Metalcore Needs Subgenres

For I Am King at Headbanger Bash, Amersfoot, Netherlands

If metalcore is a whole genre or just a subgenre of metal, that's already a discussion. I used to think metalcore is a whole thing itself, because it has differences from what most people listen and call metal, but today I'm more follower of the thought that metalcore is a subgenre inside of metal.

But EVEN thinking that metalcore is a subgenre, it needs its own subgenres. Let's face it: there are lots of metalcore bands that don't even sound alike, and it's easy to mention some for comparison. Let's start with Bullet For My Valentine and Miss May I. They both have metalcore elements in their sound and many call them metalcore. Although, Miss May I is lots more aggressive than BFMV ever was or will get to be. Bullet has more clean vocals, some instrumental lines that remind heavy metal, and catchy melodies. MMI has some clean vocals, but Levi does most of the job on the vocals with his screaming. So, both metalcore bands? Yes, but they do not play alike.

Metalcore has been around for some decades now, and it has changed throughout the years. What was called metalcore in the beginning of its existence is far from what us, kids that jam things like Miss May I, Bring The Horizon, We Came As Romans and so on, call metalcore. Metalcore had a more raw energy, closer to hardcore, that is one of the genres that contributed to the appearance of metalcore.

Some genres developed out of metalcore, but I don't think they are subgenres, they are just fusion genres, just like metalcore is the fusion of metal and hardcore. We can name some of the fusion genres that came out of metalcore: deathcore (fusion with death metal, duh), easycore (has elements of pop punk, simply delightful), post-hardcore (I may even be wrong on this one, but I think it has a lot of relationship with metalcore, since it is the genre metalcore bands adopt when they "mature"), crunkcore (I never stopped to listen much of this one).

The only genres I can recall that are not genres developed out of metalcore, but subgenres inside of it are mathcore and electronicore. Wikipedia describes electronicore as a fusion genre instead of subgenre, but I think that's bullshit.

Ok, so there are not much metalcore genres, or perhaps they aren't just that known. I'm writing this whole post because I think of the first option. There are some bands that call themselves "modern metalcore" or "melodic metalcore". Well, I don't think that these definitions do the job of subgenres. Even if here on this blog I label some bands as "modern metal", I don't think it is exactly a subgenre. I perceive modern metal as a kind of metal that mainstream bands nowadays play and it is accessible to those kids who are not that into metal.

I'm not gonna be the one to create new subgenres for metalcore music, because I am not that guy who knows a lot about it, I'm just a fan with a blog writing about a problem that came across my mind. My conclusion is: there are LOTS of metalcore bands and LOTS of them don't even play alike and still are labeled only as metalcore. Labeling is a important thing in music (but not the most important, the most important is listening to music you like and do not care about what other people say about your taste in music), and metalcore lacks it in a way you go deep into the web searching for metalcore bands and almost never know what will find exactly.

What do you think? If you found this post and has an opinion on the subject, leave a constructive comment! See ya ;D