Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is an intensified version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often angry songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes.

Early history in Europe and the UK

Outside of North America, the influence of Hardcore has been less universal. The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and Germany had, and continue to have, notably active and prolific scenes, but in the United Kingdom, more traditional punk bands like The Exploited, GBH, Discharge, and The Anti-Nowhere League occupied the cultural space that hardcore did elsewhere. These UK bands at times showed a superficial similarity to American hardcore, often including quick tempos and chord changes, and generally had similar political and social sensibilities -- but they represented a case of parallel evolution, having been musically inspired by the earlier London street-punk band, Sham 69, and/or the proto-speed-metal band, Motörhead.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - The Exploited - GBH - Discharge - The Anti-Nowhere League - Sham 69 - Motörhead

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Additionally, Discharge played a huge role in influencing the Swedish hardcore scene with bands such as Anti Cimex and other European bands. To this day many hardcore bands from that region still have a strong Discharge and even Motörhead influence, which is considered by many to be the standard Swedish hardcore sound. (It should also be noted, that there among a high percentage of Swedish hardcore bands from the early 90's and on, was a huge influence from the band Entombed in terms of sound, songwriting and production. Some would claim that the Entombed influence was -- or is -- an important part of how characteristic these bands sound; while other would claim that they suffer from a high similarity, because of it.)

Related Topics:
Discharge - Anti Cimex - Motörhead - Entombed

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In much the same way, Anarcho-punk bands like Crass, Conflict, Icons Of Filth, Flux Of The Pink Indians and Rudimentary Peni had little in common with American hardcore other than an uncompromising political philosophy and an abrasive aesthetic. American hardcore punks listened to and supported many of these British bands (shows by bands such as GBH were considered special events in America, and drew large crowds), even while upholding a strict regionalism, deriding them as 'rock stars' and anyone too fond of them as 'poseurs' (expressive fans of the influential UK anarcho-punk collective, Crass, were called 'crassholes'). A 1986 concert by Discharge, in New York, generated brief international infamy when a crowd of roughly 1,500 paid $10 admission and pelted the band with garbage, but it should be noted at the time Discharge were adopting a more metallic sound. American hardcore bands who visited the UK (such as Black Flag, in 1981) encountered equally ambivalent attitudes. Visiting European hardcore bands suffered no such prejudice in the US, with Italian bands Raw Power and Negazione, and the Dutch BGK, enjoying widespread popularity.

Related Topics:
Anarcho-punk - Crass - Conflict - Icons Of Filth - Flux Of The Pink Indians - Rudimentary Peni - Raw Power - Negazione - BGK

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It should also be mentioned, that there in the more underground part of the UK scene, around the same time and a little later than the allready mentioned bands existed, grew a hardcore sound and scene, inspired by continental European/Scandinavian, Japanese and US bands. It was started by bands like (and the people in) Asylum, Genocide Association and Plasmid, that from their material and inspiration -- only heard at live shows, and released on demo tapes and compilations in the mid 80's -- would evolve into bands like Heresy, Ripcord, early Napalm Death, Hellbastard, Doom, Satanic Malfunctions and Extreme Noise Terror. Where hardcore in the US allmost had disappeared or evolved into something that (at least in the eyes of certains fans) didn't have much to do with what it was about in the earlier part of the 80's (in terms of production, distribution and what kind of audience it attracted to go to shows and to be members in bands), it was brought back to life in a way that both was like when Hardcore was it its best, and at the same time managed to incorporate metallic/crossover influences, in a way that gave it a relative new sound. The most important influences among late 80's UK bands was, among others, GISM, Confuse, Siege and Septic Death, as well as Discard, Anti Cimex and more metallic bands like Celtic Frost and Metallica. They also had a solid background in the Anarcho-punk sound, scene and way of thinking, as well.

Related Topics:
Asylum - Genocide Association - Plasmid - Heresy - Ripcord - Napalm Death - Hellbastard - Doom - Satanic Malfunctions - Extreme Noise Terror - GISM - Confuse - Siege - Septic Death - Discard - Anti Cimex - Celtic Frost - Metallica - Anarcho-punk

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About the continental European hardcore sound and scene(s), there was a huge number of bands, that you can say could be described as something that was like (or something inbetween) the dominating UK bands and US bands -- which in reality was so much more, than using these references sounds like. The band that had the biggest influence among them all, was the allready mentioned Discharge. But also Circle Jerks, Bad Brains and Black Flag left their "mark" on European hardcore (especially in Italy), in a way that sometimes reached the point of being better than them! Other key-influences was Dead Kennedys, Disorder and Millions Of Dead Cops. Some of the best bands from that era and these countries, was: Wretched, Raw Power, Declino, Negazione, Indigesti, H.H.H., MG-15, Eskorbuto, Inferno, Vorkriegsjugend, Scapegoats, U.B.R., Kafka Process, Barn Av Regnbuen, Vi, Enola Gay, O.H.M., Heimat-Los, LÄRM, BGK, Dezerter, Armia, Siekiera, Kaaos, Rutto, Kansan Uutiset, Terveet Kädet, Appendix, Headcleaners, Asocial, Missbrukarna and Sound Of Disaster.

Related Topics:
Discharge - Circle Jerks - Bad Brains - Black Flag - Dead Kennedys - Disorder - Millions Of Dead Cops - Wretched - Raw Power - Declino - Negazione - Indigesti - H.H.H. - MG-15 - Eskorbuto - Inferno - Vorkriegsjugend - Scapegoats - U.B.R. - Kafka Process - Barn Av Regnbuen - Vi - Enola Gay - O.H.M. - Heimat-Los - LÄRM - BGK - Dezerter - Armia - Siekiera - Kaaos - Rutto - Kansan Uutiset - Terveet Kädet - Appendix - Headcleaners - Asocial - Missbrukarna - Sound Of Disaster

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Examples of bands who continued to play that style of hardcore in the 90's, include: Seein Red, Uutuus, Kirous, Health Hazard, Detestation, Los Crudos, Sin Dios, and Totalitär.

Related Topics:
Seein Red - Uutuus - Kirous - Health Hazard - Detestation - Los Crudos - Sin Dios - Totalitär

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