Inside Deathcore

Changing the Narrative participant Raven explains why deathcore is not as overlooked as an offshoot of metal music as some might believe.

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Deathcore is a genre of music that has heavy instrumentation and harsh vocals, featuring bands like Lorna Shore and Slaughter to Prevail. Many people dislike the music due to the harshness of the vocalisations and instruments. But deathcore isn’t just about being angry; the lyrics can tell a sad story, like Lorna Shore’s song trilogy, ‘Pain Remains’.

Some people who dive deep into the lyrics can appreciate the tales behind the music, such as ‘Pain Remains’, which has a sad and deep story hidden in the lyrics and official music video, although the people who dislike the music may see it as demonic or too heavy to be classed as a musical norm.

The most listened to Deathcore song is ‘To the Hellfire’ by Lorna Shore, with streams reaching a staggering 80 million and rising. Surely that proves that the genre isn’t as overlooked as people may think.

The deathcore scene is well known amongst metalheads but isn’t as big as other genres like pop or hip hop, just to name a few. There are multiple vocal gymnastics built into the Deathcore songs, like guttural, goblin and tea kettle screams, to mix the distortion and pitch of the melody.

There is research on stark vocals and how they are not damaging to the vocal cords if done safely and correctly, as conducted by the Utah Center of Vocology, using a procedure called flexible laryngoscopy to see how the larynx and true vocal folds work safely. The research stumped the scientists at the Center of Vocology when reviewing the footage of the laryngoscopy.

Slaughter to Prevails singer Alex Terrible is known and recognised for his ability to scream in his dark vocals, loud enough that he does not need a microphone to showcase his powerful vocals while being safe and healthy with his larynx.

The sound of the genre may be dark and somewhat scary because it is hard to understand due to the distortion in the voice, which might require looking at a lyric video or looking up the lyrics of the ballad online, which would help new listeners to get used to listening out for the words written in the lyrics.

For some, deathcore is a means of escape from reality, like depression and anxiety, due to the lyrics and the way the tune is written. For others, diving into the harsh sounds could be a release of anger and rage from a stress-filled day, giving a small amount of peace of mind the same way most songs do for depression, albeit with a lighter tone of voice and harmony.

Deathcore has its own way of producing the sounds associated with the music and lyrics, ranging from the tremolo and djent style guitar work and its rapid pace drum rolls to the iconic screams and growls of the vocals, and even the dark music videos with colourful pyrotechnics contrasting with the dark aesthetics.

Deathcore first hit the music scene back in 2005, and it is growing stronger with each band that comes through. The genre has faced criticism from longtime metal fans for its use of breakdowns and fusion approach and tremolo picking style, but despite that, it is now being seen as an offshoot of the metal genre and is becoming well-liked as more musicians start dipping their toes into the deathcore lifestyle.