POLL: What is the best METALCORE band of all times???

I’ve been listening to punk, metal and hardcore for over 20 years now and if I’m being honest, very little “heavy music” is listenable to me these days. Too much boring, generic riff salad and not enough hooks, big choruses and memorable songs. Zzzzzzz wake me up when the blast beats are over ????

That said, there is one consistent oasis of quality (read: good songs) in the vast desert of shit that is “heavy music”: metalcore. Choosing just one metalcore band is like asking someone to choose which one of their children they love the most, because they’re all great in their own way!

In more or less chronological order, here are my thoughts:

While it was never really my thing (too close to ‘Real M*tal’), the KILLSWITCH style of “orthodox” metalcore is undeniably solid. Unlike 99% of m*tal bands, these guys have actual songs with hooks, choruses and dynamics– not just bland, flavorless riff salad ala most of the terrible bands u like. It is clear to me why this band became huge and for example MR BUNGLE did not ????

And then of course we have risecore, which was without a doubt the freshest development in heavy music since death metal. Obviously there were a LOT of shitty, generic bands in this subgenre (for example MEMPHIS MAY FIRE), but it’s pretty much impossible to deny the impact this stuff made on a whole genre of kids. I would argue that ATTACK ATTACK are one of the most influential rock bands of this generation. That said, imo this stuff doesn’t hold up particularly well, and metalcore didn’t get REALLY awesome until after TDWP and ATTACK laid the foundation…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1nnnHCZ6K8

Which brings us to the point where the genre really got interesting: when bands started tweaking the risecore formula. imo I SEE STARS’ second album “End Of The World Party” is one of the genre’s finest moments– the layers of synths and big pop choruses almost make it like FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS meets crabcore (with a ridiculously handsome singer— this kid should seriously be a Hollister model or something). A+++ stuff ???????? ????; this is what I wanted CIRCA SURVIVE to sound like.

Another example of a great tweak on the basic risecore formula is the last album from WOE IS ME. Their earlier stuff is ok, but imo “Genesi[s]” is when they really came into their own. There’s something about the combo of ultra-edited chugs, sound effects that sound like they’re straight out of the trailer for a Vin Diesel movie (my friend Jesse Cannon calls them “THX-core”), and the plaintive, somewhat emo chorsuses that really tickles my pickle ????

Sidenote, this chart from their Wikipedia is one of my favorite things ever– 13 members in 3.5 years!! Also, “unclean vocals” ????????????

I’m also a big fan of what some call HARDCORE-CORE: bands who play something fairly close to Real Hardcore, but with the production values and chugs of metalcore. Like, “if Joey Sturgis produced TERROR.” I consider THE GHOST INSIDE’s 2012 album “Get What You Give” to be the defining hardcore-core album as well as one of the best-sounding heavy albums of all time (thanks to your boy Andrew Wade), with one of the nastiest guitar tones ever recorded. Best wishes to them on a speedy recovery! ????????

It’s a bit hard to label BEARTOOTH, because they combine really dirty, nasty punky-hardcore verses with huge, hooky pop choruses that could easily be on a DEMI LOVATO song and stay stuck in your head for days.

Last but most certainly not least, I can’t possibly write about metalcore without gushing about ISSUES, who are easily the most exciting band I’ve heard in half a decade. I’ve been thinking about what makes these guys so fucking good, and I think the answer is that they aren’t really even metalcore at all. If we’re being honest, they’re basically R&B or soul played with djent arrangements– like TOWER OF POWER with Axe-FXs. This song is a particularly obvious example, especially around 4:15 where they go full-on gospel. That’s something that is just flat out beyond what any other “heavy” band today can do. Whether you like their music or not, it’s pretty obvious that these guys are on another level in terms of musicianship.

But enough about me… what about YOU?? What is YOUR favorite metalcore band?? Note, please do not leave any comments about how KSE/UNEARTH/etc are REAL metalcore and this stuff is all generic garbage. We already know what your stupid opinion is so please keep it to urself.