Deathcore

History and character

Deathcore fuses metalcore and death metal with hardcore elements. It emerged in the United States in the early 2000s and became popular in the second half of the decade: Antagony and Despised Icon (both Canadian) are considered pioneers (although both bands rejected the label); the EP Doom by Job for a Cowboy (2005) is cited among the most influential releases; Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Job for a Cowboy and Carnifex (San Diego) broke through partly thanks to MySpace; Bring Me the Horizon released the deathcore album Count Your Blessings in 2006 before changing genre. Chelsea Grin, Thy Art Is Murder, Born of Osiris, Emmure, Rings of Saturn and Veil of Maya followed.

In the 2020s the genre experienced a revival driven by YouTube and TikTok: Lorna Shore went viral with To the Hellfire (2021) and the extreme vocals of Will Ramos, Russia's Slaughter to Prevail fill arenas, and many bands add symphonic and progressive elements (symphonic deathcore, "blackened deathcore") while keeping the heaviness.

Characteristics: heavily downtuned guitars, death metal riffs, tremolo picking, fast tempos, double bass drums and blast beats, the typical slow, crushing breakdowns built on palm-muted low strings, rare solos; vocals that mix low guttural growls, high screams and pig squeals; personal, angry and violent lyrics (anti-religion, psychological pain, body horror).

Scales and keys

Phrygian (the breakdown scale)

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
• Example in A (drop A): A Bb C D E F G.
• Characteristic note: b2 (Bb): the semitone on the lowest open string, the heart of the breakdowns.
• Chords: i Am, bII Bb, bIII C, iv Dm, v° Edim, bVI F, bvii Gm.
• Use: breakdowns (A–Bb), death riffs with pedal.

Chromaticism, tritone and "dissonance"

• Use: dissonant notes played on the low strings (A–Bb–Eb: minor second + tritone), dissonant "stabs" in breakdowns, harmonics and pinch harmonics.
• Real-world example: Suicide Silence — You Only Live Once (breakdowns and dissonant riffs); Whitechapel — This Is Exile.

Natural minor and harmonic minor (symphonic deathcore)

• Aeolian: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (in A: A B C D E F G). Harmonic minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 (in A: A B C D E F G#).
• Use: epic orchestral progressions (Lorna Shore: i–VI–III–VII and V–i cadences with orchestra and choirs), melodic leads and melodic tremolo.
• Real-world example: Lorna Shore — To the Hellfire (melodic orchestration and tremolo in minor over blasts).

Phrygian dominant and diminished

• Use: "exotic" leads and technical passages (Born of Osiris, Rings of Saturn), diminished arpeggios.

How to choose

• Breakdown: Phrygian on the lowest string, with dissonant stabs. Fast riffs: chromaticism and Phrygian in tremolo. Epic/symphonic parts: Aeolian and harmonic minor. Technical leads: Phrygian dominant, diminished.

Harmony

Function

Minimal and dissonant harmony in the heavy parts (a pedal note, minor second, tritone), with epic minor progressions in the melodic and symphonic parts (i–VI–III–VII, i–iv–V). The impact comes from rhythm, low register and dynamics.

Breakdown

• Palm mutes on the low strings (typically three downtuned low strings) with slow, syncopated rhythms; the breakdown "drop" often arrives after a silence; the bass may add a sub drop.

Tunings

• Drop A, drop G#, drop G on 6 or 7 strings (Wikipedia cites drop A and similar tunings for deathcore and bands like Suicide Silence); 8 strings and even lower tunings in some bands. Exact tunings vary by band and album.

Orchestra (symphonic deathcore)

• Strings and choirs that double or harmonize the tremolo, brass on accents.

Voicing

• Very low power chords, octaves, dissonant dyads, minor chords in tremolo, harmonics.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Extreme contrasts: very fast blast beats (traditional, hammer, bomb), double bass drums, syncopated grooves, and above all slow breakdowns (perceived at 60–90 BPM, often in half or quarter time) with the kick in unison with the chugs. Sudden silences before the "drops", triplets and syncopated figures (groups of 3 sixteenth notes) in the breakdowns, sharp tempo changes. Surgical precision.

Drums

Role

Extreme and precise drums: moves from blast to breakdown in an instant. Models: Alex Rüdinger and Austin Archey (Lorna Shore, Whitechapel), Alex Lopez (Suicide Silence), Lee Stanton (Thy Art Is Murder), Ben Harclerode (Whitechapel).

Kick

• Blasts (alternating or in continuous sixteenth notes), double bass drums, in unison with the chugs in the breakdowns (with groups of 3 sixteenth notes and rests).
• Triggered sound with extreme click (5–8 kHz) and controlled sub.

Snare

• Blasts; on beat 3 or every 2 bars in the breakdowns (the "quarter time" makes the breakdown even slower).

Cymbals

• China on quarter notes or half notes in the breakdowns, crash and stack; ride in the blasts.

Interaction

• Guitars, bass, kick and sub drop as a single hit; total silence before the breakdown.

Sections

• Intro (orchestra or riff) → blast with tremolo → groove → pre-breakdown with stops → breakdown → symphonic or melodic section → blast → final breakdown.

Fills

• Very fast tom fills, kick fills (double bass rolls), stops.

Sounds

• Modern samples (clicky kick, big snare, deep toms), hyper-edited production.

Typical mistakes

• Breakdowns without silence and without sub; blasts with cymbals covering everything; kick disappearing under the downtuned guitars.

Bass

Sound

5–6-string bass downtuned to the extreme, bass split (clean sub + distortion), often accompanied by sub drops and 808s in the breakdowns.

Role

• Unison with the riff; in the breakdowns, long notes or chugs with the kick.

Relationship with the kick

The lowest notes (A1 about 55 Hz, G#1 about 52 Hz, F#1 about 46 Hz in extreme tunings) overlap with the kick: dynamic EQ and sidechain are mandatory.

Examples

• Whitechapel — This Is Exile; Lorna Shore — To the Hellfire; Thy Art Is Murder — Reign of Darkness.

Harmonic instruments

Rhythm guitar layering (modern metal)

• Quad tracking: 4 separate performances of the same riff (never copies: you need the micro-differences for width), two per side: L100 + L80 and R100 + R80 (or all four at L100/R100 if you want maximum width).
• Different amps per side or per pair: for example Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier + Peavey/EVH 5150 (or their simulations), or the same amp with two different cabinet IRs (Mesa 4x12 with V30 + Marshall 1960 with Greenback). For guitars recorded live, Sound On Sound suggests two amps with contrasting/complementary tones panned hard left and right.
• Double vs. quad: double tracking (L100/R100) is more defined and "tight"; quad tracking is bigger but less precise. Thrash and technical death prefer 2 very precise tracks; modern metalcore, deathcore and djent often use 4 tracks or 2 tracks + re-amp.
• Always record a DI: it lets you re-amp and change the sound in the mix.
• Leads and harmonies: center or L30/R30 (third harmonies, one per side), with delay and reverb; the rhythm guitars stay dry.

Deathcore specifics

• 6 strings in drop A/G#/G or 7–8 strings, very thick strings, active pickups; high-gain amps (5150/6505, Rectifier) or simulations; overdrive in front to tighten the extreme low end; aggressive gate.
• Quad tracking for the breakdowns; tremolo and harmonized leads in the center or L30/R30.
• Orchestra and choirs (Lorna Shore, Shadow of Intent): strings, brass, choirs as in symphonic metal, above the guitar register.

Melody and vocals

Vocals

• Very low guttural growl (lows), high scream (highs), pig squeal (inhaled or exhaled with a "piggy" resonance), "fry" and extreme techniques; Will Ramos (Lorna Shore) is a modern reference for tonal variety; Mitch Lucker, Phil Bozeman, Alex Terrible.
• The vocals are rhythmic and follow the breakdown; melodic choruses are rare (sometimes choirs or clean vocals in symphonic deathcore).

Backing vocals

• Stacks of overlapping growls and highs (L/R), gang vocals in the breakdowns, orchestral choirs.

Effects

• Extreme compression, saturation, tight doubles, sometimes downward pitch shift or octave "layering"; little reverb.

Instruments

• 6–8-string guitars in extreme tunings.
• 5–6-string bass, sub drop, 808.
• Triggered drums with double bass drums.
• Extreme vocals (growl, scream, squeal).
• Orchestra and choirs (symphonic deathcore), synths and samples.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Augmented Strings — Orchestra: Strings and brass of symphonic deathcore: string tremolo and full chords over the breakdowns.
• Augmented Voices — Choirs: Epic and liturgical choirs (Lorna Shore style) over minor progressions.
• Modular V — Noises and drones: Low drones, risers and horror noises for intros and transitions.
• Korg MS-20 V — Aggressive synths and risers: Noisy risers and sub drops (sine oscillator with pitch envelope).

Song structure

Form (3:30–6:00)

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Extreme heaviness with low-end control: sub and very low guitars without mud, a kick that cuts through, extreme vocals intelligible as a "sound", orchestra (if present) above the wall. References: Whitechapel — This Is Exile (2008), Suicide Silence — No Time to Bleed (2009), Thy Art Is Murder — Holy War (2015), Lorna Shore — Pain Remains (2022).

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +4 dB at 50–60 Hz; −8 dB at 300–400 Hz; +6 dB at 5–8 kHz. Short sample; clipper.

Snare

• EQ: +3 dB at 200 Hz; −3 dB at 800 Hz; +4 dB at 5 kHz; samples; short room.

Cymbals

• China −3 dB at 3–4 kHz; overheads HP 500 Hz.
• Drum bus: 4:1, 3–4 dB.

Bass and sub

• Bass split (sub LP 100 Hz, distorted HP 200 Hz, +3 dB at 1 kHz); compression 10 dB.
• Sub drop: 40 → 25 Hz, HP 20 Hz, sidechain from the kick; limit the sub so it doesn't saturate the master.

Guitars

• Quad L100/R100 + L80/R80; EQ: HP 60–80 Hz (drop A/G#); −4/−5 dB at 200–300 Hz; dynamic EQ at 80–150 Hz; +2 dB at 1 kHz; −3 dB at 3–4 kHz; LP 10 kHz.
• Sidechain dynamic EQ keyed from the kick (50–120 Hz, −3 dB).

Orchestra and choirs

• Above the guitars in frequency (HP 200–300 Hz on high strings), single hall; brass L/R.

Extreme vocals

• Lows: HP 70–80 Hz, −4 dB at 300–500 Hz, +2 dB at 1–2 kHz, compression 12 dB, saturation.
• Highs: HP 200 Hz, −3 dB at 500 Hz, +3 dB at 3 kHz, compression 10 dB.
• Layer lows + highs in the center or L10/R10; short room or none.

FX

• Risers, impacts, reverses, automated silences.

Buses and groups

• "Low end" bus (kick + bass + sub + guitars below 150 Hz) controlled with multiband; guitar bus with a light limiter.

Sidechain

• Essential on bass, sub and guitars from the kick.

Master

• Target: −7/−5 LUFS integrated; true peak −1/−2 dBTP. Check the sub with an analyzer: an excess at 30–50 Hz "eats" the limiter.

Common mistakes

• Uncontrolled low end; kick without click; vocals that sound like undefined noise (you need presence at 1–3 kHz); orchestra getting lost.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Job for a Cowboy — Entombment of a Machine (2005); Suicide Silence — You Only Live Once (2011); Whitechapel — This Is Exile (2008); Thy Art Is Murder — Holy War (2015); Lorna Shore — To the Hellfire (2021); Slaughter to Prevail — Bratva (2021).

Reference listening

• Despised Icon — Bulletproof Scales (2007)
• Job for a Cowboy — Entombment of a Machine (2005)
• Bring Me the Horizon — Pray for Plagues (2006)
• Whitechapel — This Is Exile (2008)
• Suicide Silence — You Only Live Once (2011)
• Chelsea Grin — Recreant (2011)
• Thy Art Is Murder — Holy War (2015)
• Lorna Shore — To the Hellfire (2021)
• Slaughter to Prevail — Bratva (2021)