109-623: New York hardcore (also known as NYHC ) is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle associated with that music. The scene established many aspects that are fixtures of hardcore punk today, including its simplified name "hardcore", its hardcore skinhead and youth crew subcultures, the moshing style hardcore dancing , its association with street gangs and its prominent influence of heavy metal . The scene experienced many distinct waves and deviations in style: early 1980s bands who directly outgrew
218-602: A band which, apart from Bad Brains , has arguably had the biggest influence on the hardcore punk genre, and whose contributions to the music, ethics, aesthetic, and ethos are still widely acknowledged by hardcore bands of the 2020s. The band used faster rhythms and more aggressive, less melodic riffs than was common at the time. Minor Threat popularized the straight edge movement with its song " Straight Edge ", which spoke out against alcohol, drugs and promiscuity. MacKaye and Nelson ran their own record label, Dischord Records , which released records by D.C. hardcore bands, including
327-518: A giant red mohawk and the band continued to wear swastikas , an approach influenced by the wearing of this symbol by 1970s punks such as Sid Vicious . Because of this, the Exploited were labeled by others in the scene as "cartoon punks". Other influential UK hardcore bands from this period included GBH , Anti-Establishment , Antisect , Broken Bones , Chaos UK , Conflict , Dogsflesh , English Dogs , and grindcore innovators Napalm Death . There
436-534: A hardcore scene known as "nardcore" developed with bands like Agression , Ill Repute , Dr. Know , and Rich Kids on LSD . Whilst popular traditional punk bands such as the Clash , Ramones, and Sex Pistols were signed to major record labels, the hardcore punk bands were generally not. Black Flag, however, was briefly signed to MCA subsidiary Unicorn Records but were dropped because an executive considered their music to be "anti-parent". Instead of trying to be courted by
545-673: A hardcore style (shaved head and boots) as being based on needing more functional clothing. Skateboard culture, streetwear, and workwear are also major influences on clothing worn by participants in both past and present eras of hardcore. Music writer Barney Hoskyns attributed hardcore being younger, faster and angrier than punk rock, to adolescents who were sick of their life in a "bland Republican " America. Hardcore punk lyrics often express antiestablishment , antimilitarist , antiauthoritarian , antiviolence , and pro- environmentalist sentiments, in addition to other typically left-wing , anarchist , or egalitarian political views. During
654-511: A landmark for the crossover sound". The Cro-Mags released the crossover album, Best Wishes in 1989, which also heavily impacted the scene. The album was cited as a major influence by much of the 1990s New York hardcore scene, particularly Biohazard , Merauder and Candiria . Youth crew was a movement that began in the mid-to-late 1980s as a reaction against the metal influences being embraced in New York hardcore. Youth crew bands began playing
763-586: A means to oppose the white supremacist currents in their scenes. The most prominent crew in New York City is DMS (Doc Marten Skinheads) from the Lower East Side . Formed in the early 1980s by Jere DMS, the crew's embrace of elements of hardcore, hip-hop, graffiti, motorcycle , skinhead and skateboarding culture, and multi-ethnic membership led to it including members who would go on to form bands including Bulldoze, Madball and Skarhead . The Sunset Skins
872-417: A parody of conservative bands. Another act from Massachusetts, Vile, were known to insult women, minorities and gay people in their lyrics and would even go as far as putting their albums on the windshields of people's cars. On the other hand, Tim Yohannan and the influential punk rock fanzine Maximumrocknroll were criticized by some punks for acting as the "politically correct scene police", having what
981-568: A radio show featuring hardcore called Capital Radio, hosted by Brad Morrison, beginning in February 1979 and continuing weekly until late 1983. In New York City , Tim Sommer hosted Noise The Show on WNYU . By 1984, the Ramones , one of the original New York punk bands, were experimenting with hardcore, with two songs, "Wart Hog" and "Endless Vacation" on their album Too Tough To Die . Minneapolis hardcore consisted of bands such as Hüsker Dü and
1090-579: A radio show in 1977, but branched out into a fanzine in 1982. While not as large as the scene in Los Angeles, the hardcore scene of the early 1980s included a number of noteworthy bands originating from the San Francisco Bay Area , including Bl'ast , Crucifix , the Faction , Fang , Flipper , and Whipping Boy . Additionally, during this time, seminal Texas -based bands Dirty Rotten Imbeciles ,
1199-511: A shift into hardcore. Similar to Black Flag and Youth Brigade, Dead Kennedys released their albums on their own label, which in DK's case was Alternative Tentacles . The scene was helped in particular by the San Francisco club Mabuhay Gardens , whose promoter, Dirk Dirksen , became known as "The Pope of Punk". Another important local institution was Tim Yohannan 's Maximumrocknroll , which started as
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#17328873779591308-474: A sound that called back to earlier punk rock –leaning hardcore acts. The movement was fronted by Youth of Today , who coined the name on their 1985 song "Youth Crew". Gorilla Biscuits and Bold were also prominent bands in the style. Straight edge and vegetarianism were also defining features of this movement, however this led to many older members of the scene rejecting the movement. Because of this, New York youth crew became an isolated entity separate from
1417-459: A style of dance in which participants push or slam into each other, and stage diving . Moshing works as a vehicle for expressing anger by "represent[ing] a way of playing at violence or roughness that allowed participants to mark their difference from the banal niceties of middle-class culture". Moshing is in another way a " parody of violence", that nevertheless leaves participants bruised and sometimes bleeding. The term mosh came into use in
1526-499: A unique style that was based more around rhythm and less around the influence of punk. The palm muting guitar technique was a key aspect of this sound, as well as gang vocals , heavy guitar riffs and heavy breakdowns . According to writer Tony Rettman, in his book NYHC (2015), Yonkers, New York band Breakdown , formed in 1987, were one of the first bands to define tough guy hardcore. The same year Judge released their debut EP New York Crew , which Crack magazine described as
1635-408: Is "usually associated with the further evolution of California's L.A. Punk Rock scene", which included young skateboarders. A September 1981 article by Tim Sommer shows the author applying the term to the "15 or so" punk bands gigging around the city at that time, which he considered a belated development relative to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Blush said that the term "hardcore"
1744-836: Is a symbol attached to the scene which features the letters "NYHC" within the quadrants of an X shape. The symbol was created by the Abused vocalist Kevin Crowley. According to Harley Flanagan , the use of the X was inspired by the crossed hammers on the logo of the English Football firm the Inter City Firm , which he witnessed when in London in the late 1970s. Since its early stages, New York hardcore has been heavily associated with hardcore skinhead culture (unrelated to neo-Nazi skinheads), gang ideology and tattoo culture as well as squatting . In
1853-556: Is also a reference to the sense of being "fed up" with the existing punk and new wave music . Blush also states that the term refers to "an extreme: the absolute most Punk". Kelefa Sanneh states that the term "hardcore" referred to an attitude of "turning inwards" towards the scene and "ignoring broader society", all with the goal of achieving a sense of "shared purpose" and being part of a community. Sanneh cites Agnostic Front 's band member selection approach as an example of hardcore's emphasis on "scene citizenship"; prospective members of
1962-469: Is important in hardcore. Noisey magazine describes one hardcore band as "an all-encompassing, full-volume assault" in which "[e]very instrument sounds like it's competing for the most power and highest volume". Scott Wilson states that the hardcore of the Bad Brains emphasized two elements: "off-the-charts" loudness which reached a level of threatening, powerful "uncompromising noise" and rhythm, in place of
2071-434: Is supposed to be. It's its own form." According to AllMusic , the overall blueprint for hardcore was playing louder, harder and faster. Hardcore was a reaction to the "cosmopolitan art-school" style of new wave music . Hardcore "eschew[ed] nuance, technique, [and] the avant-garde ", and instead emphasized "speed and rhythmic intensity" using unpredictable song forms and abrupt tempo changes. The impact of powerful volume
2180-804: Is the true spirit of punk, because "all the poseurs and fashionistas fucked off to the next trend of skinny pink ties with New Romantic haircuts, singing wimpy lyrics" and the punk scene now consisted of people like Minor Threat, Bad Brains , Black Flag , and Circle Jerks , dedicated to the DIY ethics. Other writers have also attributed hardcore to a reaction against artsy and mellower sub-genres that punk grew into, such as post-punk and new wave . Hardcore punk additionally broke with original punk rock song patterns and visuals, favoring lower-key aesthetics. According to Eli Enis of Billboard magazine , hardcore shows are known to be violent. In 2002, during an interview with Nardwuar , Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra
2289-454: Is thought of "when you say 'hardcore'". It influenced the development of beatdown hardcore , brutal death metal , slam death metal and deathcore . During the 1990s, the sound of New York hardcore bands diversified, with the influence of thrash metal and death metal becoming increasingly common groups like Biohazard , Madball, Skarhead and 25 Ta Life were became influenced by hip-hop music , an influence which permeated through most of
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#17328873779592398-402: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park riot and 1990 departure of Ray Cappo from Youth of Today. As the scene progressed many bands began to emerge that took significant influence from heavy metal and hip hop. Some musicians in the New York hardcore scene cultivated a "tough guy ethos" through use of aggression, criminal violence and gang mentatilites. Over time, many of these bands began to develop
2507-595: The Cro-Mags . New York bands Antidote and Cause for Alarm were among the first that began to explore Krishna Consciousness in both their creative and personal lives, The main influence to on many musicians to embrace ISKCON was the Washington D.C.'s hardcore band the Bad Brains which, despite being Rastas , they "grafted fervent spirituality onto an otherwise nihilistic and antitranscendental genre." The "New York hardcore logo"
2616-538: The Gaudiya Vaishnavism religious organisation the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Although some hardcore punk bands had already made references to Krishna Consciousness in the 1980s, the religion was most prominent through bands established in the early 1990s by the bands Shelter and 108 . One of the first members of its scene to adopt Krishna Consciousness was John Joseph of
2725-727: The Kensington Market neighbourhood of Toronto , Ontario , formed in November 1983 as a response to "a local war with glue huffing Nazi skinheads". In Montreal , The Asexuals helped fertilize a scene that became a necessary tour stop for punk and hardcore bands headed to the Northeast. In the United Kingdom , a fertile hardcore scene took root early on. Referred to under a number of names including "U.K. Hardcore", " UK 82 ", "second wave punk", "real punk", and "No Future punk", it took
2834-694: The Mercer Arts Center in Greenwich Village , where the New York Dolls performed. In early 1974, this early punk scene began to develop around the CBGB club, also in lower Manhattan , featuring groups and musicians like Television , Richard Hell , Patti Smith , the Ramones the Heartbreakers and Jayne County The New York hardcore scene particularly grew of out of the section of this punk scene that
2943-673: The Minutemen , with whom they shared a practice space until both bands were evicted, as well as the Circle Jerks (which featured Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris ). From Hollywood , two other bands playing hardcore punk, Fear and the Germs , were featured with Black Flag and the Circle Jerks in Penelope Spheeris ' 1981 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization . By the time
3052-481: The Outpatients , both of whom would come to Boston to play shows. From nearby Manchester , New Hampshire, was G.G. Allin , a solo singer who, contrary to straight edge, used large amounts of drugs and alcohol, eventually dying of a heroin overdose. Allin's stage show included defecating on stage and then throwing his feces at the audience. The New York City hardcore scene emerged in 1981 when Bad Brains moved to
3161-457: The far-right Proud Boys during their sedition trial for their role in attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. While the early hardcore scene was mostly young white males, both onstage and in the audience, there are notable exceptions. Black musicians include Bad Brains, Fred "Freak" Smith of Beefeater , Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro , and Scream bassist Skeeter Thompson . Numerous Black and Latino members have been in
3270-554: The 1980s, the subculture often rejected what was perceived to be " yuppie " materialism and interventionist American foreign policy. Numerous hardcore punk bands have taken far-left political stances, such as anarchism or other varieties of socialism , and in the 1980s expressed opposition to political leaders such as then US president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher . Reagan's economic policies, sometimes dubbed Reaganomics , and social conservatism were common subjects for criticism by hardcore bands of
3379-411: The Circle Jerks were so far from that. We looked like the kid who worked at the gas station or sub. shop." Henry Rollins stated that for him, getting dressed up meant putting on a black shirt and some dark pants; taking an interest in fashion as being a distraction. Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy's Law describes his own transition from dressing in a punk style (spiked hair and a bondage belt) to adopting
New York hardcore - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-797: The Dicks , Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (D.R.I.), Really Red , Verbal Abuse and MDC were from Texas . Portland , Oregon, hardcore punk bands included Poison Idea and Final Warning , while north of there, Washington state included the Accüsed , Melvins , the Fartz , and 10 Minute Warning (the latter two included future Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan ). Other prominent hardcore bands from this time that came from areas without large scenes include Raleigh , North Carolina's Corrosion of Conformity . D.O.A. formed in Vancouver , British Columbia in 1978 and were one of
3597-682: The Dicks , MDC , Rhythm Pigs , and Verbal Abuse all relocated to San Francisco. Further out of the Bay Area, Sacramento 's Tales of Terror were cited by many, including Mark Arm , as a key inspiration for the grunge movement. The first hardcore punk band to form on the East Coast of the United States was Washington, D.C.'s Bad Brains . Initially formed in 1977 as a jazz fusion ensemble called Mind Power, and consisting of all African-American members, their early foray into hardcore featured some of
3706-584: The F.U.'s , the Freeze , Gang Green , Jerry's Kids , Siege , DYS , Negative FX , and SS Decontrol . Members of the latter three bands were influenced by D.C.'s straight edge scene, and were part of "the Boston Crew", a mostly straight edge group of friends known to physically fight people who used alcohol or drugs. Members of the Boston Crew would later go on to form the band Slapshot , and also included future Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett , who
3815-651: The Faith , Iron Cross , Scream , State of Alert , Government Issue , Void , and D.C.'s Youth Brigade . The Flex Your Head compilation was a seminal document of the early 1980s D.C. hardcore scene. The record label was run out of the Dischord House, a Washington, D.C., punk house . Henry Rollins , who would come to prominence as the lead singer of the California-based Black Flag, as well as his own later Rollins Band , grew up in Washington, D.C., singing for
3924-462: The Los Angeles scene from 1981 to 1984, and it included show reviews and band interviews with groups including D.O.A., the Misfits, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and the Circle Jerks. Shortly after Black Flag debuted in Los Angeles, Dead Kennedys were formed in San Francisco. While the band's early releases were played in a style closer to traditional punk rock, In God We Trust, Inc. (1981) marked
4033-502: The Misfits "crucial to the rise of hardcore." New York hardcore had more emphasis on rhythm, in part due to the use of palm-muted guitar chords, an approach called the NY hardcore "chug". The New York scene was known for its tough ethos, its "thuggery", and club shows that were a chaotic "proving ground" or even a "battleground". In the early 1980s, the New York hardcore scene centered around squats and clubhouses. After these were closed down,
4142-513: The New York hardcore developed early slam dancing into what is now understand as slam dancing. In their distinction, participants may stay in one position on their own or collide with others, while executing a more exaggerated version of the arm and leg swinging of California slam dancing. As fans of heavy metal began to attend New York hardcore performances, they developed their own style of dancing based on New York hardcore's style of slam dancing. Beginning around 1983, metalheads began to refer to
4251-403: The New York hardcore that the style became popularly known as simply "New York hardcore". Through the 1990s and 2000s, the sound was expanded upon by groups from outside of New York, including Blood for Blood , Death Before Dishonor , Terror and Trapped Under Ice . Ultimately, tough guy hardcore became a more dominant sound in the hardcore scene than its original punk-based sound, becoming what
4360-612: The Replacements , while Chicago had Articles of Faith , Big Black and Naked Raygun . The Detroit area was home to Crucifucks , Degenerates , the Meatmen , Negative Approach , Spite and Violent Apathy . From Ohio was Maumee 's Necros and Dayton 's Toxic Reasons . The zine Touch and Go covered this Midwest hardcore scene from 1979 to 1983. JFA and Meat Puppets were both from Phoenix , Arizona; 7 Seconds were from Reno , Nevada; and Butthole Surfers , Big Boys ,
4469-511: The Ritz and CBGB's also quickly became crucial spots for this newly formed scene. Early in the decade, many bands were inspired by the British anarcho-punk scene. Beginning as a part of the larger New York hardcore scene, bands like Reagan Youth , False Prophets and Heart Attack made use of a similar musical style and mentality to their British counterparts. This scene split from New York hardcore as
New York hardcore - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-411: The Ritz . The term was then further popularised by Anthrax 's 1987 song " Caught in a Mosh ". With the popularity of tough guy hardcore came increased violence during performance. To the extent that in the late-1980s, many clubs, namely CBGB began to refuse to book hardcore bands to perform, due to the increasing violence and gang behavior that was present at them. This also led many long time members of
4687-472: The State of Alert, and was influenced by the music of Bad Brains and the bands of his childhood friend Ian MacKaye. The tradition of holding all-ages shows at small DIY spaces, has roots in the early Washington, D.C., straight edge movement. It emerged from the idea that people of all ages should have access to music, regardless of if they're old enough to drink alcohol. Seminal Boston-area hardcore bands included
4796-526: The United Kingdom. Hardcore has spawned the straight edge movement and its associated sub-movements, hardline and youth crew . Hardcore was heavily involved in the rise of the independent record labels in the 1980s and with the DIY ethics in underground music scenes. It has also influenced various music genres that have experienced widespread commercial success, including grunge and thrash metal . Although
4905-474: The all-Latino punk band Manic Hispanic , which also featured Efrem Schulz from Death By Stereo . There are also notable women such as Crass singers Joy de Vivre and Eve Libertine , Black Flag bassist Kira Roessler , and Germs bassist Lorna Doom . Several documentaries, including 2003's Afro-Punk and 2016's Los Punks , chronicle these subcultures within American punk and hardcore. As of 2019,
5014-493: The anti-Bush political activist group PunkVoter. A minority of hardcore musicians have expressed right-wing views, such as the band Antiseen , whose guitarist Joe Young ran for public office as a North Carolina Libertarian . Former Misfits singer Michale Graves appeared on an episode of The Daily Show , voicing support for George W. Bush, on behalf of the Conservative Punk website, and in 2023 testified on behalf of
5123-581: The band Suicidal Tendencies , including Mike Muir , Rocky George , R.J. Herrera, Louiche Mayorga, Robert Trujillo , Thundercat , Dean Pleasants , Ra Díaz, Dave Lombardo , Eric Moore, Tim "Rawbiz" Williams, David Hidalgo Jr. , and Ronald Bruner Jr. Other Latinos in early hardcore bands include Black Flag members Ron Reyes , Dez Cadena , Robo , and Anthony Martinez, Agnostic Front singer Roger Miret , his brother Madball singer Freddy Cricien , Adolescents guitarist Steve Soto , and Wasted Youth drummer Joey Castillo . Soto would later form
5232-570: The band lean further into their metal influence, while incorporating conventional singing and experimenting with rap metal on "Eyes Of Tomorrow". Life of Agony were one of the most prominent, the vinyl edition of their debut album River Runs Red (1993) peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart, and in May 2005, being inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame,
5341-492: The band were chosen based on being part of the local hardcore scene and being regularly in the moshing pit at shows, rather than based on a musical audition . Michael Azerrad states that "[by] 1979 the original punk scene [in Southern California] had almost completely died out" and was replaced by punk music boiled down to its essence, but with faster tempos, which became known as "hardcore". Steven Blush states that
5450-617: The band's own Cabbage Records label. While recording their debut album, An Adjustment to Society (produced by Ryk Oakley), they opened for the Professionals at The Channel in Boston. Former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones became friends with Kraut and recorded extra guitar tracks for three tracks on the album: "Kill for Cash", "Sell Out" and "Onward". The album was again self-released, distributed by Faulty Products . A video clip for "All Twisted" appeared in rotation on MTV , making Kraut
5559-548: The city from Washington, D.C. Starting in 1981, there was an influx of new hardcore bands in the city including Agnostic Front , Beastie Boys , Cro-Mags , Cause for Alarm, the Mob , Murphy's Law , Reagan Youth , and Warzone . A number of other bands associated with New York hardcore scene came from New Jersey , including the Misfits , Adrenalin OD and Hogan's Heroes . Steven Blush calls
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#17328873779595668-409: The community. Largely inspired by early labels like Dischord Records , Alternative Tentacles , Epitaph Records , SST Records , Revelation Records , and Touch & Go Records , record labels are usually run on DIY ethic, collaboration, financial trust, and an emphasis on creative control. Labels within hardcore are seldom large, profit-making operations, but rather collaborative music partners with
5777-541: The crowd was singing the lyrics so loud they could be heard over the PA system. Hardcore vocal lines are often based on minor scales and songs may include shouted background vocals from the other band members. Hardcore lyrics expressed the "frustration and political disillusionment" of youth who were against 1980s-era affluence , consumerism , greed, Reagan politics and authority. The polarizing sociopolitical messages in hardcore lyrics (and outrageous on-stage behaviour) meant that
5886-456: The decade progressed. Nausea were a key figure in the scene during this period, helping to cultivate a new scene in the city based around politics and squatting. After the release of Metallica 's 1983 debut album Kill 'Em All , New York hardcore bands began embracing elements of heavy metal music , especially thrash metal . This event caused the scene to expand, with the average attendance at shows jumping from around 100 to over 400. One of
5995-446: The dream is now 35 years old, so they can go fuck themselves." Steven Blush states that the Vancouver -based band D.O.A. 's 1981 album, Hardcore '81 , "was where the genre got its name". This album also helped to make people aware of the term "hardcore". Konstantin Butz states that while the origin of the expression "hardcore" "cannot be ascribed to a specific place or time", the term
6104-421: The drummer should have listened to a lot of hardcore, so that they can understand the "raw emotions" it expresses. Lucky Lehrer , the drummer and co-founder of the Circle Jerks in 1979, was an early developer of hardcore drumming; he has been called the "Godfather of hardcore drumming" and Flipside zine calls him the best punk drummer. According to Tobias Hurwitz, "[h]ardcore drumming falls somewhere between
6213-469: The earlier punk scene including Agnostic Front , Reagan Youth and Kraut began the scene. In mid–1980s, the Cro-Mags , Leeway and Stormtroopers of Death embraced the influence of the nascent thrash metal genre, helping to pioneer crossover thrash . In mid-to-late 1980s, a reaction against this metal influence saw Youth of Today , Gorilla Biscuits and Bold established the youth crew subculture, which revived hardcore's punk–based roots. However, by
6322-411: The earlier tough guy hardcore sound, Bulldoze, along with Terror Zone, created the genre bu merging the sound with lyrics of gang activity and heavy breakdowns to set the template for the genre. In their wake followed groups like Neglect, Confusion and 25 Ta Life. New York City 's Merauder released their debut album Master Killer in 1996, merging the sounds of metalcore, earlier New York hardcore and
6431-425: The earliest New York hardcore bands to embrace heavy metal influences was NYC Mayhem . In the following years many crossover thrash bands began to form within the scene, notably Leeway , Crumbsuckers , Nuclear Assault and Ludichrist . New York metal bands like Anthrax and Carnivore began attending and performing at hardcore shows, and many original NYHC bands became increasingly heavier and harder in sound as
6540-485: The early 1980s American hardcore scene in Washington, D.C. A performance by Fear on the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live was cut short when moshers, including John Belushi and members of a few hardcore punk bands, invaded the stage, damaged studio equipment and used profanity. Many North American hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirts , jeans or work chinos , combat boots or sneakers , and crew cut -style haircuts. Women in
6649-742: The early Los Angeles hardcore scene increasingly became sites of violent battles between police and concertgoers. Another source of violence in L.A. was tension created by what one writer calls the invasion of "antagonistic suburban poseurs " into hardcore venues. Violence at hardcore concerts was portrayed in episodes of the popular television shows CHiPs and Quincy, M.E. . In the pre-Internet era, fanzines, commonly called zines , enabled hardcore scene members to learn about bands, clubs, and record labels. Zines typically included reviews of shows and records, interviews with bands, letters, ads for records and labels, and were DIY products, "proudly amateur, usually handmade. A zine called We Got Power described
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#17328873779596758-836: The end of the decade, thrash metal's influence permeated the scene again establishing a new form, tough guy hardcore, played by Sick of It All , Breakdown , Madball and Killing Time . During the 1990s, the sound of New York hardcore largely diversified: Helmet , Quicksand and Life of Agony helped to establish the alternative metal genre, while Bulldoze (band) and 25 ta Life pioneered beatdown hardcore and Merauder All Out War and Vision of Disorder becoming prominent forces in metalcore . Furthermore Biohazard , Cro-Mags and Skarhead embracing influences from hip hop and H 2 O and CIV creating music indebted to pop music . The origins of New York's punk rock scene can be traced back to such sources as late 1960s trash culture and an early 1970s underground rock movement centered on
6867-484: The epicentres of metalcore. Long Island's Vision of Disorder were also a prevalent band in the scene, being one of the first bands to incorporate clean singing into metalcore, which would soon become a staple, as well as incorporating elements of nu metal . In a 2005 article by Billboard magazine, writer Greg Pato stated that "with seemingly every local teen waving the VOD banner circa the mid/late '90s, it seemed as though it
6976-506: The established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock " and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics". Hardcore sprouted underground scenes across the United States in the early 1980s, particularly in Los Angeles , San Francisco , Washington, D.C. , Boston , and New York , as well as in Canada and
7085-431: The fastest tempos in rock music . The band released its debut single, " Pay to Cum ", in 1980, and were influential in establishing the D.C. hardcore scene. Hardcore historian Steven Blush calls the single the first East Coast hardcore record. Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson , influenced by Bad Brains , formed the band Teen Idles in 1979. The group broke up in 1980, and MacKaye and Nelson went on to form Minor Threat ,
7194-520: The film was released, other hardcore bands from Los Angeles County were also making a name for themselves including Bad Religion , Descendents , Red Kross , Rhino 39 , Suicidal Tendencies , Wasted Youth , Youth Brigade , and Youth Gone Mad . Neighboring Orange County had the Adolescents , Agent Orange , China White , Social Distortion , Shattered Faith , T.S.O.L. , and Uniform Choice , while north of Los Angeles, around Oxnard , California,
7303-511: The fingers, some bassists use a pick. Some bassists play fuzz bass by overdriving their bass tone. Hardcore drumming, typically played fast and aggressively, has been called the "engine" and most essential element of the genre's aggressive sound of "unrelenting anger". Two other key elements for hardcore drummers are playing "tight" with the other musicians, especially the bassist (this does not mean metronomic time; indeed, coordinated tempo shifts are used in many important hardcore albums) and
7412-599: The first bands to refer to its style as "hardcore", with the release of their album Hardcore '81 . Other early hardcore bands from British Columbia included Dayglo Abortions who formed in 1979, the Subhumans and the Skulls . Nomeansno is a hardcore band originally from Victoria , British Columbia , and now located in Vancouver . SNFU formed in Edmonton in 1981 and also later relocated to Vancouver . Bunchofuckingoofs , from
7521-530: The first hardcore record to come out of the West Coast was Out of Vogue by the Santa Ana band Middle Class . The band pioneered a shouted, fast version of punk rock which would shape the hardcore sound that would soon emerge. In terms of impact upon the hardcore scene, Black Flag has been deemed the most influential group. Azerrad calls Black Flag the "godfathers" of hardcore punk and states that even "...more than
7630-508: The first independent band to be played on the station. The band released a mini-album, Whetting the Scythe , in 1984, and toured the U.S. By the mid-1980s, Kraut had added second guitarist Christopher Smith from Battalion of Saints , and developed a more hard rock / metal sound. Guitarist Holland went on to play for New York hardcore band the Cro-Mags . A Kraut reunion show with all four original members took place in 2002 at CBGB during
7739-665: The flagship band of American hardcore", they were "...required listening for anyone who was interested in underground music." Blush states that Black Flag were to hardcore what the Sex Pistols and Ramones were to punk. Formed in Hermosa Beach , California by guitarist and primary songwriter Greg Ginn , they played their first show in December 1977. Originally called Panic, they changed their name to Black Flag in 1978. By 1979, Black Flag were joined by another South Bay hardcore band,
7848-543: The fourth album overall to be featured. Furthermore, many New York hardcore musicians began to pursue more pop –influenced styles, including. H 2 O , CIV and nearby Lifetime . Concurrently, the scene was primarily based around the Bond Street Café on Bond Street, Manhattan . By 1993, Brownies, Coney Island High and the Wetlands Preserve became frequented venues, and CBGB recommended hosting Sunday matinees. In
7957-515: The genre garnered no mainstream popularity. In hardcore, guitarists frequently play fast power chords with a heavily distorted and amplified tone, creating what has been called a "buzzsaw" sound. Guitar parts can sometimes be complex, technically versatile, and rhythmically challenging. Guitar melody lines usually use the same minor scales used by vocalists (although some solos use pentatonic scales). Hardcore guitarists sometimes play solos , octave leads and grooves , as well as tapping into
8066-511: The genre is still overwhelmingly represented by white males. However, as sonic diversity has increased in the genre, so too has its fanbase. This has helped bring greater attention to inclusivity within the scene. Bands like War On Women , Limp Wrist , Gouge Away , and G.L.O.S.S. have helped bring attention to subjects like women's rights, transphobia, rape, mental health, queer rights, and misogyny. Record labels in hardcore are often DIY endeavors, run by musicians or participants within
8175-427: The hardcore scene typically wore army pants, band T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. The clothing style was a reflection of hardcore ideology, which included dissatisfaction with suburban America and the hypocrisy of American culture. It was essentially a deconstruction of American fashion staples—ripped jeans, holey T-shirts, torn stockings for women, and work boots. The style of the 1980s hardcore scene contrasted with
8284-422: The intent to document and release music for the underground community. Ian Mackaye , co-founder of Dischord Records claimed, "We don't use contracts, lawyers, any of those kinds of things. We are partners – they make the music, and we make the records. From the beginning of this label, people have said that the way we do things is unsustainable, unrealistic, idealistic, and we were just dreaming", he said. "Well,
8393-486: The late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C. , and New York punk rock and early proto-punk . Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism ,
8502-461: The look that was common in the San Francisco hardcore scene as consisting of biker-style leather jackets, chains, studded wristbands, multiple piercings, painted or tattooed statements (e.g., an anarchy symbol) and hairstyles ranging from military-style haircuts dyed black or blonde to mohawks and shaved heads. Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris wrote: "[Punk] was basically based on English fashion. But we had nothing to do with that. Black Flag and
8611-450: The major labels, hardcore bands started their own independent record labels and distributed their records themselves. Ginn started SST Records , which released Black Flag's debut EP Nervous Breakdown in 1979. SST went on to release a number of albums by other hardcore artists, and was described by Azerrad as "easily the most influential and popular underground indie of the Eighties." SST
8720-415: The metal influences grew stronger, consequently some NYHC bands who were previously skinheads started growing their hair and adopting metal looks. Agnostic Front released the crossover album Cause for Alarm in 1986, which led many in the scene to deride them as sell outs . Writer Freddie Alva stated in a 2014 article that "[Cause for Alarm's] combination of heavy metal precision and hardcore energy created
8829-528: The mid to late 1980s, youth crew ideology and graffiti culture started to make an impact on the scene and had a long-lasting influence on the genre. Critics and observers have also noted an inspiration and influence from gritty, urban and/or dystopian films such as Death Wish , Taxi Driver , The Warriors , and Escape From New York . Historically, political stances in New York Hardcore have been varied and sometimes controversial. During this time,
8938-608: The mid to late 1990s NYHC scene. Biohazard's merger of hip hop and tough guy hardcore, in particularly, was widely successful, with their 1992 single " Punishment " gaining significant airplay on MTV . The band's 1993 collaboration with rap group Onyx on the remix of " Slam " was certified platinum and the band would go on to be cited as an influence by nu metal pioneers Korn . At this time, members of New York hardcore bands began to form new bands which played alternative metal including Shelter , Quicksand , Orange 9mm and Helmet . The Cro-Mags third album Alpha Omega (1992) saw
9047-478: The mid-1990s, the New York hardcore scene expanded outward into much of the New York metropolitan area and New York state , which gave rise to Vision of Disorder , Crown of Thornz and No Redeeming Social Value . Bulldoze , whose members were from both Irvington, New Jersey and New York City, pioneered the beatdown hardcore subgenre. Their 1996 album The Final Beatdown giving the style its name. Originated from
9156-602: The more provocative fashion styles of late 1970s punk rockers. Siri C. Brockmeier writes that "hardcore kids do not look like punks", since hardcore scene members wore basic clothing and short haircuts, in contrast to the "embellished leather jackets and pants" worn in the punk scene. Lauraine Leblanc, however, claims that the standard hardcore punk clothing and styles included torn jeans, leather jackets, spiked armbands, dog collars, mohawk hairstyles , DIY ornamentation of clothes with studs, painted band names, political statements, and patches. Tiffini A. Travis and Perry Hardy describe
9265-651: The music genre started in English-speaking Western countries, notable hardcore scenes have existed in Italy , Japan and Brazil . Hardcore historian Steven Blush credits Minor Threat 's Ian MacKaye with starting a "die-hard mindset that begat almost everything we now call Hardcore", which was virulently anti-music industry and anti- rock star . An article in Drowned in Sound argues that late 1970s/early 1980s-era hardcore
9374-402: The newly emerged beatdown hardcore style. Of the album, Revolver writer Elis Enis stated "any self-proclaimed 'metallic hardcore' band of the last 25 years is indebted to Master Killer' s steel-toed stomp." Along with All Out War , Darkside NYC and Confusion, Merauder were a part of a wave of bands defining a newer, increasingly metallic style of hardcore in New York that had long been one of
9483-473: The previous punk sound and added the incessant, heavy drumbeats and heavily distorted guitar sound of new wave of British heavy metal bands, especially Motörhead . Formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent , Discharge played a large role in influencing other European hardcore bands. AllMusic calls the band's sound a "high-speed noise overload" characterized by "ferocious noise blasts." Their style of hardcore punk
9592-485: The record that took New York's "tough guy mentality to new heights". Other bands pushing this sound at the time included Sick of It All , Sheer Terror and Killing Time . Madball , formed in 1988, were credited by Riverfront Times as the band that defined tough guy hardcore, and by Stereogum as "an archetypal tough-guy hardcore band". During the 1990s, they become of the most prominent bands in New York hardcore. Gradually, tough guy hardcore became so ubiquitous of
9701-456: The scene coalesced in Reagan 's first term, the New York Hardcore scene—known in the shorthand of graffiti and knuckle tattoos as NYHC—injected class into the subculture in a way that no other city could. It was a world marinating in poverty and violence. Hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc ) is a punk rock subgenre and subculture that originated in
9810-545: The scene to depart. Some of the mid-1980s NYHC groups were aligned with right-wing ideology and had strong stances on immigration and patriotism, all the while openly condemning racism and nazism . Similarly, leftist groups associated with the scene such as Born Against and Nausea also exist within the scene. Naturally, conflict can sometimes arise between the two groups. Sam McPheeters argues that: What early New York Hardcore bands lacked in distinctive output, however, they more than compensated for in sheer menace. As
9919-545: The scene was emanating in a small after-hours bar, A7 , on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and later around the famous bar CBGB . For several years, CBGB held weekly hardcore matinées on Sundays, but they stopped in 1990 when violence led Kristal to ban hardcore shows at the club. Early radio support in New York's surrounding Tri-State area came from Pat Duncan, who had hosted live punk and hardcore bands weekly on WFMU since 1979. Bridgeport , Connecticut's WPKN had
10028-571: The slower sections of hardcore songs as "mosh parts", while hardcore musicians had called them " skank parts". It was this group, particularly Scott Ian and Billy Milano who popularised the word "moshing". Ian and Milano's band Stormtroopers of Death released their debut album Speak English or Die in 1985, which included the track "Milano Mosh". This led to the term being applied to the style of dance. The same year, moshing began to incorporate itself into live performances by heavy metal bands, with one early example being during Anthrax 's 1985 set at
10137-430: The starting point. In the vein of earlier punk rock, most hardcore punk bands have followed the traditional singer/guitar/bass/drum format. The song-writing has more emphasis on rhythm rather than melody . Blush writes "The Sex Pistols were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry . Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting
10246-470: The straight-ahead rock styles of old-school punk and the frantic, warp-speed bashing of thrash." Some hardcore punk drummers play fast D-beat one moment and then drop tempo into elaborate musical breakdowns in the next. Drummers typically play eighth notes on the cymbals, because at the tempos used in hardcore, it would be difficult to play a smaller subdivision of the beat. The early 1980s hardcore punk scene developed slam dancing (also called moshing),
10355-481: The term 'hardcore' because we wanted to separate ourselves from the punk scene that was happening in New York at the time ... We were rougher kids living in the streets. It had a rougher edge". The scene emerged around 1981, when members of Agnostic Front, Cause for Alarm, Kraut , Murphy's Law and Antidote began to spend time together on Avenue A and performing at A7 in Manhattan . Rock clubs like Max's Kansas City ,
10464-862: The time. Jimmy Gestapo of Murphy's Law , however, endorsed Reagan and even went as far to call then former president Jimmy Carter a "pussy" in a 1986 New York Magazine cover story. Shortly after Reagan's death in 2004, the Maximumrocknroll radio show aired an episode composed of anti-Reagan songs by early hardcore punk bands. Certain hardcore punk bands have conveyed messages sometimes deemed " politically incorrect " by placing offensive content in their lyrics and relying on stage antics to shock listeners and people in their audience. Boston band The F.U.'s generated controversy with their 1983 album, My America , whose lyrics contained what appeared to be conservative and patriotic views. Its messages were sometimes taken literally, when they were actually intended as
10573-467: The typically focused-on elements in mainstream rock music, harmony and pitch (i.e., melody ). Hardcore vocalists often shout, scream or chant along with the music, using "vocal intensity" and an abrasive tone. The shouting of hardcore vocalists is often accompanied by audience members who are singing along, making the hardcore vocalist like the "leader of a mob" commonly known as "gang vocals". Steven Blush describes one early Minor Threat show where
10682-488: The various feedback and harmonic noises available to them. There are generally fewer guitar solos in hardcore than in mainstream rock, because solos were viewed as representing the "excess and superficiality" of mainstream commercial rock. Hardcore bassists use varied rhythms in their basslines , ranging from longer held notes (whole notes and half notes) to quarter notes, to rapid eighth note or sixteenth note runs. To play rapid bass lines that would be hard to play with
10791-433: The wider hardcore scene. From within the youth crew scene, emerged bands like Sick of It All and Warzone , who did not necessarily adhere to all of its elements but would prove influential to many subsequent hardcore bands. Later youth crew bands, namely Judge , began to take heavily from metal, helping to lead to the development of heavy hardcore . New York youth crew began to decline in popularity and prominence following
10900-508: Was New York hardcore screw established Sunset Park, Brooklyn in 1987. Largely made up of Stateside Puerto Ricans , it included members who played in Merauder , All Out War , Direct Approach and Brute Force. It had largely disbanded by 1993, by which time the members of Merauder had joined DMS as their Brooklyn chapter. Beginning with Cro-Mags and inspired by the spirituality of the Bad Brains , many New York hardcore musicians are followers of
11009-446: Was a New York City punk rock / hardcore punk band formed in 1981. By Doug Holland, The original members were Davy Gunner (vocals), Doug Holland (guitar/vocals) Don Cowan (bass/vocals), and Johnny Feedback (drums/vocals). Kraut's first performance was opening for The Clash at Bonds International Casino in New York on June 11, 1981. Their debut single, "Kill for Cash", and second single, "Unemployed", were both released in 1981 on
11118-534: Was an Italian hardcore punk scene in the 1980s that included groups like Wretched , Raw Power , and Negazione . Sweden developed several influential hardcore bands, including Anti Cimex , Disfear , and Mob 47 . Finland produced some influential hardcore bands, including Terveet Kädet , one of the first hardcore groups to emerge in the country. In Eastern Europe, notable hardcore bands included Hungary's Galloping Coroners from 1975, Yugoslavia's 1980s-era Niet from Ljubljana, and KBO! Kraut (band) Kraut
11227-481: Was asked what he believed to be the first hardcore record, he remarked: "Sound Of Imker Train of Doomsday single in the late '60s in Holland. The only true '60s hardcore record I know." One definition of the genre is "a form of exceptionally harsh punk rock". Hardcore has been called a faster, meaner genre of punk rock, that was a stern refutation against it, being more primal and immediate, with speed and aggression as
11336-548: Was coined as D-beat , a term referring to a distinctive drum beat that a number of 1980s imitators of Discharge are associated with. Another UK band, the Varukers , were one of the original D-beat bands, Scottish band the Exploited were also influential, with the term "UK 82" (used to refer to UK hardcore in the early 1980s) being taken from one of their songs. They contrasted with early American hardcore bands by placing an emphasis on appearance. Frontman Walter "Wattie" Buchan had
11445-627: Was documented on the 1982 New York Thrash compilation, with groups like the Stimulators , the Eliminators and the Mad. After the breakup of the Eliminators, the band's bass player Vinnie Stigma formed Agnostic Front . The band soon became the godfathers of New York Hardcore and one of the scene's most crucial bands. Around the same time the term "hardcore" started being used instead of "punk rock". Roger Miret of Agnostic Front asserts that "We started using
11554-659: Was followed by a number of other successful artist-run labels—including BYO Records (started by Shawn and Mark Stern of Youth Brigade), Epitaph Records (started by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion), New Alliance Records (started by the Minutemen's D. Boon and Mike Watt ), as well as fan-run labels like Frontier Records and Slash Records . Bands also funded and organized their own tours. Black Flag's tours in 1980 and 1981 brought them in contact with developing hardcore scenes in many parts of North America, and blazed trails that were followed by other touring bands. Concerts in
11663-467: Was only a matter of time before VOD would become the band to take 'metalcore' to a massive audience". New York originated "hardcore screws". Sociology academic Edgar M. Peralta defined crews as being people involved in hardcore scene who unify "based on reciprocal ties and varying interests, including non-criminal elements such as music or sports, but also including some criminal elements, which often include violence and graffiti", specifically originating as
11772-410: Was perceived to be "a very narrow definition of what fits into Punk", apparently being "authoritarian and trying to dominate the scene" with their views. During the 2001–2009 United States presidency of George W. Bush , it was not uncommon for hardcore bands to express anti-Bush messages. During the 2004 United States presidential election , several hardcore punk artists and bands were involved with
11881-554: Was then a member of the band Impact Unit, and drew the artwork for the DYS album Brotherhood . In 1982, Modern Method Records released This Is Boston, Not L.A. , a compilation album of the Boston hardcore scene. In addition to Modern Method was Taang! Records , who released material by a number of the aforementioned Boston hardcore bands. Further outside of Boston were Western Massachusetts bands Deep Wound (which featured future Dinosaur Jr. members J Mascis and Lou Barlow ) and
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