Emo Hardcore
tagStarted 1985Peak 1989-1995Last big hit 2003
Located in 3 routes
The original 'emocore': hardcore punk's speed and aggression infused with emotional vulnerability and dynamic, personal lyrics. Raw, distorted guitars and pounding drums break into melodic interludes; vocals shift between barked intensity and aching melody. The volatile root from which all later emo descends.
History
Emerged in mid-1980s Washington DC when Rites of Spring, Embrace, and Dag Nasty added confessional lyrics and emotional release to the Dischord hardcore scene, dubbed 'emocore.' Fugazi-adjacent bands and Moss Icon carried it through the early 1990s, seeding both screamo and melodic emo branches.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Emo
- Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life
- AllMusic