metalcore bands electronic influences
[Photos by: Enter Shikari/Derek Ridgers, The Word Alive/Spotify, Born Of Osiris/Spotify, The Devil Wears Prada]

10 metalcore bands who normalized electronic influences in the 2000s

During the 2000s and early 2010s, a surge of electronic influences found their way into metalcore as EDM became the biggest genre in music at the time. Warped Tour was flooded with synths and neon skinny jeans instead of mohawks and stick-and-poke tattoos as the flavor of the day became electronicore bands.

While it’s tapered off and been normalized today, there are select groups who helped push the genre to this point. Take a look below for 10 bands who helped normalize electronic influences in metalcore during the 2000s. 

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Enter Shikari

Few bands were as crucial to incorporating electronic influences into metalcore as Enter Shikari. The British rockers were champions of introducing hyped-up synths and bass wobbles to breakdowns and hard-hitting riffs since their beginning. They showed the rest of the pack that they didn’t need to pay attention to genres.

Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through helped the melodic death-metal scene branch out with metalcore in a more direct way than their peers. The symphonic synths layered throughout their music created an entire movement. They brought an epic feel to metalcore with medieval sounds layered over ultra-brutal breakdowns for their peers to take a more serious approach to incorporating electronic elements. 

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada often infused electronic influences in subtle ways. However, they still squeezed in more overt examples of how synths could boost a song section early in their career. As one of the biggest bands to break away from the Warped metalcore scene, many followed what they were doing. Although their sound has drastically shifted over the years, their early electronic influence paved the way for countless others. 

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Sky Eats Airplane

While walking a thin line between metalcore and post-hardcore, Sky Eats Airplane were a huge proponent for pushing forward electronicore and eight-bit electronic influences into metalcore. At the time their albums were dropping, the inclusion of these elements was like a reset button on metalcore. It offered something fresh for fans who were tired of the chugging breakdowns churned out by the scene. 

Attack Attack!

Attack Attack!’s influence on the entire metalcore scene is undeniable. While they became the laughing stock of metal with the crabcore movement, there was much to celebrate as their influence became more apparent. Their music changed people’s views on including electronics into metalcore. With their mass effect on acts who after them, it’s obvious they were a huge proponent for normalizing this sound.

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I See Stars

While they are influenced by metalcore, pop punk and post-hardcore, I See Stars are equally enthralled by dubstep and EDM. Their sound is densely rooted in danceable beats. They’ve had a huge effect with making their music acceptable while pumping out nightclub-meets-mosh-pit-styled songs that became a scene standard. 

The Word Alive

Toward the tail end of the 2000s, the Word Alive brought experimentation within metalcore to a new level. Their Empire EP showed strong songwriting with soaring leads and dense breakdowns. They injected electronics in a more tasteful way that has since informed their approach as they matured their sound.

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Born Of Osiris

While Born Of Osiris’ early releases straddled the line between deathcore and metalcore, one thing that remained present was a digital electronic sound laced throughout their music. They’ve shifted to a much more technological-influenced feel since those early releases. However, their push for this early on was a determining factor in what so many djent and metalcore bands pulled throughout the 2010s. 

Abandon All Ships

Toronto electronicore crew Abandon All Ships were always rooted in metalcore, starting off as a Norma Jean cover band. As they developed their own direction, they pushed forward the inclusion of synth breakdowns in metal. EDM and metal didn’t really make any sense at the time they were doing it. While it’s essentially become commonplace now, this sound wouldn’t be around today without them. 

Crossfaith

Japanese metalcore crew Crossfaith took the hype of dubstep and brought it to metal and hardcore overseas unlike anyone else at the time. Their vocals often incorporated elements of hip-hop in the delivery too, showing they were quite ahead of times by completely disregarding genres.