist JeffClayton and guitarist Joe Young, the sole members to have remained for the entire existence of the group...
, whose guitarist Joe Young ran for office in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
as a Libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
. Former Misfits singer Michale Graves
Michale Graves
Michael Emanuel , better known by his stage name Michale Graves, is an American singer and songwriter, singing for the late 1990s re-incarnation of The Misfits from 1995 to 1998 and again from late 1998 until late 2000. Graves grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
also infamously appeared on an episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, voicing his support for George W. Bush.
Hardcore dancing
Mosh
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
and stage diving
Stage diving
Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below. It is often the precursor to crowd surfing.Initially seen as confrontational and extreme, stage diving has become common at hardcore punk and thrash metal performances. Many musicians have made stage diving a part of...
. A performance by Fear
Fear (band)
Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981...
on the 1981 Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
was cut short when slam dancers, including John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
and members of a few hardcore bands, invaded the stage, damaged studio equipment and used profanity. They included John Joseph
John Joseph (rock singer)
John Joseph McGowan is a punk rock singer from New York City, most famous for his work with the Cro-Mags in the 1980s.Joseph was raised in foster care and grew up on the streets of New York. He was the lead singer for the New York hardcore punk band Cro-Mags from 1984 until 1987, though he...
of Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, as well as Ian Mackaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
of Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
. In the second half of the 1980s, the thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
scene adopted this form of dancing, with bands such as Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
(an Anthrax-affiliated project) popularizing the terms mosh and moshing with the metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
scene.