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Emily Batschelett

Mr. Hobson

English Composition

30 September 2016

My Community: Metalcore

The community that I am a part of and chose to write about is music. More specifically, I

am a member of the metalcore community. I started listening to metalcore and other subgenres

such as deathcore and melodic metalcore when I was 15 years old. The thing that really

interested me about this genre of music was the death growls, or screaming as many people refer

to it. I could not believe the vocal ranges that the singers had; they could go from really high

pitched screams to demonic sounding low growls. I remember one of the first bands I listened to

was Beartooth. I could have sworn it was two different people singing, one the high screams and

the other the low growls. I was amazed to find out it was only one person.

Metalcore has been developing since the late 1980s and is a fusion of hardcore punk and

extreme metal (Wikipedia). There are many bands that fall under the metalcore genre, but there

are a few bands that stand out for me. All that Remains, As I Lay Dying, Asking Alexandria,

The Devil Wears Prada, and Bring Me the Horizon are the most well-known. Within metalcore,

there are several subgenres including melodic metalcore and death metalcore, and I listen to

both.

Melodic metalcore is a subgenre of metalcore that emphasizes use of melody

(Wikipedia). Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine, and August Burns Red are a few of

the popular bands that are melodic metalcore that I listen to regularly. My favorite subgenre,

though, is deathcore. Deathcore is a mix of metalcore and death metal, it is defined by

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breakdowns, guitar riffs and solos, and lots of screams and growls (Wikipedia). Some popular

deathcore bands (and my favorites) are Whitechapel, Suicide Silence, Chelsea Grin, and

Carnifex.

The ideology of metalcore depends on the band. Some bands lyrics focus more on

personal anguish or failed love; while other lyrics, mostly from deathcore bands, are more dark

and aggressive. The album art of metalcore is often very artistic and odd. Deathcore album art is

typically more gruesome. I do not always listen to metalcore for the lyrics, though. I usually

listen to it for the actual music--the fast paced drums and amazing guitar riffs.

The members of the metalcore community are all different. There are a few

characteristics that many people in the community have in common: They usually wear black

clothes, vans shoes, and band shirts. Many people in the deathcore community are very unique

and embrace their artistic side with colorful hair, tattoos, piercings, and gauges. It is always

exciting to meet someone with the same music taste as you, and I can often spot other metalcore

community members by the way they dress or their piercings, hair, or tattoos.

The one thing that holds the metalcore community together is music. Going to a

metalcore concert is so fun, especially if you get into it. Everybody is singing and head banging

or moshing. I personally do not mosh, because I get too tired too fast. My boyfriend on the

other hand, always moshes at the concerts we go to. Moshing is really just running around in a

circle with a bunch of other people and jumping, pushing, and shoving. I know it sounds dumb,

but it is actually really fun. Moshing is just letting go and going crazy while listening to your

favorite music.

From the outside looking in, metalcore's characteristics probably seem quite strange and

aggressive. Some believe metalcore is satanic. That being said, it does not mean that people who
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listen to metalcore are aggressive or satanic. Just because I wear black and listen to heavy music

with growls, screaming, and not-so-clean lyrics does not make me a mean or bad person. I may

jam out to Suicide Silence, but I still scream like a little girl when a bee flies towards me.

Metalcore is definitely not for everyone. When some people hear my music they look at

me like I am crazy. How can you listen to that trash? they ask. You cant even understand the

singing! and Thats the devils music! are a few phrases I have heard from multiple people

when showing them metalcore. Nothing anyone could say would change my views. Metalcore

means a lot to me and others too, and we are proud to be members of this community. Just

because some people judge you for liking metalcore does not mean you should stop listening to

the music you love; and just because others judge you for being part of a community (any

community) does not mean you should leave it.

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Works Cited

"Metalcore." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.