“Metalcore” as a term is largely useless. Any aggressive band that combines hardcore and metal with melody and the occasional breakdown can be loosely classified as metalcore, and since the commercial success of bands like Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying and Bullet For my Valentine, the scene’s continued to grow, mutate, and become more diluted. However, even as saying you like metalcore is like saying you like “alternative music,” Alternative Press has come up with a list of 12 bands who are the future of metalcore. They almost might have been better off stating it was”12 bands who are the future of heavy music,” or “12 bands that will never be on Pitchfork that we dig.” At any rate, here’s who they chose:
Issues
Architects
Bring Me the Horizon
Beartooth
Memphis May Fire
Motionless in White
Crown the Empire
The Word Alive
Wovenwar
Northlane
Erra
Chelsea Grin
It’s an interesting list, to say the least. They do combine up and comers with some bands that are already commercially successful, like Bring me the Horizon. But in talking about BMTH, they bring up a point about them that extends into the genre as a whole. “they started as deathcore, moved to more of a metalcore sound, and have since created a unique genre of their own.” Metalcore as a genre continues to change with the times. Should Shadows Fall and Motionless in White be referred to as the same genre? Is a deathcore band like Chelsea Grin really metalcore? It’s tough to say, but Alt Press thinks so.
