Every Metalcore Musician in the World Save for Alex Varkatzas Agrees: Atreyu Didn’t “Invent Metalcore”
Atreyu screamer Alex Varkatzas made headlines today thanks to his music. Just kidding, that would never happen. He made headlines because he said something dumb. Specifically, he claimed that Atreyu “invented metalcore,” a declaration which seemed to be based in both a total lack of historical knowledge about the music he makes and an assumption, based on no facts as far as I can tell, that he started to listening to metal and hardcore at a younger age than most of his peers.
I dunno if Varkatzas was counting on those same peers to back up his bizarre claim, but that’s not what happened. Instead, three famous metal musicians — Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves, ex-God Forbid), Phil Labonte (All That Remains, ex-Shadows Fall) and Brian Fair (Shadows Fall, Overcast) — all took to social media to correct Varkatzas’ faulty assertion. Oh well.
You can enjoy that exchange below. I’ll be curious to see whether or not Varkatzas tries to walk back what he said (presumably with the old “my quote was taken out of context” chestnut). In the meantime, I’d like to congratulate him on achieving the impossible: he made me agree with Phil Labonte.
Everyone knows I invented metalcore ???? https://t.co/vdhHSw6BI8
— Doc Coyle (@DocCoyle) October 16, 2018
In all seriousness, in the modern sense of what metalcore means – technical, metallic, thrash inspired riffing combined with breakdowns & the energy of hardcore & also a blend of screamed & melodic vocals – I think these 2 bands invented (modern metalcore)
Overcast
Cave In— Doc Coyle (@DocCoyle) October 16, 2018
Honorable mentions to Starkweather, Converge, Vision of Disorder, Earth Crisis & Rorschach.
— Doc Coyle (@DocCoyle) October 16, 2018
Oh boy. ????♂️ https://t.co/3d0prYMLoQ
— Phil Labonte, Talent Terrorist (@philthatremains) October 16, 2018
I think @DocCoyle may be right about overcast. Though they didn’t have melodic singing. The European/melodic influence is surely from bands like ATG, In Flames, and Soilswork.
— Phil Labonte, Talent Terrorist (@philthatremains) October 16, 2018
I considered what @brianshadfall did in Overcast to be melodic singing. As well as screaming
— Doc Coyle (@DocCoyle) October 16, 2018
They were first for sure but I guess considering how much melodic euro thrash metal I was into at the time it never struck me the same. I felt like it was way more hardcore. I felt like melodic stuff came after Overcast.
— Phil Labonte, Talent Terrorist (@philthatremains) October 16, 2018
I think the Euro influence is semantics. It was the loudest voice in terms of a metal influence. But not necessary to be considered metalcore. Cave In didn’t have any of that. Still was definitive metalcore IMO. Same with All Out War, Dillinger
— Doc Coyle (@DocCoyle) October 16, 2018
See and those bands all strike me as heavy on the core part and light on the metal. To me they were a precursor. But this conversation is gonna do that. Who is to say who definitely started. Alex is smart. ????
— Phil Labonte, Talent Terrorist (@philthatremains) October 16, 2018
Overcast definitely dipped our toe in both the metal and the core at a time a lot were not but I would point to Zero Tolerance, Starkweather and Leeway as the bands that pushed us in that direction. Cave In were always ahead of the curve in every way. https://t.co/Cy5Il5vemX
— Brian Fair (@brianshadfall) October 16, 2018
Totally. And for the record Overcast formed in 1990 (granted we sounded like a Cro-Mags clone with Hetfield style vocals, check the “Feel The Pain” demo in all its sloppy glory) and the metal influences started creeping in early. By the “Bleed Into One” 7” it started to show. https://t.co/accWzlcV5L
— Brian Fair (@brianshadfall) October 16, 2018
