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 Hogan's Heroes,Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity. The earliest of these groups, Hogan's Heroes, began performing in 1984. Contemporary practitioners of the genre include Killswitch Engage, Underoath, All That Remains, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Metalcore is distinguished from other fusions between punk and metal by its emphasis on general heavy metal characteristics as well as breakdowns, which are slower, intense passages that are conducive to moshing. Sepultura, who has been credited to "lay the foundation" for the genre, and Pantera, who influenced Trivium, Atreyu, Bleeding Through and Unearth, have been influential in the development of metalcore.

History
Metalcore originated in the late 80s with heavier hardcore punk bands starting to use melodic metal riffs, heavy mosh parts or “breakdowns” and thicker production. This later evolved in the mid 90s, when bands began to take cues from melodic death metal bands like At The Gates, while still retaining their hardcore punk attitude and stance. Early examples of Metalcore, or what some might consider metallic hardcore include Integrity, Earth Crisis, Disembodied, Converge, and Overcast.

Metalcore itself has its own offshoots and derivatives such as melodic death metal infused melodic metalcore, technical mathcore, and the fusion of metalcore with death metal known as deathcore which has become a huge trend in recent years. There are also a number of bands who mix Metalcore influences with groove metal; taking cues from Pantera, black metal, post-hardcore, progressive metal, or even classic heavy metal influences in some cases.

More recent and commercially successful bands such as Killswitch Engage, Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine tend to stray more towards metal or even pop rock, with cleaner, more melodic vocals and guitar. This may have been a factor in the classification of Metalcore as a mainstream trend. With ‘rock’ and ‘pop rock’ fans being attracted to the more mainstream sound, rather than the heavy, fast riffs and screaming vocals of past bands.

Metalcore has gained a very big following, but also had its fair share of critics on both the punk and metal sides of the spectrum. The genre was launched into the mainstream with bands like Atreyu, Bullet For My Valentine and Killswitch Engage, although in recent years it has declined in popularity. Some people recognize the peak of the metalcore scene as being in 2006, which saw the release of classic albums such as The Fall of Ideals by All That Remains and The Poison by Bullet For My Valentine

There seems to be some debate over separating the earlier pioneering bands in this field under the name “metallic hardcore”, to distinguish them from the more generic acts that have found success in recent years. Genre