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Hardcore punk (usually referred
to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated
in the United States of America in the late 1970s. It emerged as
the first wave of punk artists disbanded or moved onto different
genres and the left behind artists became more underground and 'hardcore.
The sound is thicker, heavier, and faster than 1970s-style punk
rock. It is characterized by short, loud, and passionate songs. The music genre that became known as hardcore punk originated in different areas of North America in late 1980 and early 1981. Some of the major regions in North America associated with the origins of hardcore punk include: California, Texas, Washington, DC, Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, New York City, Vancouver and Boston. At the same time a British equivalent had emerged although it would not be known as UK 82 or British Hardcore at the time. British Hardcore mixed the original punk sound with thrash elements to form its own "hardcore" sound. The origin of the term hardcore punk is uncertain, however one theory is that the Vancouver-based band D.O.A. made the term official with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81. Until about 1983, hardcore was used fairly sparingly, and mainly as a descriptive term. (i.e., a band would be called a "hardcore band" and a concert would be a "hardcore show"). American teenagers who were fans of hardcore punk simply considered themselves fans of punk — although they were not necessarily interested in the original punk rock sound of late 1970s In many circles, hardcore was an in-group term, meaning 'music by people like us,' and it included a wide range of sounds, from hyper-speed punk rock to sludgy dirge-rock, and often including arty experimental bands, such as Mission of Burma, The Stickmen, and Flipper. Even more than the original punk movement, hardcore was noted for its do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. In most cities (California being the exception) the hardcore scene relied entirely on DIY recordings, zines, radio shows and concerts. Hardcore punk fans brought a dressed-down T-shirt, jeans, and crewcut style to punk fashion. |
Hardcore in the 1990s
: In the 1980s, hardcore was strictly a style of North American punk rock. By the end of the 1980s and into the 1990s, hardcore became much more diverse, branching off mainly into two sounds: one traditionally punk-based, the other metal-based. The punk-focussed sound retains much of the style and feel of the original hardcore bands, while the metal-based sound, now known as metalcore, tends to be more technical. Many fans of traditional hardcore do not consider metalcore a form of hardcore punk. Metalcore : Being a chiefly urban phenomenon, hardcore often reflected the life of its players and fans. The incorporation of heavy metal (both musically and mentality-wise) led to a sect of hardcore bands branching off into heavier directions. The mixture of metal and sometimes hip hop beats, brutal and unforgiving depictions of urban life, and syncopated musical breaks gave birth to what is variously called heavy hardcore, new school, metalcore, and tough guy. Notable bands who developed the genre in early years include Madball, Biohazard and Edgewise. Today, some of the most well-known representatives of the genre are Atreyu, Converge and Hatebreed. The sound is an amalgamation of deep, hoarse vocals (though rarely as deep or guttural as death metal), downtuned guitars, thrashy drum rhythms inspired by earlier hardcore bands, and slow, staccato low-end musical breaks, known as breakdowns. Thrash metal and hip hop elements are also common. Sworn Enemy and Boxcutter are two current examples. Some of the bands that helped pioneer the mixture of hardcore with death metal in the 1990s were Brooklyn, NY's Merauder and Confusion; Jackson Heights, NY's Dmize. They have been described as a cross between bands like Kreator and Obituary with New York hardcore. Darkside NYC, formed by Alan Blake of Sheer Terror was often described as Celtic Frost meets Sheer Terror musically, and Negative Approach meets Crumbsuckers vocally. They were known for incorporating blastbeats, which was a direct death metal/grindcore influence. Dmize, Confusion, and Darkside NYC managed to achieve cult status in the U.S., Europe, and Japan while only playing shows in the Northeast US during their short existences. Merauder signed with Century Media and toured the world, still performing today. In upstate NY, All Out War, formed with ex-Merauder members, gained an extremely violent reputation because their audience members would pummel each other. Many concerts ended in a full scale riot. [citation needed] As a result, many clubs were loathe to have these kinds of bands perform. This particular scene is known for its stereotypical image and attitude of inner city street thugs. With the popularity of inner city fashion and image, and the similarities of some of the heavier bands' music to hip hop, it is not surprising that the two would end up crossing over. Actual hardcore/hip hop crossovers were most likely the catalyst of much of the image, such as Biohazard's general sound and collaborations with Onyx; KRS-One's appearance on a Sick Of It All song; Madball's streetwise attitude, and New Jersey's E.Town Concrete. |
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