Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression
and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of
creative expression initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock.
Like post-punk, the term has been applied to a broad constellation of
groups. Post-hardcore began in the 1980s with bands like Hüsker Dü
and Minutemen. The genre expanded in the 1980s and 1990s with releases
by bands from cities that had established hardcore scenes, such as
Fugazi from Washington, D.C. as well as groups such as Big Black and
Jawbox that stuck closer to post-hardcore's noise rock roots. In the
2000s, post-hardcore achieved mainstream success with the popularity
of bands like My Chemical Romance, AFI, Underoath, Hawthorne Heights,
The Used, At the Drive-In and Senses Fail. In the 2010s, post-hardcore
bands like Sleeping with Sirens and Pierce the Veil achieved success
and bands like Title Fight and La Dispute experienced underground
popularity.Hardcore punk typically features very fast tempos, loud
volume, and heavy bass levels, as well as a "do-it-yourself" ethic.
Music database AllMusic stated "these newer bands, termed
post-hardcore, often found complex and dynamic ways of blowing off
steam that generally went outside the strict hardcore realm of 'loud
fast rules'. Additionally, many of these bands' vocalists were just as
likely to deliver their lyrics with a whispered croon as they were a
maniacal yelp." Allmusic also claims that post-hardcore bands find
creative ways to build and release tension rather than "airing their
dirty laundry in short, sharp, frenetic bursts". Jeff Terich of
Treblezine stated, "Instead of sticking to hardcore's rigid
constraints, these artists expanded beyond power chords and gang
vocals, incorporating more creative outlets for punk rock energy."
British post-punk of the late 1970s and early 1980s has been seen as
influential on the musical development of post-hardcore bands. As the
genre progressed, some of these groups also experimented with a wide
array of influences, including soul, dub, funk, jazz, and dance-punk.
It has also been noted that since some post-hardcore bands included
members that were rooted in the beginnings of hardcore punk, some of
them were able to expand their sound as they became more skilled
musicians.Groups such as Saccharine Trust, Naked Raygun, and The
Effigies, which were active around the early 1980s, are considered to
be forerunners to the post-hardcore genre. Chicago's Naked Raygun,
formed in 1981, has been seen as merging post-punk influences of bands
such as Wire and Gang of Four with hardcore punk, while author Steven
Blush notes the band's use of "oblique lyrics and stark post-punk
melodies". Similarly, The Effigies, who also hailed from the Chicago
scene, released music influenced by the hardcore of Minor Threat and
the British post-punk of bands like The Stranglers, Killing Joke, and
The Ruts.
and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of
creative expression initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock.
Like post-punk, the term has been applied to a broad constellation of
groups. Post-hardcore began in the 1980s with bands like Hüsker Dü
and Minutemen. The genre expanded in the 1980s and 1990s with releases
by bands from cities that had established hardcore scenes, such as
Fugazi from Washington, D.C. as well as groups such as Big Black and
Jawbox that stuck closer to post-hardcore's noise rock roots. In the
2000s, post-hardcore achieved mainstream success with the popularity
of bands like My Chemical Romance, AFI, Underoath, Hawthorne Heights,
The Used, At the Drive-In and Senses Fail. In the 2010s, post-hardcore
bands like Sleeping with Sirens and Pierce the Veil achieved success
and bands like Title Fight and La Dispute experienced underground
popularity.Hardcore punk typically features very fast tempos, loud
volume, and heavy bass levels, as well as a "do-it-yourself" ethic.
Music database AllMusic stated "these newer bands, termed
post-hardcore, often found complex and dynamic ways of blowing off
steam that generally went outside the strict hardcore realm of 'loud
fast rules'. Additionally, many of these bands' vocalists were just as
likely to deliver their lyrics with a whispered croon as they were a
maniacal yelp." Allmusic also claims that post-hardcore bands find
creative ways to build and release tension rather than "airing their
dirty laundry in short, sharp, frenetic bursts". Jeff Terich of
Treblezine stated, "Instead of sticking to hardcore's rigid
constraints, these artists expanded beyond power chords and gang
vocals, incorporating more creative outlets for punk rock energy."
British post-punk of the late 1970s and early 1980s has been seen as
influential on the musical development of post-hardcore bands. As the
genre progressed, some of these groups also experimented with a wide
array of influences, including soul, dub, funk, jazz, and dance-punk.
It has also been noted that since some post-hardcore bands included
members that were rooted in the beginnings of hardcore punk, some of
them were able to expand their sound as they became more skilled
musicians.Groups such as Saccharine Trust, Naked Raygun, and The
Effigies, which were active around the early 1980s, are considered to
be forerunners to the post-hardcore genre. Chicago's Naked Raygun,
formed in 1981, has been seen as merging post-punk influences of bands
such as Wire and Gang of Four with hardcore punk, while author Steven
Blush notes the band's use of "oblique lyrics and stark post-punk
melodies". Similarly, The Effigies, who also hailed from the Chicago
scene, released music influenced by the hardcore of Minor Threat and
the British post-punk of bands like The Stranglers, Killing Joke, and
The Ruts.
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