It’s just noise
By Morgan Hannah, Life & Style Editor
Grandpas and grandmas across the globe unite! A youngster is finally on the same page in claiming that deathcore isn’t music, nor is it art. You can’t groove, move, or dance to this incredibly generic, repetitive, and offensive “genre.” Maybe my opinion is just an overgeneralization, but after having listened to a good sampling of deathcore, I can state that the inundation and constant repetition of the clichés of this genre have made any band intentionally adopting the deathcore sound an easy target for mockery.
Deathcore is stagnant. Many fans and music reviewers feel that the songs must stay within the same specific standards, a bubble if you will, in order to be considered a part of the genre. This leaves little room for growth or innovation. Let’s dive into the reasons why this genre doesn’t deserve its certification as a musical genre:
Damaged larynxes
Deathcore requires performers to pull off challenging effects—such as growling and pig squeals. When these tricks are done wrong, this can cause the singer to have irreversible effects to their larynx. When a singer damages their larynx, it is consequential to their career and their everyday life.
They can no longer talk, let alone sing. Deathcore also breeds a culture that is often paired with bad habits—
such as smoking, heavy drinking, a lack of sleep, and hard drugs. All of which are damaging to vocal cords and counter effective to a healthy singing career.
Lyrics
It’s a well-known fact that metal music delivers offensive and aggressive lyrics, but deathcore, while providing said offensive aggression apparently has a “we will overcome this lifestyle” message in a surprisingly high number of songs. Thus, the lyrics to many deathcore songs seem to be contradictory to their tone.
On the one hand, deathcore promotes violence and obscenity bordering on pornogrind (if you don’t know what that is—good, maintain your innocence). On the other hand, deathcore suggests escapism from its own culture, which seems rather odd and unproductive of a genre. Wouldn’t you want to promote viewership rather than telling fans to get the fuck out? That’s like a cult telling its members to try to escape from the cult; a food company telling their customers to fast. This lack of promotion makes it difficult to consider deathcore as art, because artists are well-known for self-promotion. It’s part of the package.
Clichés
Most of deathcore is shockingly generic. Bands use the same sweeps, notes, and breakdowns. When you’re not listening to competent deathcore, the experience is painfully bland and repetitive. In most cases, the vocals are death growls and pig squeals in lieu of lyrics.
A breakdown is the part of a song when it goes from one rhythm to the next by transitioning the tempo slowly. It is meant to get the pain going. Deathcore often over-relies on breakdowns—admittedly, they are good for a live show to hype the crowd. But, when it comes to studio time, it can be rather distracting and annoying.
Lack of innovation
Music genres in general are self-limiting. When bands hit a certain threshold, their advancement beyond previously defined boundaries carries them into a whole new genre. They can only reinvigorate or add a limited number of elements before their sound becomes an entirely new one. For deathcore, the limitation bar is easier to hit due to the muddy and over-used sounds the “genre” displays. The genre certainly has no longevity.
