5 most underrated post-hardcore albums of the 2000s

Throughout the post-hardcore explosion of the 2000s, numerous bands ascended to stardom under the genre, with big names like Alexisonfire, Underoath, and Saosin making an impact. Soaring into a more mainstream popularity, the 2000s marked a special time for a renewed vision of what popular rock music could sound like, melding elements of emo, math rock, screamo and hardcore. By the late 2000s, post-hardcore had established itself in the U.S. as one of the most dominant and popular genres. 

During the post-hardcore boom of the 2000s, many bands successfully made their mark in the scene, headlining festivals, signing record deals, and selling out iconic venues. However, plenty of the best bands were immensely overlooked in the surplus of post-hardcore albums released in the 2000s. Alternative Press has tracked down five of the best, most underrated post-hardcore albums of the 2000s. See which ones made the cut.  

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Of Machines – As If Everything Was Held In Place

There is no band that has been as criminally overshadowed as Of Machines. While the duo of Dylan Anderson and Bennett Freeman is a powerful driving force throughout the only Of Machines album, As If Everything Was Held In Place, the instrumentals provided by Mark Tanner, Austin Thornton, Michael Matejick, and Jonathan Lugo hold enough on their own to compete for the spotlight. Interchanging breakdowns with electronic transitions seamlessly throughout songs, the high energy instrumentals allowed the band's two vocalists to freely belt out blistering screams on each song. While the band has formed a cult fanbase in recent years due to their post-hardcore pioneering, they were never able to find success away from As If Everything Was Held In Place. Ultimately, the band would disband shortly after their debut in 2009 and was sadly never able to properly reunite for a follow-up release.

Broadway – Kingdoms

With some of the most underrated songwriting and vocals throughout post-hardcore, it's a shame that Broadway never established itself as one of the best bands from the 2000s. Recording their debut album, Kingdoms, with acclaimed alternative producer Cameron Mizzell, Broadway put together a body of work featuring catchy choruses and dynamic song structures. Though there were elements of R&B and alternative rock on Kingdoms, Broadway was one of the most progressive post-hardcore bands, and still sounds as refreshing today as ever. Featuring amazing guest vocals from mainstay post-hardcore vocalists from the scene, Kingdoms delivers a head-thrashing energetic record with soul-baring expression. While some of the members went on to join bands, such as Sleeping With Sirens or Memphis May Fire, Kingdoms remains a powerful body of work and one of the most criminally underrated post-hardcore albums. After a string of follow up albums, Broadway was never able to quite capture the magic of Kingdoms and disbanded in the 2010s.   

Scary Kids Scaring Kids – Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Scary Kids Scaring Kids was one of the most promising and complex post-hardcore bands to hit the scene when their debut album was released by Immortal Records in 2005. While the 2007 self-titled record Scary Kids Scaring Kids commercially climbed the charts (the album peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200), the album never received the accolades it deserved from the post-hardcore community. Recording the album within two months, Scary Kids Scaring Kids is a masterfully constructed 15-track album. From the opening moments of the record, Scary Kids Scaring Kids consistently performs as a whole. The band demonstrates a maturity throughout the record compared to their previous work, delivering consistent song structures and a cleaner, more definitive sound. Tyson Stevens' voice spectacularly moves over the flow of guitars and the chaotic shatter of kick drums and chugging bass. Scary Kids Scaring Kids is flooded with commanding expertise in post-hardcore.

blessthefall – His Last Walk

Before the band recruited Beau Bokan, Craig Mabbitt fronted the debut album for blessthefall entitled His Last Walk. Touching on themes of faith, abandonment, and love, His Last Walk culminates into a greatly underappreciated record. Clean guitar riffs slide through intros and choruses, while heavy hitting bass and thundering drums highlight the musical skills of blessthefall. Handling both screaming and singing duties, Mabbitt expertly executes his glistening falsetto on ballads such as “Wait For Tomorrow” and on controlled chaotic structures like “Black Rose Dying” with undeniably powerful and growling unclean vocals. Released in 2007, blessthefall would go on to release five more albums successfully without Mabbitt while he enjoyed his own fruitful career. His Last Walk eventually became the bedrock which cemented the credibility of both blessthefall and Mabbitt but is still massively overlooked today for its contributions to the post-hardcore genre.

Rosaline – A Constant North

Released in 2009 from Eulogy Recordings, A Constant North was the debut album of Illinois based post-hardcore group Rosaline. Notably engineered by Joey Sturgis and Joel Wanasek, A Constant North is filled with emotional lyricism and hardcore breakdowns. Interweaving multiple genres through the tracklist, Rosaline members all uniquely brought something different to the band. While many bands opted for a cleaner studio sound, Rosaline pushed against their peers and released a post-hardcore blend of unpolished, thrashing emotion. Whether it was the twinkling guitar duet of Ricky Bakosh and Madison Stolzer, the textures of keyboardist Nathan Steinheimer, or vocalist Cody Lumpkin poetically rapping to singing soaring melodies, Rosaline was brimming with talent on all fronts While Rosaline released a modest follow up record in 2010, rarely has post-hardcore sounded as raw, emotional, and experimental as on A Constant North.