post-hardcore
Punk's experimental offspring
Post-hardcore is a style of rock music that evolved from hardcore punk in the mid-1980s, retaining aggressive energy while incorporating more experimental elements—complex song structures, atmospheric textures, and melodic vocals alongside or instead of screaming.
Bands like Fugazi and At the Drive-In pioneered the genre: Their sound sits somewhere between punk and post-hardcore.
Confessional rock subgenre
- screamoShriek-driven hardcore punk
- post-punkExperimental rock after '77
- metalcoreExtreme fusion genre
- progressiveFavoring reform and innovation
shoegaze · alternative · punk · ambient · electronic · experimental
Lack of harmony
- breakdownsSudden failures or collapses
- screamingLoud, shrill vocalizing
- dynamicsStudy of forces
- atonalityAbsence of key signature
polyrhythm · feedback · distortion · crescendo · atmospheric · layering · harmonics · heaviness
Purification through emotional expression
- angstDeep unfocused worry
- alienationState of being isolated
- despairTotal absence of hope
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
disaffection · melancholy · turmoil · resentment · frustration · anxiety · rage · loneliness
Fake or fouled up
Self-made, abbreviated
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
- communityCollective of connected people
- independentFree from external control
underground · touring · merch · vinyl · scene · authenticity
emo
Confessional rock subgenre
progressive · shoegaze · alternative · punk · ambient · electronic · experimental
dissonance
Lack of harmony
- breakdownsSudden failures or collapses
- screamingLoud, shrill vocalizing
- dynamicsStudy of forces
atonality · polyrhythm · feedback · distortion · crescendo · atmospheric · layering · harmonics · heaviness · melody
catharsis
Purification through emotional expression
- angstDeep unfocused worry
- alienationState of being isolated
- despairTotal absence of hope
vulnerability · disaffection · melancholy · turmoil · resentment · frustration · anxiety · rage · loneliness · estrangement
fugazi
Fake or fouled up
diy
Self-made, abbreviated
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
- communityCollective of connected people
independent · underground · touring · merch · vinyl · scene · authenticity
- rock genresalternative rock, classic rock, heavy metal, hard rock, indie rock
- Alt Rockalt-rock, alternative metal, grunge, indie rock, post-grunge
- Emo CultureFall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, skinny jeans, eyeliner, Myspace
- Heavy MetalMetallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden
- Punk Genrespunk rock, pop punk, ska punk, crust punk, oi!
- Hardcore PunkBlack Flag, mosh pit, stage dive, circle pit, DIY ethic
post-hardcoreeasy listening
Undemanding melodic audio
soft rock · smooth jazz · adult contemporary · elevator music · muzak
post-hardcoremainstream pop
Widely popular commercial music
bubblegum pop · chart music · Top 40 · arena rock · stadium rock