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Deathcore is an
extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...
subgenre that combines
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
with
metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
. The genre consists of death metal
guitar riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based on ...
s,
blast beat A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal, death metal and their respective subgenres,Adam MacGregor, '' PCP Torpedo'' ...
s, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with metalcore and hardcore elements seen in the 1990s, deathcore itself emerged in the early 2000s and gained prominence beginning in the mid-2000s. Some of the genre's earliest examples include
Antagony Antagony is an American deathcore/metalcore band from the Bay Area of California, United States, formed in 1998, disbanded in 2009, and reformed in 2019. The group are noted for combining their metalcore style with a remarkable amount of death ...
,
Despised Icon Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the talent of its drummer, Alex Pelletier, who makes frequent use of the blasting technique, as well as for its dual lead vocalists; Alex E ...
, and
the Red Chord The Red Chord is an American extreme metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase ...
. Deathcore's expansion in the mid-2000s saw bands like
All Shall Perish All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest album, ''This Is Where It Ends,'' was release ...
,
Through the Eyes of the Dead Through the Eyes of the Dead is an American death metal band from Florence, South Carolina, formed in 2003. They have released four studio albums, one EP, and one split album with The Knife Trade. History The band was formed by Justin Longshor ...
,
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
,
Suicide Silence Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California, Riverside, California. The band was established in 2002, and has released seven studio albums, three EPs, and nineteen music videos. They were awarded the ''Revolver (ma ...
, Carnifex, Job for a Cowboy,
Chelsea Grin Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group have released two EPs and seven full-length albums. Since 2018, no founding members remain in the band. Despite not being in the original line-up, ...
and
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
taking off. In the 2010s, deathcore bands began experimenting with an eclectic selection of other genres. The genre is noted for its criticism from longtime fans of heavy metal music, usually for its frequent use of breakdowns, usually associated with
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
. Some musicians classified as deathcore have rejected the label.


Characteristics

Compared to
metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
, the fulcrum of deathcore is "weight and volume". A fusion genre, deathcore combines
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
characteristics such as
blast beat A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal, death metal and their respective subgenres,Adam MacGregor, '' PCP Torpedo'' ...
s, down-tuned guitars,
tremolo picking Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique that employs alternating downward and upward strokes in a continuous fashion. If the technique is performed at high speed on a single string or course voicing the same note, it may be referred to ...
, and
growled vocals The death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Sometimes death growl vocals are criticized for their ...
with metalcore characteristics such as breakdowns. The genre is usually defined by breakdowns and death metal riffs or metalcore riffs played in the usual death metal tuning. Like in other
extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...
fusion genres, deathcore guitarists down-tune their guitars to give their music a heavier sound. Deathcore bands may also employ
guitar solo A guitar solo is a melody, melodic passage, instrumental section (music), section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, classical, electric guitar, electric, or acoustic guitar. In 20th and ...
s as well. Low growls and shrieked screams are common types of vocals in deathcore. Some other techniques that deathcore vocalists have used include what is known as ''pig squeals''. Sung vocals in the genre are rare and most bands seldom if ever use them, but the idea has been experimented with by a few bands such as
All Shall Perish All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest album, ''This Is Where It Ends,'' was release ...
(in the song "Awaken the Dreamers") and
Oceano Oceano (Spanish: ''Océano'', meaning "Ocean") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 7,183 at the 2020 census, down from 7,286 at the 2010 census. Geography Oceano is locat ...
(in the song "Incisions"). Some lyrical themes common in deathcore songs include
antireligion Antireligion is opposition to religion or traditional religious beliefs and practices. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious practices or religious institutions. The term ''antireligion'' has also been used to describe oppos ...
,
psychological pain Psychological pain, mental pain, or emotional pain is an unpleasant feeling (a suffering) of a psychological, mental origin. A pioneer in the field of suicidology, Edwin S. Shneidman, described it as "how much you hurt as a human being. It is m ...
and
body horror Body horror, or biological horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction that intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body or of another creature. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutat ...
. Deathcore has been criticized, especially by longtime fans of other
heavy metal subgenres A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal music, heavy metal (often shortened to ''metal'') during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, b ...
, often because of its fusion of
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
with
metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
and use of breakdowns. Music journalist T Coles observed, "Whilst kids were eating this up, the old guard saw it as a further death blow. The established traditions were being tinkered with, old rules were being broken, and, having already lost out to
Slipknot The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily undone by pulling the tail ( working end). The slip knot is related to the running knot, which will release when the standing end is pulled. Both knots are identical and are composed of a slipp ...
, it was now seeing its ideas taken and warped by a younger generation that was reaping the financial benefits." They also state that an oversaturation of artists within the scene during the 2010s " omogenized the genre.


Etymology

Members of certain deathcore bands do not take a liking to being labeled "deathcore". In an interview with vocalist Vincent Bennett of
The Acacia Strain The Acacia Strain is an American deathcore band that was founded in 2001 and originally based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, but now based in Albany, New York. The group is currently signed to Rise Records and initially consisted of high school f ...
about the deathcore label, he said "Deathcore is the new nu-metal. ..It sucks. And if anyone calls us 'deathcore' then I might do something very bad to them." While in an interview with Justin Longshore from
Through the Eyes of the Dead Through the Eyes of the Dead is an American death metal band from Florence, South Carolina, formed in 2003. They have released four studio albums, one EP, and one split album with The Knife Trade. History The band was formed by Justin Longshor ...
about the deathcore label, he said, "You know, I really hate that term. I know we've been labeled as that but I think there's so much more to our music than just a mixture of death metal and hardcore (') even though we incorporate those elements in our music. To me it seems that is just the new and fresh thing that kids are following." In November 2013, ''
Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band from Los Angeles, California. It was originally formed in 1985 as Unknown Death by vocalist Oscar Garcia and guitarist Jesse Pintado. They would rename themselves Terrorizer after recruiting drummer Pete ...
'' wrote, "The term 'deathcore' is usually seen as a dirty word in metal circles" while interviewing vocalist Bryce Lucien of the Texas-based metal band Seeker. Lucien then stated: In contrast, some bands appear to be more lighthearted and less concerned over being described as deathcore. Scott Lewis of the San Diego–based deathcore band Carnifex stated, "We're not one of those bands trying to escape the banner of deathcore. I know a lot of bands try and act like they have a big problem with that, but if you listen to their music, they are very 'deathcore.' I know that there is a lot of resentment towards deathcore and kind of younger bands." In a 2012 interview, former
Chelsea Grin Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group have released two EPs and seven full-length albums. Since 2018, no founding members remain in the band. Despite not being in the original line-up, ...
guitarist Jake Harmond said, "Everyone likes to flap their jaw and voice their own opinion how 'embarrassing' it is to be in a band that can be labeled 'deathcore,' but honestly we have never given a fuck".


History


Predecessors (1990s)

The term "deathcore" has had convoluted uses on-and-off in various metal/hardcore scenes far before it was considered an established or recognized genre. The earliest known use of "deathcore" as a word was by New York band N.Y.C. Mayhem, a self-description for their merger of
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
and
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
. However it wasn't until 1996 that "deathcore" eventually began gaining traction to describe a musical style; Nick Terry of ''Terrorizer'' magazine that year publicized: "We're probably going to settle on the term ''deathcore'' to describe the likes of
Earth Crisis Earth Crisis is an American metallic hardcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993, the band's longest-tenured members include vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ia ...
(as well as the more
NYHC New York hardcore (also known as NYHC) is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle associated with that music. The scene established many aspects that are fixtures of hardcore ...
-ish but still as deathly
Merauder Merauder is an American metalcore band from New York City, formed in 1990. History The group formed in 1990, establishing itself on the New York hardcore and metal scene through frequent touring and a few demo releases. In 1995, the band r ...
)." '' Embrace the Eternal'' (1998) by
Embodyment Embodyment was a Christian rock band from Arlington, Texas. The group formed in 1992 and were first known by the name Supplication where they originally played death metal. The band changed its style for its debut album '' Embrace the Eternal' ...
, ''
Yesterday Is Time Killed ''Yesterday Is Time Killed'' is the debut studio album by Eighteen Visions. It was released in March 1999 through Huntington Beach, California-based record label Cedargate Records. Five songs were later re-recorded for the band's third album, ' ...
'' (1999) by
Eighteen Visions Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After over a ...
, and '' Rain in Endless Fall'' (1999) by
Prayer for Cleansing Prayer for Cleansing is an American metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The band is noted for their extreme metal (death/black metal) influence that was a little more prominent in their music than other metalcore bands at the time. The ...
are early examples of albums that feature a metalcore sound combined with death metal influences. in 2019 music site The New Fury has even gone on record to credit Embodyment as " ioneersof the deathcore genre" due to their performance on ''Embrace the Eternal''. ''
Decibel The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...
'' magazine wrote that death metal band
Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are m ...
were one of the main inspirations for the genre's emergence by writing: "One of Suffocation's trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore." The Belgian H8000 music scene was also influential to the development of the sound, with bands like Deformity, and Liar helping to pioneer a prototype for the genre in the late-1990s and early-2000s. When writing about deathcore pioneers
Despised Icon Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the talent of its drummer, Alex Pelletier, who makes frequent use of the blasting technique, as well as for its dual lead vocalists; Alex E ...
, Dom Lawson of ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' wrote: "blending death metal with hardcore was by no means a new thing when Despised Icon emerged." Suffocation bassist Derek Boyer says Suffocation "were influenced by many early metal and hardcore bands". Death metal bands like
Dying Fetus Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, formed in 1991. Various lineup changes throughout the years have left John Gallagher as the sole remaining original member, as well as the band's driving force. ...
, Suffocation, and Internal Bleeding were influential on deathcore due to their use of "crushing, mid-paced grooves and breakdowns", according to Lawson.


Origins (early to mid-2000s)

Despite a few earlier metalcore/death metal hybridizations,
Antagony Antagony is an American deathcore/metalcore band from the Bay Area of California, United States, formed in 1998, disbanded in 2009, and reformed in 2019. The group are noted for combining their metalcore style with a remarkable amount of death ...
and Despised Icon are considered to be the true pioneers of deathcore, however both bands have rejected the label. Antagony founder and frontman Nick Vasallo is credited as being the "father of deathcore" due to his work in the band.
The Red Chord The Red Chord is an American extreme metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase ...
is referenced as an early influential source for the genre due to their hybridization of metalcore and death metal sounds (among other genres). New Hampshire band
Deadwater Drowning Deadwater Drowning was an American deathcore band formed in 2002 in Brookline, New Hampshire. It is notable for the myriad of groups affected when the band broke up in 2004 and its members splintered into various other groups such as The Acacia ...
and Californian group
All Shall Perish All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest album, ''This Is Where It Ends,'' was release ...
are also seen as notable early entries of the genre. Deadwater Drowning's 2003 EP was remarked as "basically the blueprint for every current deathcore band out today," while All Shall Perish's debut album ''
Hate, Malice, Revenge ''Hate, Malice, Revenge'' is the debut studio album by American deathcore band All Shall Perish. Originally, the album was distributed by the small Japanese label Amputated Vein in 2003, and was then re-released by Nuclear Blast in 2005. Track ...
'' (2003) "never got tied down to implydeath metal or metalcore." Music journalist T Coles said, "in a similar fashion to their grindcore ancestors, cultural barriers melted away as kids with earnest interests in various heavy sounds melded ideas together ..they were earnestly trying to be as ruthlessly heavy as possible, taking elements from everything they liked and pushing them as hard as they could, just as bands
n the 1990s N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
and a decade before that, had done." In the mid 2000s, deathcore spiked in popularity shortly after Job for a Cowboy released their EP ''
Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (1934–2020), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitche ...
'' in 2005, which is heavily credited as one of deathcore's most significant and influential releases for the genre. The genre saw an increase in popularity even further when English band
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
released their deathcore debut full-length '' Count Your Blessings'' in 2006. The band were presented the 2006 Kerrang! Award for "Best British Newcomer" shortly after the album's release, however the band abandoned the deathcore genre soon thereafter.


Expansion (late 2000s and 2010s)

In the mid-to-late 2000s, many deathcore groups began to embrace elements of
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
, with
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
and
Suicide Silence Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California, Riverside, California. The band was established in 2002, and has released seven studio albums, three EPs, and nineteen music videos. They were awarded the ''Revolver (ma ...
making use of a "heavier and more groove-driven sound than their predecessors and increasingly bordered nu-metal", and
Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled '' The Co ...
,
Winds of Plague Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being the first of several deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music. The band's name is derived from a sect ...
and
the Acacia Strain The Acacia Strain is an American deathcore band that was founded in 2001 and originally based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, but now based in Albany, New York. The group is currently signed to Rise Records and initially consisted of high school f ...
embracing its urban, black aesthetics. As early as 2011, publications including ''
MetalSucks MetalSucks is an American heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock ...
'' had begun to use the term "
nu-deathcore Nu metalcore (or nu-core) is a fusion genre that combines elements of nu metal and metalcore. The genre often makes use of a combination of screamed and sung vocals, in addition to breakdowns, hip hop-influenced drum beats and electronic music ...
" or "nu-dethcore" to refer to a wave of bands combining nu metal and deathcore, including Emmure, Suicide Silence,
Here Comes the Kraken Here Comes the Kraken is a Mexican deathcore band from Aguascalientes, formed in 2007. They have released three full-length studio albums, two extended plays, and one demo. History The band was formed in 2007 by brothers Tore González (lead gu ...
,
Upon a Burning Body Upon a Burning Body is an American metalcore band from San Antonio, Texas, formed in 2005. It currently consists of vocalist Danny Leal, guitarist Ruben Alvarez, drummer Tito Felix and bassist Thomas Alvarez. History Their second studio album ...
and
Gorelord Gorelord is a Norwegian death metal band which uses horror movie-like themes in its music. It is the one man side project of Frediablo of the band Necrophagia. Contrary to some reports, Gorelord is based in Oslo, Norway. In September 2005 Fredi ...
. This wave led Japanese band Dir En Grey to return to their nu metal influence sound while also embracing deathcore on songs such as "
Different Sense "Different Sense" (stylized as "DIFFERENT SENSE") is the 27th single by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey, released on June 22, 2011, in Japan in a regular and limited edition, the limited copy featuring a bonus DVD. It is the third single tak ...
". Suicide Silence's ''
No Time to Bleed ''No Time to Bleed'' is the second studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence. It was released on June 30, 2009 through Century Media Records. The album was released in five different editions; the standard version, the Exclusive H ...
'' (2009) peaked at number 32 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number 12 on the
Rock Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
and number 6 on the
Hard Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
Chart, while their album ''
The Black Crown ''The Black Crown'' (stylized as ''THE BLΔCK CRΦWN'') is the third studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence, which was released July 12, 2011, through Century Media Records. It is the final album to feature vocalist Mitch L ...
'' peaked at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number 7 on the Rock Albums Chart and number 3 on the Hard Rock Albums Chart.
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
's album ''
This Is Exile ''This Is Exile'' is the second studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was produced by Jonny Fay and the band itself and was released on July 8, 2008 through Metal Blade Records. This is the band's first album to feature guitari ...
'' sold 5,900 in copies, which made it enter the ''Billboard'' 200 chart at position 118. Their self-titled album peaked at number 65 on the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
and also at number 47 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Their third album ''
A New Era of Corruption ''A New Era of Corruption'' is the third studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was released worldwide on June 8, 2010, through Metal Blade Records. In the USA, just under 10,700 copies were sold in the first week, placing it a ...
'' sold about 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week of being released and peaked at position number 43 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. San Diego natives Carnifex witnessed success with their first album ''
Dead in My Arms ''Dead in My Arms'' is the debut studio album by American deathcore band Carnifex. It was released on July 12, 2007, through This City Is Burning Records. It is the band's only album with bassist Steve McMahon, as he left shortly after the album ...
'' (2007), selling 5,000 copies with little publicity. On top of their non-stop touring, the band's methodical songwriting resulted in Carnifex quickly getting signed to label
Victory Records Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several record labels. It has featured many prominent artists including Thu ...
. Australian deathcore band
Thy Art Is Murder Thy Art Is Murder is an Australian deathcore band from Blacktown, Sydney, that formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Tyler Miller, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, bassist Kevin Butler and drummer Jesse Beahler. Thy Art Is Murde ...
debuted at number 35 on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
with their album ''
Hate Hatred or hate is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Ha ...
'' (2012), making them the first extreme metal band to ever reach the Top 40 of this chart. In the 2020s, deathcore experienced a resurgence in popularity—especially on platforms like YouTube and
TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
, with bands like
Fit for an Autopsy Fit for an Autopsy is an American deathcore band from Jersey City, New Jersey, formed in 2008. The band consists of guitarists Will Putney, Pat Sheridan and Tim Howley, drummer Josean Orta, lead vocalist Joe Badolato, and bassist Peter "Blue" ...
,
Ingested Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an organism. In animals, it normally is accomplished by taking in a substance through the mouth into the gastrointestinal tract, such as through eating or drinking. In single-celled organisms, inges ...
,
Paleface Swiss Paleface Swiss is a Swiss deathcore band formed in 2017 in Zurich. The band's lineup currently consists of vocalist Marc "Zelli" Zellweger, guitarist Yannick Lehmann, bassist Tommy Lee and drummer Cassiano "Cassi" Toma. The band have released thre ...
and
AngelMaker AngelMaker is a Canadian deathcore band from North Vancouver, British Columbia formed in 2011. The band has seven members, consisting of vocalists Casey Tyson–Pearce and Ian Bearer, guitarists Colton Bennett, Johnny Ciardullo and Matt Perrin, b ...
bringing somewhat of a revived recognition to the genre. Lorna Shore, in particular, went viral with their 2021 song "To the Hellfire". Recent bands introduced more symphonic and progressive elements to the genre while maintaining its tradtional heaviness. Russian deathcore group
Slaughter to Prevail Slaughter to Prevail is a Russian deathcore band formed in 2014 in Yekaterinburg and currently based in Orlando, Florida. The band has had numerous line-up changes over the years, with Russian musician Alex Terrible (lead vocals) and British m ...
reportedly reached over 3.5 million streams on music services for their song "Hell" (2015); the band also performed a line of sold-out shows in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, which made the group the only foreign metal band to perform a sold-out concert in the country in all of 2020.


Fusion with other genres

A variety of deathcore bands experimented with other genres into their music as influence and time progressed.
Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled '' The Co ...
has been credited to be heavily influenced by
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
and was described as "the new
Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...
". Suicide Silence's 2011 album ''
The Black Crown ''The Black Crown'' (stylized as ''THE BLΔCK CRΦWN'') is the third studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence, which was released July 12, 2011, through Century Media Records. It is the final album to feature vocalist Mitch L ...
'' is a deathcore album with some nu metal influences. Other examples of nu metal-inspired deathcore bands include
Here Comes the Kraken Here Comes the Kraken is a Mexican deathcore band from Aguascalientes, formed in 2007. They have released three full-length studio albums, two extended plays, and one demo. History The band was formed in 2007 by brothers Tore González (lead gu ...
's later material. The early 2010s saw bands fusing the genre with influences from
djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal, termed for an onomatopoeia of the guitar sound that characterizes it. While sources such as ''The Guardian'' and ''Guitar World'' describe djent as a Music genre, genre, some notable musicians includi ...
and
progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...
, which began to achieve underground popularity. Examples of the aforementioned include
Veil of Maya Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 2004. The group consists of guitarist Marc Okubo, drummer Sam Applebaum, bassist Danny Hauser and vocalist Lukas Magyar. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records an ...
,
Born of Osiris Born of Osiris is an American progressive metalcore band formed in 2003 in Palatine, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band currently consists of drummer and sole remaining founding member Cameron Losch, lead vocalist Ronnie Canizaro, and guit ...
, and
After the Burial After the Burial is an American progressive metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released five of their six full-length albums through the label. Since their inception in 2004, the band h ...
. Some bands, such as
Make Them Suffer Make Them Suffer is an Australian metalcore band from Perth, formed in 2008. They are currently signed to SharpTone Records. Their debut studio album, '' Neverbloom'', peaked at No. 56 on the ARIA Album charts in June 2012, and showca ...
and
Winds of Plague Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being the first of several deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music. The band's name is derived from a sect ...
, mix deathcore with symphonic/classical elements. French band
Betraying the Martyrs Betraying the Martyrs were a French metalcore band formed in Paris in 2008. The band's final lineup consisted of vocalist Rui Martins, guitarists Steeves Hostin and Baptiste Vigier, bassist Valentin Hauser, drummer Boris le Gal, and keyboardist ...
has been described as " hepunishing brutality of deathcore with melodic flourishes pulled from symphonic and progressive metal, giving it a theatricality that feels distinctly European."


See also

*
List of deathcore artists The following is a list of deathcore artists. Deathcore is an extreme metal fusion genre that combines the characteristics of death metal and metalcore and sometimes hardcore punk.
allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the data ...
Alex Henderson: "What is deathcore? ...it's essent ...


References

{{Heavy metal music Death metal Metalcore genres 21st-century music genres 2000s in music 2010s in music Fusion music genres Extreme metal Heavy metal genres American styles of music