Melodic hardcore

Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk. It is more melodic than traditional hardcore, with less aggression. Melodic hardcore, with its strong emphasis on melodic exploration, is distinct from both emo and pop punk, although these genres are often combined or used interchangeably. Nonetheless some melodic hardcore bands do share common scene origins with emo and pop punk bands.

Hüsker Dü are the most influential melodic hardcore band, combining the speed, wall-of-sound guitars, and aggression of hardcore with the vital melody-centric aesthetic of the genre. Hüsker Dü has been cited as one of the influences on emo, but this view is not without contention.

Dag Nasty is another touchstone band (sometimes also categorized as "emo"), hailing from mid-1980s DC, with Dave Smalley of Boston's DYS on vocals and Brian Baker (ex-Minor Threat on guitar). Dag Nasty's sound was an extension of the direction Minor Threat was developing with the Out Of Step LP before they broke up.

Gorilla Biscuits came out of the late 1980's youth crew straight edge scene, and while they were initially just one of many Youth Of Today clones of the era (albeit musically more similar to Side By Side) they eventually evolved an original and highly influential sound with the release of the seminal "Start Today" album -- echoes of which are still being felt in today's post-hardcore and modern "emo" scenes. In some ways Gorilla Biscuits paved the way for post-hardcore, as the guitarist Schreifels went on to found one of the defining post-hardcore bands: Quicksand. Other side projects included the band Moondog, writing music for the Civ project as well as the World's Fastest Car, Walter & The Motorycycles, Rival Schools and Walking Concert bands.

Turning Point, a New Jersey band, was also under the influence of Youth of Today's youth crew hardcore genre, but by the time they had passed the growing pains of their demo and first 7", their later material (the 1990 LP It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn etc.) proved to be the defining moment of melodic hardcore sound. These records were to be a direct influence on other New Jersey bands like Lifetime.

Many of these pioneering melodic hardcore bands sounds are what form an essential part of the styles that has been borrowed by bands across the modern punk and hardcore spectrum, encompassing pop punk, pop-influenced hardcore, and emo. [For discussion on uses of the term, see 21st Century Emo.]

Today's most well-know melodic hardcore band is Rise Against, who have slightly more complex guitar work than that of most hardcore, with emotive, melodic vocals balanced with some screaming.

Defining musical characteristics

Melodic hardcore guitar players rely heavily on minor seventh and minor ninth chords used in combination with an open string modal playing style. This style was probably inspired by Alex Lifeson (Freewill), extended by Brian Baker in Dag Nasty (Values Here) and fully realized by Dan Yemin with his work in Lifetime.

Melodic hardcore bands typically use Gibson SG guitars with Marshall half-stacks, though some influential artists, such as Baker and Yemin, have used other instrument combinations.

Distinction between melodic hard core and melodic metalcore.

The term hardcore is often confused since it is a sub-genre in several styles of music (Rap, Techno, Metal and Punk). In modern times the term melodic Hard-core has been used to describe the aformentioned hardcore punk style and certain types of metal-core music such as Hopesfall and Underoath. These two genres are independent of one another, though the metal-core genre in the past was once heavily influenced by hardcore punk rock.

List of melodic hardcore bands

A list of melodic hardcore bands. Some are influences, some are influenced. Some have been unjustly labeled as emo, some evolved into "modern emo" (21st Century Emo).'

• 88 Fingers Louie
• American Standard
• A Mortuary Tribute
• A Wilhelm Scream
• Bhopal Stiffs
• chapter 13
• Common Ground
• Crime In Stereo
• Dead And Divine
• Death Is Not Glamorous
• Dag Nasty
• Dose of Apathy
• Endgame
• Fastbreak
• Fire In The Eyes of The City
• Good Riddance
• Gorilla Biscuits
• Ignite
• In Reach
• Kid Dynamite
• Life In Your Way
• Lifetime
• Marginal Man
• Miles Away
• Naked Raygun
• No Trigger
• No Fun At All
• On Own Terms
• Pennywise
• Rise Against
• Satanic Surfers
• Set Your Goals
• Shades Apart
• Shook Ones
• Sinking Ships
• Sommerset
• Speak 714
• Strength 691
• Stretch Arm Strong
• Strike Anywhere
• The Assistant
• The Killing Flame
• Turning Point
• Uniform Choice
• Unity
• Vision
• With Honor
• You And I

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