Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk
Stylistic origins:	Punk rock
Cultural origins:	Late 1970s North America
Typical instruments:	Vocals - Guitar - Bass - Drums
Mainstream popularity:	Low to Mid depending on subgenre
Derivative forms:	Alternative rock - grunge - Emo - Grindcore - Post-hardcore
Subgenres
Christian hardcore - D-beat - Digital hardcore - Melodic hardcore - Powerviolence - Skate punk - Thrashcore - Youth crew
Fusion genres
Crossover thrash - Crust punk - Funkcore - Metalcore
Regional scenes
Australia - Brazil - Japan - Canada Europe: Italy - South Wales - Scandinavia: Umeå USA: Boston - California - Chicago - Detroit - Minneapolis - New Jersey - New York - North Carolina - Philadelphia - Phoenix - Richmond, VA - DC
Other topics
Hardcore dancing - Straight edge - DIY punk ethic - List of bands - List of genres

Hardcore punk, now commonly known as hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. In North America, hardcore punk emerged with a new sound, which was generally thicker, heavier, and faster than standard punk rock.^[1] It is sometimes characterized by short, loud, and passionate songs about serious topics such as government, capitalism, anarchism, war, and the hardcore subculture itself. ^[2][3][4]

Contents 1 History 1.1 The big three 1.2 Other early notable bands 1.3 Early media support and criticism 1.4 Early history in Europe 1.5 Late 1980s 1.6 1990s 1.7 2000s 2 Hardcore dancing 3 Influence on other genres 4 Hardcore punk record labels 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

History

In North America, the music genre that became known as hardcore punk originated in different areas in late 1980 and early 1981. Some of the major areas in North America associated with the origins of hardcore punk include: California, Washington, DC, Chicago, New York City, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Boston. At the same time, a British form of hardcore punk emerged, although it would not be known as UK 82, or British hardcore, until some years later.^[5] The origin of the term hardcore punk is uncertain, however one theory is that the Vancouver-based band D.O.A. made the term official with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81.^[6][7][8] However, until about 1983, the term hardcore was used fairly sparingly, and mainly as a descriptive term. (i.e., a band would be called a "hardcore band" and a concert would be a "hardcore show"). American teenagers who were fans of hardcore punk simply considered themselves fans of punk—although they were not necessarily interested in the original punk rock sound of late 1970s (e.g., Television (band), the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Heartbreakers). In many circles, hardcore was an in-group term, meaning 'music by people like us,' and it included a wide range of sounds, from hyper-speed hardcore to sludgy dirge-rock, and often including arty experimental bands, such as The Stickmen and Flipper. Hardcore lauded a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. In most cities the hardcore scene relied entirely on DIY recordings, zines, radio shows, and concerts, due to many bands having little to no access to any means of production. Hardcore punk fans brought a dressed-down T-shirt, jeans, and crewcut style, which contrasted with the more elaborate and provocative clothing styles of punk rockers, such as Richard Hell, Sid Vicious, and Soo Catwoman.

The big three

Michael Azerrad's Our Band Could Be Your Life traces hardcore back to three bands: Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. He calls Black Flag, formed in Los Angeles in 1976, the music’s "godfathers." Azerrad credits Bad Brains, formed in Washington, D.C. in 1977, with introducing "light speed" tempos. He calls Minor Threat, formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980, the "definitive" hardcore punk band. Minor Threat formed out of the short-lived Teen Idles. Carry-over members of The Teen Idles were Ian MacKaye (who went on to co-found post-hardcore groups Fugazi and Embrace) and Jeff Nelson. Minor Threat played an aggressive, fast, hardcore punk style influenced by Bad Brains. The band was responsible for inspiring the straight edge movement, with their song, "Straight Edge". After the Teen Idles broke up, MacKaye and Nelson put the band's concert money toward founding Dischord Records, initially to release their Minor Disturbance EP on vinyl. The record label went on to release EPs by Minor Threat and many other early Washington, DC, hardcore bands.^[9] Black Flag had a major impact on the Los Angeles scene—and later the wider North American scene—with their raw, confrontational sound and DIY ethical stance. The original lineup featured Keith Morris (later of the Circle Jerks), and the final lineup featured former State of Alert singer Henry Rollins, who first sang with Black Flag at a concert in New York City on June 27, 1981.^[10] Tours in 1980 and 1981 brought Black Flag in contact with developing hardcore scenes in many parts of North America.^[11][12][13] Bad Brains formed in Washington, DC. The band members had a varied background in soul music, funk, and jazz, as well as taking influence from heavy metal (Black Sabbath) and punk rock (the Sex Pistols). The single "Pay to Cum" b/w "Stay Close to Me" was released in 1980. Their first album (originally a 1981 cassette-only release from Reachout International Records) included three reggae songs, in sharp contrast to the rest of their music, which mainly consisted of fast, loud, hardcore punk.^[14]

Other early notable bands

Several 1970s bands from southern California released records featuring music that sounds very similar to what later became known as hardcore. One of those records is the Middle Class’ 1978 Out of Vogue EP.^[15] Another band was called Aggresion. It is unclear the extent to which this early record (and the inclusion of the band's music on the 1979 compilation LP Tooth & Nail) directly inspired hardcore. Mentions of them in contemporary publications are sparse, and little notice appears to have been taken of them outside the Los Angeles area. A more influential record was The Germs’ 1979 LP (GI); essentially a hardcore record, not only for its quick tempos but also for its fast chord changes. Also from Orange County, T.S.O.L (formed in 1978) made a name for themselves in the hardcore punk scene with a melodic yet aggressive pop punk sound. San Francisco's Dead Kennedys formed in 1978 and released their first single "California Über Alles" in 1979. By the time they released the In God We Trust, Inc. EP in 1981, Dead Kennedys were playing very fast tempos. Circle Jerks’ first album (recorded in late 1979, released 1980) features several songs with very fast chord changes and tempos. The Misfits (of New Jersey) were a 1977-style punk band involved in New York’s Max's Kansas City scene. Their horror film aesthetic was popular among early hardcore fans. In 1981, the Misfits integrated high-speed thrash songs into their set. Hüsker Dü was formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979 as a post-punk/New Wave band, but soon became a loud and fast hard punk band. Hüsker Dü released the 1982 live album Land Speed Record, which has been called a "breakneck force like no other... Not for the faint of heart."^[16] By 1985, the band morphed into one of the seminal alternative rock bands.^[17]

By 1981, many more hardcore punk bands began to perform and release demos and records, including 7 Seconds of Reno, Nevada who formed as early as 1979; The Neos of Victoria, British Columbia; Negative Approach of Detroit; The Meatmen of Lansing, Michigan; The Necros of Maumee, Ohio; The Effigies of Chicago; SS Decontrol, DYS, Negative FX, Jerry's Kids, and Gang Green of Boston; Zeroption of Toronto; the Big Boys, MDC and The Dicks of Austin, Texas; and Sadistic Exploits of Philadelphia. The Beastie Boys, more widely known for their later hip hop music, were one of the first published hardcore bands in New York City. Negative FX, perhaps the most popular hardcore band in Boston around early 1982, did not appear on record while they were together. They were largely unknown outside their own area until a posthumous album was released in 1984. Notable early hardcore punk records include The Angry Samoans’ first LP, the Big Boys/The Dicks Live at Raul's Club split LP, the Boston-area compilation This Is Boston, Not L.A., Minor Threat's 7" EPs, JFA's Blatant Localism EP, the New York-area compilations New York Thrash and The Big Apple Rotten To The Core, Negative Approach's eponymous EP and the DC-area compilation record Flex Your Head.

Early media support and criticism

An influential radio show in the Los Angeles area was Rodney on the ROQ, which started airing on the commercial station KROQ in 1976. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer played many styles of music and helped popularize what was called Beach Punk, a rowdy suburban style played by mostly teenage bands in the Huntington Beach area and in heavily conservative Orange County. Early radio support in New Jersey came from Pat Duncan, who hosted live punk and hardcore bands weekly on WFMU since 1979.^[18]. In New York City, Tim Sommer hosted Noise The Show on WNYU.^[19] In 1982 and 1983, MTV put the hardcore punk band Kraut on mild rotation.^[20] College radio was the main media outlet for hardcore punk in most of North America. The Berkeley, California public radio station KPFA featured the Maximum RocknRoll radio show with DJs Tim Yohannon and Jeff Bale, who played the younger Northern California bands. Several zines, such as Flipside and Maximum RocknRoll, also helped spread the new punk style. A few college stations faced FCC action due to the broadcasting of indecent lyrics associated with hardcore songs. Concerts in the early hardcore scene increasingly became sites of violent battles between police and concertgoers, especially in Los Angeles. Reputed violence at hardcore concerts was featured in episodes of the popular television shows CHiPs and Quincy, M.E., in which Los Angeles hardcore punks were depicted as being involved in murder and mayhem.^[21]

Early history in Europe

The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and Germany have had notably active hardcore scenes. However, in the United Kingdom, UK82 (also known as UK Hardcore) bands such as The Exploited, Charged GBH, Picture Frame Seduction, Discharge, and The Anti-Nowhere League occupied the cultural space that American-style hardcore did elsewhere. These UK bands at times showed a musical similarity to American hardcore, often including quick tempos and chord changes, and they generally had similar political and social sensibilities. However, they represented a case of parallel evolution, having been musically inspired by earlier London Oi! bands such as Sham 69, and the proto-speed metal band Motörhead. Discharge played a huge role in influencing the early Swedish hardcore bands, such as Anti Cimex. Many hardcore bands from that region still have a strong Discharge and Motörhead influence. The band Entombed is also cited as a strong influence on Swedish hardcore bands from the early 1990s onward. Discharge were a big influence on Metallica as well. In much the same way, anarcho-punk bands such as Crass, Icons of Filth, Flux Of Pink Indians and Rudimentary Peni had little in common with American hardcore other than an uncompromising political philosophy and an abrasive aesthetic. Perhaps closer were bands like The Membranes whose 1984 releases were far noisier than anything the Americans were offering. Many American hardcore punks listened to British punk bands, but others upheld a strict regionalism, deriding the UK bands as rock stars, and their fans as poseurs. American hardcore bands that visited the UK (such as Black Flag and U.S. Chaos in 1981-1982) encountered equally ambivalent attitudes. European hardcore bands suffered no such prejudice in the U.S.; Italian bands Raw Power and Negazione, and the Dutch BGK, enjoyed widespread popularity. In the more underground part of the UK punk scene, a new hardcore sound and scene developed, inspired by continental European, Scandinavian, Japanese and American bands. It was started by bands like Asylum and Plasmid, and their sound — only heard at live concerts and on demo tapes and compilations in the mid 1980s — evolved into bands such as Heresy, Ripcord, Napalm Death, Hellbastard, Doom, The Stupids, Concrete Sox, Jailcell Recipes, Visions of Change and Extreme Noise Terror. Some of the most important influences among late-1980s UK bands included the Japanese band GISM; Boston band Siege, Idaho band Septic Death, Los Angeles band Cryptic Slaughter and Swedish band Anti Cimex; as well as more metallic bands such as Celtic Frost and Metallica. However, by the late 1980s, UK bands were becoming far more influenced by American bands such as the Dead Kennedys (who were always very popular in the UK), Black Flag and many of the early Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and West Coast hardcore bands such as Minor Threat, DYS, Slapshot and 7 Seconds. Straight edge began to make its presence felt in the UK, with the emergence of small straight edge communities in most major cities in the UK, and straight edge bands forming in Durham and London. There were many 1980s bands that could be described as sounding like something in between the styles of the dominating UK and US bands. While the bands that had the most significant influence were parallel-evolved bands such as Discharge and Charged GBH, others, such as The Stupids (a UK band influenced by US hardcore) gained brief but widespread college-radio airplay in the US. Some notable bands from that era in Europe were Crise Total (Portugal), Negazione, Indigesti, Wretched, Raw Power, Declino,(Italy), H.H.H., MG-15, Subterranean Kids, L'Odi Social, Ultimo Gobierno (Spain), Inferno, Vorkriegsjugend, Scapegoats (Germany), U.B.R. (Former Yugoslavia), Kafka Process, Barn Av Regnbuen (Norway), Heimat-Los (France), Lärm, BGK, Funeral Oration (Netherlands), Vi, Enola Gay, O.H.M. (Denmark), Dezerter, Armia, Moskwa, Siekiera (Poland), Kaaos, Rattus, Riistetyt, Rutto, Kansan Uutiset, Terveet Kädet, Appendix (Finland), Headcleaners, Asocial, Missbrukarna, Sound Of Disaster and Anti-Cimex (Sweden). Examples of bands that continued to play that style of hardcore in the 1990s include: Seein Red, Uutuus, Kirous, Kuolleet Kukat, Positive Negative, Health Hazard, Slapshot, Voorhees, Totalitär, Los Crudos, Sin Dios, and Detestation. After fall of the Iron Curtain in eastern Europe, many harcore bands were created or became more publicly known (after hiding in garages and being known by small circles of underground fans). Examples of such bands include Brachyblast, Radegast or Sarcastic Front from Czech Republic, or AMD and Leukemia from Hungary. Hardcore also become popular in Asia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with bands such as Disaster Funhouse, Chronic Mass, Noisemonger and Cramp Mind from Malaysia; 4-Sides and Stomping Ground from Singapore; Tame The Tikbalang, N.S.A., Agony of Destruction, Death from Above, Mutual Assured Destruction and Biofeedback from the Philippines. Also with the help of Take Four Collectives a number of bands are striving to showcase their stuff with Sauna, Bystorm, Play just to name a few; and Disclose and Death Side from Japan.

Late 1980s

In the late 1980s, bands such as NoMeansNo and Victim's Family created a new style of music by blending aggressive elements from hardcore with influences from genres such as psychedelic rock, progressive rock, noise, jazz, or math rock (a development sometimes termed jazzcore). This path was followed in the early 1990s by Omega Minus, Mr Bungle, Candiria, Deep Turtle and Ruins. The noisecore played by Melt-Banana may have been a separate evolution. Other notable hardcore-influenced bands in this genre include the avant-garde Naked City (formed by saxophonist John Zorn) and Neurosis, which started as a hardcore band before exploring slower tempos and dark ambiance. Many bands started to incorporate emotional and personal aspects into their music; influenced by the sounds coming out of Washington, D.C. and Dischord Records, which by the late 1990s had evolved into emo. Nation of Ulysses was one of the most influential bands to come out of D.C.; combining dissonant guitars similar to those of Black Flag, elements of jazz, and a seemingly absurdist (or Situationist) political ideology. Their sound and fashion sense influenced the San Diego (or 'Chula Vista') hardcore scene.

1990s

Further information: Metalcore

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By the end of the 1980s, hardcore became more diverse, branching off into two sounds: one traditionally punk-based and the other more metal-influenced. The punk-focused sound retains much of the style and feel of the original hardcore punk bands, while the more metallic sound, sometimes known as — metalcore — tends to be heavier and often more technical. Biohazard, Judge, and Integrity were some of the earliest bands to mix heavy metal and hardcore. Other notable metalcore bands include: As I Lay Dying (band), Converge, Hatebreed, and Terror. The metalcore sound is an amalgamation of deep, hoarse vocals (though rarely as deep or guttural as death metal); downtuned guitars and thrashy drum rhythms inspired by earlier hardcore bands; and slow, staccato low-end musical breaks, known as breakdowns. Thrash metal and melodic death metal elements are also common in metalcore. Some metalcore bands, such as Biohazard (band), are also influenced by hip hop music, and their music is sometimes described as rapcore. Ebullition Records, founded in 1990 by Kent McClard in Santa Barbara, California, often released albums by bands that criticized the American political and economic system; giving far less attention to personal issues. On the east coast of the United States, bands such as Rorschach and Born Against also played a similar left-wing, almost Marxist form of metallic hardcore. Refused had some success with their album The Shape Of Punk To Come, mixing hardcore with electronica and techno music.

2000s

Many hardcore bands in the 2000s have stuck to the musical roots and ideals of the original hardcore punk scene, although the hardcore scene has evolved somewhat since the 1980s. As the music has evolved, so has the subculture associated with it. Two record labels that have released hardcore in the 2000s are Bridge 9 Records and Revelation Records. However, Revelation has been known to stray from the accepted boundaries of hardcore, with releases by indie rock and emo bands such as Elliot and Texas Is The Reason. In the 2000s, the term hardcore has been applied to some bands that play death metal, metalcore or thrash metal. Typical of this new style are breakdowns and harshly delivered vocals, sometimes verging on death metal growls. The late 2000s have seen the increased popularity of pop punk-influenced melodic hardcore. Along with the reformation of 1990s band Lifetime on Pete Wentz's personal label Decaydance, melodic hardcore bands such as Rise Against have experienced mainstream success.

Hardcore dancing

Main articles: Mosh and Hardcore dancing

The early-1980s hardcore punk scene developed slam dancing and stage diving. In the later half of the 1980s, the thrash metal scene imitated this form of dancing, with bands such as Anthrax popularizing the term mosh with the metal scene. Moshing also started being seen at harder college rock concerts. In the 2000s, the term hardcore dancing often describes a style of dance that features sequences of kicks and punches waved maniacally, not always having a rhythmic tie to the music being played (normally during the "breakdowns").

Influence on other genres

The San Francisco-based thrash metal band Metallica incorporated the compositional structure and technical proficiency of heavy metal with the speed and aggression of hardcore. The new fusion genre became known as speed metal, and later thrash metal. Other early bands in this genre include Megadeth and Anthrax. Slayer are also known for their hardcore punk roots, and have released an album of hardcore covers called Undisputed Attitude. Many longtime punks, who remembered fighting with hostile metalheads only a fews years earlier, felt that those long-haired heavy metal fans were attempting to co-opt hardcore, and were merely mimicking the hardcore punk style. In 1985, New York's Stormtroopers of Death, an Anthrax side project, released the album Speak English or Die. Although it bore similarities to thrash metal — with a bass-heavy guitar, fast tempos and quick chord changes — the album was distinguished from thrash metal by its lack of guitar solos and heavy use of crunchy chord breakdowns (a New York hardcore technique) known as mosh parts. Other bands, such as Suicidal Tendencies and DRI, switched from hardcore to a similar metallic style, which came to be known as crossover. Some hardcore bands began experimenting with other styles as their careers progressed in the 1980s, becoming known as alternative rock.^[22] Bands such as Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, and The Replacements drew from hardcore but broke away from its loud and fast formula. Critic Joe S. Harrington suggested that the latter two "paraded as Hardcore until it was deemed permissible to do otherwise".^[23] In the mid-1980s, Washington State bands such as The Melvins and Green River developed a sludgy, "aggressive sound that melded the slower tempos of heavy metal with the intensity of hardcore", creating what became known as grunge music.^[24] The early grunge sound was largely influenced by Black Sabbath and Black Flag (especially their My War album). Kurt Cobain once described Nirvana's sound as "The Knack and The Bay City Rollers being molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath." The popularity of grunge resulted in renewed interest in American hardcore in the 1990s. The later 1980s and early 1990s also saw the development of Post-hardcore, which took the genre and its contingency in a more artistic and complex direction, much as the groups of the post-punk era did for classic punk. Washington DC, in particular the community surrounding Dischord records, became a hotbead for post-hardcore, producing bands such as Hoover, The Nation of Ulysses, Jawbox, and arguably most importantly, Fugazi, who helped define the post-hardcore scene and included Dischord founder and former Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye. Other important post-hardcore bands from around the country include Chicago's Big Black, New York's Quicksand, Seattle's Pretty Girls Make Graves, Atlanta's Light Pupil Dilate and El Paso, Texas' At The Drive-In. Post-hardcore itself produced other styles including math rock and emo, with many groups in the latter set finding mainstream popularity. The hardcore punk scene had an influence that spread beyond music. The straight edge philosophy was rooted in a faction of hardcore particularly popular on the east coast of the United States. Hardcore also put a great emphasis on the DIY punk ethic, with many bands making their own records, flyers, and other items, and booking their own tours through an informal network of like-minded people. Radical environmentalism and veganism found popular expressions in the hardcore scene. In the 2000s, some pop punk bands, often containing former members of metalcore or hardcore punk bands (such as New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert, a one-time member of Shai Hulud, and Fall Out Boy's Andrew Hurley, formerly of Racetraitor and Vegan Reich) have created a new style by mixing hardcore and pop punk. The pop punk breakdown, in which bands play hardcore -or metalcore- style breakdowns with more melodic chords, has become common. The Offspring are a band whose style shifts between hardcore and pop punk, as well as metal on early albums.

Hardcore punk record labels

• Alternative Tentacles
• Alveran Records
• Amphetamine Reptile Records
• Bad Taste Records
• Blackout! Records
• Bluurg Records
• Bridge 9 Records
• Burning Heart Records
• BYO Records
• Dischord Records
• Ebullition Records
• Epitaph Records
• Equal Vision Records
• Eulogy Recordings
• Facedown Records
• Frontier Records
• Havoc Records
• Hellcat Records
• Hydrahead Records
• Indecision Records
• Lifeforce Records
• Posh Boy Records
• Rabid Cat Records
• Revelation Records
• SideOneDummy Records
• Solid State Records
• Spook City Records
• SST Records
• Striving For Togetherness Records
• Touch and Go Records
• Trustkill Records
• Uprising Records
• Victory Records

Notes

References

• Going Underground: American Punk 1979-1992 (George Hurchalla, Zuo Press, 2005)
• Smash the State: A Discography of Canadian Punk, 1977-92 (Frank Manley, No Exit, 1993), ISBN 0-9696631-0-2

External links

• KFTH Online hardcore discography
• The Punk Vault History of punk and hardcore
• Scanner zine 2006 interview with Going Underground author George Hurchalla
• HCPD Hardcore Punk Directory

•  • e Hardcore punk
Christian hardcore - Crossover thrash - Crust punk - D-beat - Digital hardcore - Funkcore - Grindcore - Hatecore - Melodic hardcore - Metalcore - Oi! - Post-hardcore - Powerviolence - Queercore - Rapcore - Ska-core - Skate punk - Sludge metal - Taqwacore - Thrashcore - UK 82 - Youth crew
Regional Scenes	Australia - Brazil - Canada - Italy - Greece - Japan - Scandinavia - South Wales - Umeå - Yugoslavia United States: Boston - California - Chicago - Detroit - Minneapolis - New Jersey - New York - Phoenix - DC
Other topics	DIY ethic - Hardcore bands - Hardcore dancing - Hardline - Punk ideologies - Second wave punk musicians - Straight edge

•  • e Punk rock
2 Tone - Anarcho-punk - Avant-punk - Celtic punk - Christian punk - Cowpunk - Crust punk - Dance-punk - Emo - Folk punk - Garage punk - Gaelic punk - Glam punk - Gothabilly - Grindcore - Gypsy punk - Hardcore punk - Post-hardcore - Horror punk - Nazi punk - New Wave - No Wave - Noise rock - Oi! - Pop punk - Post-punk - Psychobilly - Punk blues - Punk Pathetique - Queercore - Ska punk - Skate punk - Synthpunk - Taqwacore
Other topics	Afro-punk- Protopunk - DIY ethic - First wave punk musicians - Second wave punk musicians - List of punk bands - Punk subculture - Punk movies - Punk fashion - Punk ideologies - Punk visual art - Punk dance - Punk literature - Punk zine - Rock Against Communism - Straight edge