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Mathcore

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Mathcore
Stylistic originsMetalcore, math rock, grindcore
Cultural originsEarly 1990s North America
Typical instrumentsVocals, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums
Other topics
Progressive metal, avant-garde metal, post-metal, technical death metal

Mathcore, also known as math metal, is a rhythmically complex and dissonant style of metalcore. It has its roots in bands such as Converge,[1] Botch,[2][3] and The Dillinger Escape Plan.[4] The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures. Math rock groups such as Slint, Don Caballero, Shellac, and Drive Like Jehu have some influence on mathcore, though mathcore is more closely related to metalcore. Prominent mathcore groups have been associated with grindcore.[5][6][7][8][9]

History

An early antecedent to mathcore was practiced by Black Flag, in 1984, with the album My War: "Its seven-minute metal dirges and fusion-style time signatures proved too much for many fans".[10] Many groups from the mathcore scene paid tribute to Black Flag for the album Black on Black.[11]

The Dillinger Escape Plan in 2005.

In the 1990s, groups now often described as mathcore were grouped together as "noisecore". Kevin-Stewart Panko of Terrorizer referred to groups such as Neurosis, Deadguy, Cave In, Today Is the Day, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Coalesce, Candiria, and Botch as described by this label.[12] Stewart-Panko described the sound of these bands as a "dynamic, violent, discordant, technical, brutal, off-kilter, no rules mixture of metal, hardcore, prog, math rock, grind and jazz."[12] However, this term also describes an earlier, more dissonant variant of grindcore, also known as "noisegrind", that is less complex and dynamic than the groups subsequently labeled mathcore.[13]

The portmanteau term "mathcore" emphasizes the influence taken from math rock: math rock with hardcore. The earliest known bands to record this hybrid include Rorschach, Starkweather, Botch, and Converge. Throughout the 1990s, several other groups started to emerge: Cave In from Massachusetts, Cable from Connecticut, Coalesce from Kansas City, and Knut from Switzerland. The term mathcore was coined at the release of The Dillinger Escape Plan's 1999 debut album Calculating Infinity. The Dillinger Escape Plan is often considered the "pioneer" of mathcore.[14] The style had previously been referred to as "noisecore",[8][15] which confusingly also refers to a style of hardcore techno and an earlier outgrowth of grindcore.[16]

In the early 2000s several new mathcore bands started to emerge. These bands were rarely described as such, but were commonly related to mathcore pioneers or cited a major mathcore band as an influence.[improper synthesis?] Norma Jean's earlier records are often compared to Converge and Botch.[17][18][19] Other new mathcore bands that cite older mathcore bands as an influence or are compared to one include Car Bomb,[20] The Locust,[21] Daughters,[22] Some Girls,[23] Look What I Did,[24] and The Number Twelve Looks Like You,[25].

The term is generally applied by journalists, rather than by musicians themselves. Jacob Bannon of Converge stated,

I really don't know what mathcore is. Converge is an aggressive band. We have elements of hardcore, punk, and metal for sure. But I think trying to define our efforts and other bands with a generic sub-genre name is counter productive. We all have something unique to offer and should be celebrated for those qualities rather than having them generalized for easy consumption.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Converge biography". Rockdetector.com. Retrieved 2007-08-23. [dead link]
  2. ^ Botch - We Are The Romans Review
  3. ^ San Francisco Bay Guardian : Article : The Gap's attack on kids
  4. ^ TV3 > News > Story > Mathcore band the 'Dillinger Escape Plan' visit NZ
  5. ^ "Contemporary grindcore bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan [...] have developed avant-garde versions of the genre incorporating frequent time signature changes and complex sounds that at times recall free jazz." Keith Kahn-Harris (2007), Extreme Metal, Berg Publishers, ISBN 1-84520-399-2, p. 4.
  6. ^ Epitaph Records, Dillinger Escape Plan artist info, [1] Access date: September 16, 2008.
  7. ^ Vik Bansal, Miss Machine review, Music OMH, 2 August 2004. [2] Access date: September 16, 2008.
  8. ^ a b Whitney Strub, "Behind the Key Club: An Interview with Mark "Barney" Greenway of Napalm Death ", PopMatters, May 11, 2006. [3] Access date: September 17, 2008.
  9. ^ Jason Buchanan, The Dillinger Escape Plan: Miss Machine - The DVD review, Allmovie. [4] Access date: September 17, 2008.
  10. ^ Steven Blush, American Hardcore: A Tribal History, "Thirsty and Miserable", Los Angeles: Feral House, 2001, p. 66
  11. ^ Mark Prindle, Citizine interview with Greg Ginn, June 7, 2003. [5] Access date: October 8, 2008.
  12. ^ a b Kevin Stewart-Panko, "The Decade in Noisecore", Terrorizer no. 75, Feb 2000, p. 22-23.
  13. ^ "Grindcore Special" (2009), Terrorizer, 180, 41-56 p. 44.
  14. ^ "Mathcore band the 'Dillinger Escape Plan' visit NZ" 3news.co.nz. Retrieved on August 3, 2008.
  15. ^ "Botch ... a noisecore pioneer", 'Terrorizer, "Grindcore Special", #180, Feb. 2009, p. 63.
  16. ^ Terrorizer, "Grindcore Special", #180, Feb. 2009, p. 44.
  17. ^ Bosler, Shawn. Christian metalcore heavyweights Norma Jean make new believers with O’ God, the Aftermath." Decibel Magazine. Retrieved on August 3, 2008.
  18. ^ Bansal, Vik. "Norma Jean - O God The Aftermath (Abacus)" musicOMH.com. Retrieved on August 3, 2008.
  19. ^ Heisel, Scott. "Listening Station" Alternative Press. Issue 242 Page 168.
  20. ^ Angle, Brad. Centralia review. Guitar World. Retrieved 2009-12-17. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) [dead link]
  21. ^ Ken McGrath. "Destruction and Chaos are Never Far Behind". Interview with Bobby Bray. Sorted Magazine. 2003. [6] Access date: October 4, 2008.
  22. ^ Steve Carlson, Hell Songs review, "Blog Critics", October 19, 2006. [7] Access date: September 13, 2008.
  23. ^ "San Diego Reader"[8] Access date: September 13, 2008.
  24. ^ Harris, Chris. "Look What I Did Name Upcoming LP 'Atlas Drugged'"Noisecreep
  25. ^ Miller, Kirk. "The Number Twelve Looks Like You: Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses - You know, the kind Bootsy Collins wears..." Decibel Magazine. Retrieved on August 3, 2008.
  26. ^ Interview with Rebecca Huval, "Axe to Grind: Four Tense Questions with Converge", New York Press, October 28, 2009. [9]
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