Metalcore

History and character

Metalcore is the fusion of extreme metal and hardcore punk. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Converge, Earth Crisis, Integrity, Hatebreed (closer to hardcore), Shai Hulud, Zao, Botch and Poison the Well, and became popular in the early 2000s with melodic metalcore influenced by Gothenburg Swedish death metal: Killswitch Engage (Alive or Just Breathing, 2002; The End of Heartache, 2004), Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Trivium, All That Remains, Unearth, August Burns Red, Bullet for My Valentine (United Kingdom), Parkway Drive (Australia).

In the 2010s came the generation of Bring Me the Horizon (from deathcore to electronic and pop metalcore), Architects, While She Sleeps, Of Mice & Men, Asking Alexandria, Wage War, Northlane, and in the 2020s Spiritbox, Knocked Loose (hardcore), Polaris, Bad Omens, Sleep Token (more alternative), with strong influences from electronic music, djent, nu metal and pop.

The language: verses with high-speed palm-muted riffs and screamed vocals, choruses sung in clean, melodic vocals, slow and crushingly heavy breakdowns (syncopated chugs on the low, downtuned strings, in unison with the kick, the signal for the mosh pit), melodic death guitar harmonies, downtuned instruments (drop C, drop B, drop A, 7-string). The production is hyper-precise and compressed (producers such as Adam Dutkiewicz, Joey Sturgis, Will Putney, Dan Lancaster).

Scales and keys

Natural minor (Aeolian)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (W H W W H W W).
• Example in D: D E F G A Bb C (in drop D or drop C the root is on the open string).
• Chords: i Dm, ii° Edim, III F, iv Gm, v Am, VI Bb, VII C.
• Use: sung choruses with VI–III–VII–i, melodic death guitar harmonies.
• Real example: Killswitch Engage — My Curse (melodic chorus in minor); As I Lay Dying — Nothing Left.
• Common mistakes: a chorus that stays on the same power chords as the verse: it needs an opening-up (open chords, a change of register).

Phrygian

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. In C (drop C): C Db Eb F G Ab Bb.
• Characteristic note: b2 (Db): the most-used note in breakdowns (C–Db).
• Chords: i Cm, bII Db, bIII Eb, iv Fm, v° Gdim, bVI Ab, bvii Bbm.
• Use: verse riffs and breakdowns on the open string with the minor second.

Harmonic minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7. In A: A B C D E F G#.
• Use: melodic leads and harmonies (Trivium, Bullet for My Valentine), V–i cadences.

Relative major (choruses)

• Major: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. The chorus shifts the center from the minor to the relative major (Dm → F) to “open up” the emotion.

Chromaticism and dissonance (modern metalcore)

• Dissonant notes and chromatic “stabs” in the breakdowns (Knocked Loose, Architects), chords with a diminished fifth, clusters.

How to choose

• Verse and breakdown: Phrygian over an open-string pedal. Chorus: Aeolian or the relative major with open chords. Melodic leads: Aeolian/harmonic minor in thirds. Modern breakdowns: chromaticism and dissonant intervals.

Harmony

Function

Two worlds: riffs and breakdowns (minimal harmony over a pedal note, minor second, chromaticism) and choruses (emotional four-chord progressions: VI–III–VII–i, i–VI–III–VII, with open chords and an added ninth). Melodic leads harmonized in thirds.

Breakdown

• One or two notes (often the lowest open string and the b2) played palm-muted in a syncopated rhythm (3-3-2 groupings, 3-3-3-3-2-2 etc.) in unison with the kick; often in half-time; the bass may add a sub drop or an 808.

Chorus

• Open chords (power chords with the ninth, add9, chords with high open strings), eighth-note strumming with little palm mute.

Tunings

• Drop C, drop B, drop A (6-string), 7-string in drop A, sometimes drop G#/drop G (7-string) in the heaviest metalcore.

Voicing

• Power chords on the low strings, open chords with the 9 (C5add9), fifth-and-octave dyads, leads in thirds on the high strings.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

4/4 alternating fast parts (thrash/punk beat, double kick, sometimes blasts), midtempo choruses with a full rock beat and half-time breakdowns with a syncopated kick in unison with the guitars. The breakdown is often slower than the rest of the song (10–20 BPM lower) or in half-time, with sharp pauses before the restart. Hardcore “two-step” groove in the verses. Absolute precision (editing and quantization).

Drums

Role

Precise, hyper-produced drums: double kick, punk beat, occasional blasts, and the breakdown as the central moment. Models: Justin Foley (Killswitch Engage), Matt Greiner (August Burns Red), Dan Searle (Architects), Ben Koller (Converge), Matt Nicholls (Bring Me the Horizon).

Kick

• Verses: punk beat or sixteenth-note double kick.
• Breakdown: kick in unison with the guitar chugs (e.g. x..x..x...x.x... with 3-3-2 groupings), often with a kick “roll” at the end of the phrase.
• Triggered sound with a pronounced click.

Snare

• 2 and 4 in the midtempo parts; on 3 (half-time) in the breakdowns; on the offbeat in the punk beat. A sample with lots of body and crack.

Cymbals

• China or crash on quarter notes in the breakdowns; ride on the bell in the verses; a crash every bar in the choruses.

Interaction

• Guitars, bass and kick = a single rhythmic figure; in the choruses the drums “open up” with cymbals.

Sections

• Intro (often synth or a clean arpeggio) → fast verse → pre-chorus → clean chorus → verse → chorus → breakdown (8–16 bars) → bridge → final chorus.

Fills

• Tom and double-kick fills, a quarter-note or one-bar stop before the breakdown (total silence, sometimes with a riser or a screamed vocal).

Sounds

• Samples (modern metal kits), triggered kick and snare, big toms with lots of attack.

Typical mistakes

• Breakdown not synced with the guitars; breakdowns that are too long or too frequent; drums without dynamics between the verse and chorus.

Bass

Sound

4–6 string downtuned bass, played with a pick, bass split (clean sub + mid distortion); in the breakdowns often reinforced by a sub drop and 808.

Role

• Unison with the guitars; long notes under the choruses.

Relationship with the kick

Aligned; the sub drop (a sine wave that falls in pitch) at the start of the breakdown fills 30–60 Hz: cut those frequencies on the bass at that moment.

Examples

• Killswitch Engage — My Curse; Parkway Drive — Carrion; Architects — Doomsday.

Harmonic instruments

Rhythm guitar layering (modern metal)

• Quad tracking: 4 separate takes 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). Sound On Sound suggests, for live-recorded guitars, 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 stays dry.

Metalcore specifics

• 6-string guitars in drop C/drop B/drop A or 7-string in drop A; active (EMG) or high-output passive pickups; EVH 5150/Peavey 6505, Mesa Rectifier or Bogner amps, or simulations (Neural DSP, Line 6 Helix).
• Overdrive (Tube Screamer or Maxon OD808) in front of the amp with low gain and high level to “tighten” the lows.
• Breakdown: quad tracking for maximum width and weight; choruses with open chords, sometimes with added clean guitars with delay.
• Melodic leads in thirds at L30/R30.

Synths and electronics

• Pads, arpeggios, risers, impacts, sub drops in modern metalcore (Bring Me the Horizon, Architects).

Melody and vocals

Vocals

• Contrast between screams/growls in the verses and melodic clean vocals in the choruses (Howard Jones and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, Tim Lambesis + Josh Gilbert, Oli Sykes, Sam Carter, Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox, who does both).
• Sometimes two singers (one for the screams, one for the clean parts, often the bassist or the guitarist).

Backing vocals

• Gang vocals in the breakdowns (“hey!”), third harmonies in the clean choruses, doubles and triples of the clean vocal.

Effects

• Clean: doubles, plate/hall, delay; scream: heavy compression, tight doubles, saturation, little reverb.

Instruments

• Downtuned 6-string guitars or 7-string.
• 4–6 string bass.
• Drums (triggered or sample-reinforced).
• Scream and clean vocals.
• Synths, pads, samples, sub drops, risers.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Jup-8 V — Pad: Supporting pad in modern choruses: wide saws, LP at 4–6 kHz, under the guitars.
• Augmented Strings — Strings: Epic strings for intros and choruses.
• Prophet-5 V — Synth lead and arpeggios: Electronic elements (Bring Me the Horizon): synced arpeggios, filtered leads.
• Korg MS-20 V — Risers and aggressive synths: Noisy risers (noise + rising HP filter), distorted leads.

Song structure

Form (3:30–4:30)

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Modern, compact and extremely powerful: guitars wide yet tight in the low end, sampled and precise drums, bass with sub and growl, heavily produced clean vocals, breakdowns that “open up the floor.” References: Killswitch Engage — As Daylight Dies (2006), Architects — Holy Hell (2018), Bring Me the Horizon — Sempiternal (2013), Spiritbox — Eternal Blue (2021).

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +4 dB at 50–60 Hz; −7 dB at 300–400 Hz; +5 dB at 4–7 kHz. Sample at 100% or blended; compression 4:1, 4 dB; clipper.

Snare

• EQ: +3 dB at 200 Hz; −3 dB at 600–800 Hz; +4 dB at 5 kHz; layered samples; room or plate 1 s.

Cymbals

• Overheads HP 400 Hz; china −3 dB at 3–4 kHz.
• Drum bus: 4:1, 4 dB + parallel.

Bass and sub drop

• Bass split (clean sub LP 200 Hz + distorted HP 250 Hz, +3 dB at 1 kHz); compression 8–10 dB.
• Sub drop: sine wave 50 → 30 Hz over 1–2 bars, HP 25 Hz, sidechained from the kick; lower the bass during the first beats of the breakdown if it builds up.

Guitars

• Quad tracking L100/R100 + L80/R80 (or 2 tracks + re-amp). EQ: HP 70–100 Hz depending on the tuning; −3/−4 dB at 200–400 Hz; dynamic EQ at 100–200 Hz; controlled presence at 2–4 kHz (−2 dB with Q 2 where it “hurts”); LP 11 kHz.
• Sidechain dynamic EQ from the kick (60–120 Hz).
• Breakdown: raise the guitars by 0.5–1 dB and the sub.

Clean vocals

• Chain: pitch correction → EQ (HP 100 Hz, −3 dB 300 Hz, +3 dB 3 kHz, air 12 kHz) → 1176 (6 dB) → LA-2A (3 dB) → de-esser → saturation → doubles L20/R20 (−4 dB) → 1.5 s plate + 1/4 delay.

Scream

• HP 150 Hz; −4 dB at 400–500 Hz; +3 dB at 2 kHz; compression 10–12 dB; saturation; tight double (L10/R10); short room.

Backing vocals and gangs

• Gang vocals wide L/R, heavy compression.

FX

• Risers, impacts, reverse cymbals, sub drops, stops with a vocal delay throw.

Buses and groups

• Guitar bus with a light limiter (1–2 dB) for a uniform wall; vocal bus.

Sidechain

• Guitars and distorted bass from the kick (dynamic EQ); pads from the kick (2–3 dB).

Master

• Target: −7/−5 LUFS integrated (very loud); true peak −1/−2 dBTP. With normalization at −14 LUFS an overly loud master loses impact: consider −8/−7 LUFS with more transients.

Common mistakes

• Breakdowns without weight (missing sub or a weak kick); clean vocals getting lost under the guitars; harsh guitars at 3 kHz; mud at 200–300 Hz.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Killswitch Engage — My Curse (2006); August Burns Red — White Washed (2009); Parkway Drive — Carrion (2007); Bring Me the Horizon — Shadow Moses (2013); Architects — Doomsday (2017); Spiritbox — Holy Roller (2020).

Reference listening

• Converge — Concubine (2001)
• Killswitch Engage — My Last Serenade (2002)
• As I Lay Dying — Confined (2005)
• Killswitch Engage — My Curse (2006)
• Parkway Drive — Carrion (2007)
• August Burns Red — White Washed (2009)
• Bring Me the Horizon — Shadow Moses (2013)
• Architects — Doomsday (2017)
• Spiritbox — Holy Roller (2020)