definitions of hardcore music are widely different, so this definition is meant as a guide. hardcore did originally grow out of punk somwhere along the line in the 80's. and when i say punk, i mean punk in the ballpark of the Misfits. it began to stand on its own in the early 90's with a few pioneering bands. these early bands were very unpolished, but people looking for the heaviest sound possible became the first fans. throughout the 90's, the line between hardcore and metal thinned, because at the same time some metal bands were also finding a heavier sound.
now skip ahead to the present. at this point, that heavy metal/90's hardcore gap has been closed. however there is a new barrier. everything changed when bands like Terror, Hoods, and Madball started hitting the scene (for lack of a better word). there is no denying the difference between Terror and Unearth. now that awful term "metalcore" has come about. Unearth leans sounds sort of hardcore, but they are metal. Terror is 'straight up' hardcore. kids who listen to Terror know that what they listen to is heavier than what Unearth kids listen to. so as far as they're concerned, Unearth IS NOT hardcore. so now there is 'hardcore' and there is 'real hardcore' or 'straight up hardcore'. THERE IS A DEFINATE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO STYLES OF MUSIC.
most fans of 'straight up hardcore' accept and like 'hardcore' music, but dont like it being called hardcore. and they dont like 'hardcore' kids trying to act tough, because they know the music they listen to is tougher. so as much as i am against terms like "metalcore" it is probably a good idea to start using them because of the difference between the metal side and hardcore side.
there is no 'hardcorest' music, just hardcore. if something more hardcore comes along, then that becomes the definition of hardcore. thats why bands like Terror are taking the term for themselves with little opposition; because they are right to. when critics hail their album saying "this is what hardcore is supposed to sound like" there is little arguing that its for real.

Intense. Relentless.

A branch of underground/indie music influenced by faster abrasive punk rock. Originating in the early 80’s as a variant of punk rock, hardcore evolved to a modern sound that can be compared to non commercial metal. The constant themes range from Straight Edge, to Politics, to Positive and Negative.

Bands range from Minor Threat from the 80’s to One Fifth, or Unearth of today.

There was a time when hardcore was more than music, it was a movement. Anyone, regardless of how well they could play an instrument could express themselves musically in ways too agressive, too brutal and in most circumstances too honest for even edgy mainstream music. It was a time when bands were willing to push the envelope while breaking all the rules, and didn't let the fact that they had to do it all by themselves stop them. True hardcore is an unstopable messege, totally seperate from the countless trends (from Bleached hair to Girl Jeans) that have come and gone. It's going to a show with 9 kids or 1000 kids who are perfect strangers or your best friends, and knowing that everyone in the room with a soul is compelled with the same unmatched intensity, to "think how they want to think", to "do what they know is right" to "be what they want to be" and never let anyone even think they can stop them.

I think over the years we've all gotten spoiled to the point where we don't care about much more than what we have, how many "babes we can slay" (if you're a dude) and above all else, our social status. People get so caught up in that shit that they can't undertand the value of something that doesn't provide any material benefit or make them appear special in whatever way, yet it has the capacity to empower every kid to live life to the fullest, be his/herself and have a shit-ton of fun in the process.
I think it's unfortunate that people these days pick out all the ...

A genre of music that started long ago from the punk movement. Eventually, it died down and now hardcore has become heavily confused with overrated untalented whiny-ass screamo/emo/trendXcore bands such as Atreyu, Norma Jean, and pretty much any other band worshipped by "scenesters"

1) Can act as a modifier for a word or phrase, making it more severe.
2) When used alone, used to denote something noteworthy, like saying "awesome" or "rad".

A variety of punk rock originating in the US in the early '80s. It involves shouted vocals (as opposed to growled) with a fast, aggressive tempo and a guitar sound featuring quick chord changes. Minor Threat, Bad Brains, SSD, and the Circle Jerks are known for this style. By 1986, a new style of hardcore came out of the New York scene. The NYHC scene added mosh breakdowns to mix, but the music retained its fast aggressive nature. This spawned the youth crew scene, a positive straight edge scene featuring such bands as Youth of Today, Chain of Strength, and the Gorilla Biscuits. Judge is a notable band from this era that added some metal style to their riffs. In the 90s hardcore took many different direction, bands like Lifetime and Turning Point took the late '80s sound (particularly the melodic approach pioneered by the Gorilla Biscuits) and added a softer sung vocals and the lyrical approach of DC bands like the Rites of Spring and Dag Nasty. Other bands like Earth Crisis mixed hardcore with death metal growls and slow brutal guitars. Today many bands continue to play the early '80s fast, thrashy style as well as the so-called '88 or youth crew style, while still others have taken the sound of bands like Earth Crisis farther and mixed in more metal elements such as double bass drumming. Hardcore refers to all of these styles, though metalcore is best used to identify bands like Throwdown or Converge (who don't really sound anything alike but both mix metal and ha...

A genre of porn, usually involving both men and women, banging each other. Usually looks like a bunch of apes in mating season. A related offshoot of this is bukkake.

This title was based off the definition of hardcore as something that is intense or very strong.