The Batlord's Thread of Metalcore that Doesn't Suck but In Fact ****ing Rules

[The Batlord]

I'm only just getting into this genre as of yesterday, so this isn't going to be some educational thread by an expert, but since this music is generally so maligned due to the likes of Killswitch Engage, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, etc, I'm going to document my own musical journey in order to hopefully redeem metalcore in the eyes of the forum, possibly with some history of bands/scenes, reviews, or just spotlights on specific bands with a few Youtube recs to introduce them to the curious. Imma keep it lose. More to come.

And I imagine Mondo will show up to drop some knowledge. More power to him. He needs to drop musical bombs more often anyway.

[The Batlord]

Rorschach
Powerviolence/Hardcore Punk/Metalcore
1989--1993

Rorschach were an early band from New Jersey whose members would go on to form other seminal metalcore bands, such as Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye. Early on, on debut Remain Sedate, they seem to have been a noisy hardcore band, hence the early label of powerviolence, with some slower, metal-influenced sections. This is raw stuff, a million miles away from the likes of Trivium, and I would be surprised if Matt Heafy had never even heard of this band. As someone who's dubious about hardcore, this album isn't my fav thing in the world, but it has its charms and is growing on me. I've heard '90s metalcore associated with post-hardcore and noise rock, and I can see why, with their use of dissonance. There's definitely something different going on here that would be more fully realized later on.

According to Wikipedia this song was played in Zero Dark Thirty to torture suspected terrorists.

Spoiler for Remain Sedate:

Aside from some comps, singles, and splits, Rorschach would only go on to release an EP, Needlepack, and second full-length, Protestant. Protestant was slower (in general) and sludgier, with vocals more screamed than shouted, and felt more like what metalcore would become in the nineties. Still, there's a frantic feel to the music, always changing pace, sometimes attacking with full-on hardcore fury, and then bringing it to a crushing, sinister near stop. Seriously hateful stuff that I shall be bumping in the future. Any fan of ugly, lo-fi, angry music should take note.

Spoiler for Protestant:

After that, the band would call it quits, and we would be treated to an even more evolved and polished version of the band's sound when some members went on to form Deadguy.

Also of note is a delightfully unfaithful cover of "21st Century Schizoid Man" that sounds more Sabbath than King Crimson.

Spoiler for 21st Century Schizoid Man:

[Janszoon]

I've never thought of Rorshach as metalcore, but I do agree they're a pretty good band.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I've never thought of Rorshach as metalcore, but I do agree they're a pretty good band.

I think they're associated more through being a band that launched other legitimate metalcore bands, and also because they seem to have used elements that would end up in later metalcore bands. And I notice we both misspell "Rorschach". I just had to go edit the god damn title of the post.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I think they're associated more through being a band that launched other legitimate metalcore bands, and also because they seem to have used elements that would end up in later metalcore bands. And I notice we both misspell "Rorschach". I just had to go edit the god damn title of the post.

It's almost as if this band is one of those tests where people's different interpretations are supposed to reveal truths about that person. What are those tests called again? The name escapes me.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Janszoon

It's almost as if this band is one of those tests where people's different interpretations are supposed to reveal truths about that person. What are those tests called again? The name escapes me.

How much a person tips?

[Dylstew]

Metalcore's pretty good dude
Integrity, Earth Crisis and Unbroken for example.
Or Coalesce and Poison the Well.
Or what about the mathcore ones?
Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Botch, the Chariot?
There's even some good modern style metalcore : Everytime I Die.

It seems like a legitemate form of Punk and Metal to me.
Glad you're trying to find more metalcore that doesn't suck.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Dylstew

Metalcore's pretty good dude
Integrity, Earth Crisis and Unbroken for example.
Or Coalesce and Poison the Well.
Or what about the mathcore ones?
Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Botch, the Chariot?
There's even some good modern style metalcore : Everytime I Die.

It seems like a legitemate form of Punk and Metal to me.
Glad you're trying to find more metalcore that doesn't suck.

I'm pretty sure I've been diggin' on every one of the bands you just mentioned in the last two days, other than Coalesce and Poison the Well.

[Mondo Bungle]

Have you listened to Bloodlet yet

[Dylstew]

Originally Posted by Mondo Bungle

Have you listened to Bloodlet yet

No but now I'm going to.