by PATRICK ROBERTSON Staff Writer
Almost all of the people in this world are completely clueless when it comes to any type of “core” music, whether it be hardcore, metalcore, or deathcore.
Many people just assume it is all screaming about the devil and murdering people when, in reality, it is about anything and everything, just like all genres of music.
The difference between these genres is how heavy the music is; hardcore is a combination of punk and metal, metalcore is a combination of metal and hardcore, and deathcore is a combination of death metal and metalcore.
Many people just refer to all of these genres as “screamo”, which is completely ignorant and wrong. We do not call Adele “singo”, so calling a band “screamo” is incorrect. Most bands of these genres sing in addition to screaming, which makes them even more talented and diverse than most bands or artists out there.
Screaming is much harder than anyone seems to think it is. People have a common misconception that it is just yelling, when in reality there is a technique to it that makes it much harder than singing alone.
One way to really see how hard it is would be to try it for yourself. Listen to any song by a band of these genres and try to do it yourself. If you need an example of a band of these genres, you could try In Hearts Wake, Fit For A King, Counterparts, Hundredth, or Chelsea Grin.
Now if you try and cannot scream, you just learned to be less ignorant.
Another wrong stereotype about these extreme metal genres is that all these bands just sing about the devil and killing people. That is completely wrong, and it always has been. Even dating all the way back to the late 1960s and early 1970s when metal was just starting with bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, people immediately stereotyped them because of one or two lines in a song that could be taken out of context.
Now, it has gotten even worse. For me, personally, I have had many teachers actually ask me if I worship the devil for the t-shirts I wear. I have had plenty of people bully me for the way I look or for deciding to stretch my ears, but that is when I can turn to these bands to make me feel better.
The main message of all of these genres, contrary to those ignorant stereotypes, is to be yourself no matter what anyone thinks, and to always chase your dreams. There is a sense of family and belonging.
One hardcore band, Kublai Khan, gave this speech on stage: “I’ve come to the conclusion, after doing all these shows, that these venues, these walls, are a home for black sheep. This is where people come, and they belong. If anybody outside those walls has something to say about it, ignore them. This is your place and your home. You can do whatever you want and no one will judge you.”
That does not sound very Satanic at all, if you ask me. This is what these genres are all about. Listen to any of these bands and you can see for yourself.
Yes, some lyricists do get angry sometimes and write some angry lyrics. However, everybody gets angry, including those involved in genres smiled upon by the mainstream. Everybody can experience any emotion; songs are a way to express these emotions, whether they are happy, sad, angry, depressed, lighthearted, or anything they want to be.
Just try and listen to any of these bands and listen to the message; do not be ignorant and just dismiss it because they scream and sing. Here’s another list of bands for people that do not know: The Word Alive, Beartooth, The Ghost Inside, I The Breather, Architects, Gideon, and Vanna.
Do not just be a sheep. Listen, form your own opinions, and be your own person. That can be applied to any stereotype there is. Do not just blindly listen to and follow the opinion of others. Do your own research, have your opinions, do not be everyone else, be you.
Do you think these stereotypes are fair? Will you go listen to any of these bands?
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