How to Be a Hardcore Punk
Learn about the original hardcore scene., Listen to classic hardcore., Keep up to date with contemporary hardcore punk., Explore crossover and sub-genres of hardcore.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about the original hardcore scene.
As punk rock became increasingly cartoonish, simplistic, and "mainstream" in the mid-to-late 70s and early 80s, local bands, specifically in the Washington DC metro area, began combining an almost militaristic work ethic in regard to their practice sessions with a DIY attitude about putting on shows, taking control of their own music.The sound also flourished in Southern California and other local scenes all over the United States.
Hardcore punk would become a defining and significant subculture in American music.
These bands were independent of labels and record executives, taking an active anti-corporate and anti-establishment position in the music world.
Before hardcore punk, the concept of an "independent" record label didn't exist.
The music itself fuses elements of metal and jazz with the attitude, aggression, and volume of punk, adding complexity and nuance to the genre.
American Hardcore is a documentary film about the history and ideology of hardcore punk rock, featuring interviews with lots of the importance punk pioneers like Keith Morris, Ian Mackay, Greg Ginn, and Henry Rollins.
It's an excellent primer to the genre. -
Step 2: Listen to classic hardcore.
Whatever kind of music you like, if you want to consider yourself a hardcore punk, it's important to familiarize yourself with the touchstones and defining moments of the genre.
Before you sound off on the virtues of a band like The Used, give the forefathers a listen.
A brief and incomplete list of nonetheless classic hardcore records includes:
Hardcore '81 by DOA Damaged by Black Flag Minor Threat by Minor Threat Bad Brains by Bad Brains Frankenchrist by Dead Kennedys Rites of Spring by Rites of Spring Suicidal Tendencies by Suicidal Tendencies Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen GI by The Germs Age of Quarrel by Cro-Mags , Through the years, hardcore punk has weathered multiple transformations and re-definitions, peaking in mainstream popularity (possibly) in the mid-2000s, with the rise of emo-crossover bands like Taking Back Sunday.
Since nobody likes the old guy who complains endlessly about how much better the music was "back in the day," it's important to get with it and stay current as a hardcore punk.
This isn't a YouTube comment stream.
Find stuff you like and champion it, and ignore the stuff you don't.
Contemporary hardcore records likely to appeal to old timers and whippersnappers alike:
Jane Doe by Converge Abandon All Life by Nails Wasted Years by OFF! Hazardous Mutation by Municipal Waste Hoax by Hoax , Very quickly, any discussion of hardcore can devolve into a shouting match: "That's not hardcore! This is real hardcore!" Nintendocore? Mathcore? D-beat? Arbitrary genres never matter as much as whether or not a particular band, record, or sound is actually good.
Listen to a variety of different sub-genres to familiarize yourself with the sounds and the conventions, but take it all with a grain of salt.
If you don't like it, don't listen to it.
Some common and/or popular sub genres of hardcore punk include:
Grindcore: a mix of the harshest of the harsh end of the spectrum, grindcore combines elements of thrash, noise, and industrial music.
Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, and Meat Mist could be classified as grindcore bands.
Metalcore: a broad mixture of extreme metal and hardcore music, this sub genre generally contains the vocal-stylings of hardcore punk, but with guitar-sounds and texture more reminiscent of metal.
Bands like Bullet for My Valentine and As I Lay Dying probably fit this genre best.
Screamo: a combination of melodic hardcore punk and aggressive emo music, screamo is one of the more controversial and difficult-to-pin sub-genres, because it was commonly tagged to bands like Thursday, The Used, and Taking Back Sunday, bands that alternated high-pitched shrieking vocals with more melodic "sung" vocals. -
Step 3: Keep up to date with contemporary hardcore punk.
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Step 4: Explore crossover and sub-genres of hardcore.
Detailed Guide
As punk rock became increasingly cartoonish, simplistic, and "mainstream" in the mid-to-late 70s and early 80s, local bands, specifically in the Washington DC metro area, began combining an almost militaristic work ethic in regard to their practice sessions with a DIY attitude about putting on shows, taking control of their own music.The sound also flourished in Southern California and other local scenes all over the United States.
Hardcore punk would become a defining and significant subculture in American music.
These bands were independent of labels and record executives, taking an active anti-corporate and anti-establishment position in the music world.
Before hardcore punk, the concept of an "independent" record label didn't exist.
The music itself fuses elements of metal and jazz with the attitude, aggression, and volume of punk, adding complexity and nuance to the genre.
American Hardcore is a documentary film about the history and ideology of hardcore punk rock, featuring interviews with lots of the importance punk pioneers like Keith Morris, Ian Mackay, Greg Ginn, and Henry Rollins.
It's an excellent primer to the genre.
Whatever kind of music you like, if you want to consider yourself a hardcore punk, it's important to familiarize yourself with the touchstones and defining moments of the genre.
Before you sound off on the virtues of a band like The Used, give the forefathers a listen.
A brief and incomplete list of nonetheless classic hardcore records includes:
Hardcore '81 by DOA Damaged by Black Flag Minor Threat by Minor Threat Bad Brains by Bad Brains Frankenchrist by Dead Kennedys Rites of Spring by Rites of Spring Suicidal Tendencies by Suicidal Tendencies Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen GI by The Germs Age of Quarrel by Cro-Mags , Through the years, hardcore punk has weathered multiple transformations and re-definitions, peaking in mainstream popularity (possibly) in the mid-2000s, with the rise of emo-crossover bands like Taking Back Sunday.
Since nobody likes the old guy who complains endlessly about how much better the music was "back in the day," it's important to get with it and stay current as a hardcore punk.
This isn't a YouTube comment stream.
Find stuff you like and champion it, and ignore the stuff you don't.
Contemporary hardcore records likely to appeal to old timers and whippersnappers alike:
Jane Doe by Converge Abandon All Life by Nails Wasted Years by OFF! Hazardous Mutation by Municipal Waste Hoax by Hoax , Very quickly, any discussion of hardcore can devolve into a shouting match: "That's not hardcore! This is real hardcore!" Nintendocore? Mathcore? D-beat? Arbitrary genres never matter as much as whether or not a particular band, record, or sound is actually good.
Listen to a variety of different sub-genres to familiarize yourself with the sounds and the conventions, but take it all with a grain of salt.
If you don't like it, don't listen to it.
Some common and/or popular sub genres of hardcore punk include:
Grindcore: a mix of the harshest of the harsh end of the spectrum, grindcore combines elements of thrash, noise, and industrial music.
Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, and Meat Mist could be classified as grindcore bands.
Metalcore: a broad mixture of extreme metal and hardcore music, this sub genre generally contains the vocal-stylings of hardcore punk, but with guitar-sounds and texture more reminiscent of metal.
Bands like Bullet for My Valentine and As I Lay Dying probably fit this genre best.
Screamo: a combination of melodic hardcore punk and aggressive emo music, screamo is one of the more controversial and difficult-to-pin sub-genres, because it was commonly tagged to bands like Thursday, The Used, and Taking Back Sunday, bands that alternated high-pitched shrieking vocals with more melodic "sung" vocals.
About the Author
Joyce Wells
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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