Difference between Metalcore, Death Metal and Deathcore
By Theydiffer - November 30, 2015

Metalcore, Death Metal and Deathcore are all amazing genres of music. You might think it’s simply a guy that screams on a microphone with some other guys banging their instruments, but some perceive it as a release, and the height of entertainment. So what are the differences between the three kinds of music, and why are some people more inclined to listen to one genre instead of the other two?

Definitions

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  • Metalcore – The name originated from a fusion of two genres, namely extreme metal and hardcore punk. It emphasizes its slow breakdowns (part of a song where various instruments are given emphasis by having solo demonstration) through their songs that will usually turn into moshing (a dance style where people tend to push or slam into each other during a live music show).

To name a few popular Metalcore bands, you have ‘As I Lay Dying’, ‘Bullet for My Valentine’, and ‘Killswitch Engage’.

  • Death Metal – A subgenre of Heavy Metal Music that generally employs heavy distortion and low tuned guitars. Guitars usually are played with techniques such as palm muting (muffled sound) and tremolo picking (high speed picking). Vocals produce a mix of growls and screams and are typically aggressive. Drumming on the other hand, also aggressive, will blend with the other instruments with its double kick (producing a fast bass beat) and blast beat (producing a very fast tempo) techniques.

To name a few popular Death Metal bands, you have ‘Six Feet Under’, ‘Cannibal Corpse’, ‘Immolation’, and ‘Suffocation’.

  • Deathcore – A combination of Death Metal and Metalcore, you can expect techniques used from both genres like blast beats and breakdowns. It generally has fast drumming, fast down-tuned guitars, low-tuned growls and shrieked screams, and of course melodic riffs and breakdowns from your Metalcore.

To name a few popular Deathcore bands, you have ‘Whitechapel’, ‘All Shall Perish’, ‘Born of Osiris’, and ‘Thy Art Is Murder’.

Metalcore vs Death Metal vs Deathcore

What’s the difference between Metalcore, Death Metal and Deathcore? While they are usually perceived to be the same, they actually have their differences and believe it or not, it’s how the tunes are played.

Metalcore, as mentioned earlier, is both hardcore punk and heavy metal. It is more simplistic compared with the other two in terms of instrumental and vocal tunes. It does have its breakdowns and intense moshing, but it is somewhat mostly moshing. Unlike Death Metal, it has the most technicalities in regard to its instruments and vocals. It doesn’t frequent the high-pitched screams and is probably more favored by fans of these types of genres. Deathcore on the other hand, is a combination of both, so that would mean it’s just in-between Metalcore and Death Metal. It also is a simplified version of their type, mixed with high-pitched screams and low-tuned growls, joined-in with its blast beats and breakdowns.

If you are a fan of these types of genres, then you’d probably already know the differences and what makes them unique from each other, but if you are simply curious about their differences, listening to some of these genres may be the best answer to that question.

Comparison Chart

MetalcoreDeath MetalDeathcore
Fusion of Extreme Metal and Hardcore PunkSubgenre of Heavy Metal MusicFusion of Death Metal and Metal Core
Screamed vocals with clean vocalsHoarse roars/snarls and Death Growls on vocalsShrieked screams and low growls on vocals
Fast Heavy guitar riffs and double bass drummingHeavy distorted guitars, double bass drumming and an occasion electronic keyboardsDown-tuned guitars and fast drumming