Deathcore

Deathcore is an amalgamation of two musical styles: metalcore and death metal.

The fusion genre is heavily influenced by death metal in its speed, heaviness, and approach to chromatic, heavily palm muted riffing, dissonance, and frequent key changes. Lyrics may not always be in the death metal vein, but traditional growls, and pig-like squeals are prevalent, often combined with metalcore vocals. Much of deathcore features breakdowns, a trait which is attributed to its metalcore influence, though breakdowns themselves are not exclusive to metalcore. New York death metal veterans Suffocation, as well as Maryland's Dying Fetus, were among the first death metal groups to make the breakdown a staple in their music.

Deathcore seems to have most prominence within the southwestern United States, especially Arizona and California (most notably the Coachella Valley), which are home to many notable bands and various festivals. In a similar gauge of success, many popular or up and coming deathcore bands are featured on Black Market Activities, the label of The Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk.

Before the rise of deathcore, bands such as Abscess and Unseen Terror used the term to describe hardcore punk/death metal hybrids. Germany's Blood also released a 1986 demo entitled Deathcore, while another German group, formed in 1987 and related to Blood, used Deathcore as a band name.

Criticism
As with most subgenres affiliated with metalcore, there is a strong feeling of backlash and resentment from traditional metal and extreme metal fans who feel as though their music is being co-opted and cashed-in for profit, and that bands such as Job for a Cowboy (although it should be noted JFAC has evolved into a predominantly death metal sound) and Despised Icon don't truly understand or appreciate their subculture. Though there are clues to the opposite (stemming from interviews and pictorials of the band members in standard death metal fan regalia), many would argue that metalcore-derived genres have a feel and aesthetic that does not truly mesh with that of other, more purist metal subgenres, which has caused many bands to find themselves mislabeled or attacked through the internet and in print in critical chastising, even before normal musical development can occur. This has in turn led to the rejection of the label by many bands, and defending of by others.