These 10 metalcore bands used electronics to make things even heavier
Metalcore has always been about the pursuit of extremity. Furious tempos, warp-speed guitar shredding and painful throat-shearing were the hallmarks of the sound. But in the later part of the 2000s and throughout the following decade, the game changed a bit. The shredders started listening to dubstep or maybe their honeys took them to Electric Daisy Carnival. Whatever the reason, metalcore bands starting using electronics to achieve new levels of extremity. This APTV video runs down some of the forces at large.
What’s great about these bands is that none of them actually sound the same. The metalcore outfits experimenting with electronics, synthesizers and hostile digital noise had different motives. Some were looking for new methods to add girth to their sound. Others wanted to blur the lines between dance clubs and mosh pits. A couple of them liked straight-up pop music and there wasn’t a damn thing you were going to do about it. (Except you know, dance.)
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We’re not sure who actually coined the term “electronicore.” The first time we ever heard the term “ravecore” was when one of these bands toured America for the first time. (Pardon our spoiler.) There were a lot of bands looking to bridge the gap between EDM events and the scene as we know it. And for the most part they did. There were a few dudes from the Midwest that helped condition our ears. And a few more from overseas that blew our minds when we saw them throw down.
The evolution of electronic metalcore bands has made for some great forward motion. The number of scene staples who have been working with EDM artists has picked up significantly in the last few years. Some of these collabs bring the dark vibes and others positively spit fire. Which is great. Living in playlist culture has taught us not to get up on specific genres. Because when seemingly unlikely collaborators team up to do things, it moves things along in the best of ways.
