Updated date:

May 14, 2021

100 Best Deathcore Bands

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These great deathcore bands have had a major influence on the development of the genre.
Giancarlo Duarte

Deathcore, a subgenre of extreme metal, is a creative fusion of death metal and metalcore. The use of heavy guitar riffs, breakdowns, and blast beats give this genre its unique identity. Although the genre finds its stylistic origins rooted in death metal, metalcore, and hardcore punk, in recent years, this style of music has diversified, incorporating a broader spectrum of extreme metal subgenres. Although new forms of deathcore have emerged, the core elements of the genre (syncopated accents with breakdowns) remain intact.

The list below showcases an epic number of deathcore bands. If you are a fan of this extreme genre, you'll definitely have a lot to say. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Top 10 Best Deathcore Bands

Suicide Silence
Whitechapel
Carnifex
Thy Art is Murder
All Shall Perish
Despised Icon
Chelsea Grin
Antagony
Enterprise Earth
Rings of Saturn

How Did Deathcore Emerge?

In the early days, the term deathcore was used to reference a particular musical style that was associated with experimental hardcore punk bands. Nick Vasallo is widely regarded as the “father of deathcore” for his profound body of work with the band Antagony. The deathcore movement started in the early 2000s. Since then, the genre has expanded its reach globally. The Southwestern part of the United States is considered the epicenter of the deathcore scene.

A number of pioneering bands emerged from inland southern California. Several bands in Arizona started experimenting with breakdowns influenced by death metal and hardcore punk, spreading the genre. This experimental form of heavy metal gave rise to the deathcore scene, which evolved out of metalcore. By the mid-2000s, deathcore became one of the most popular subgenres of heavy metal.

Deathcore musicians often have long hair.
Wikipedia Commons

#11—20

11. Lorna Shore

12. The Acacia Strain

13. Bring Me the Horizon

14. Job for a Cowboy

15. Oceano

16. Black Tongue

17. As Blood Runs Black

18. Through the Eyes of the Dead

19. Born of Osiris

20. Ion Dissonance

What Is Deathcore?

Deathcore is a subgenre of extreme metal that fuses influences of death metal, metalcore, and hardcore punk. Its hybridization of metal subgenres gives deathcore a unique identity. This style of music is known for its exquisite breakdowns and diverse metal syncopations. Melodic flourishes, tempered between brutally distorted riffs, add aesthetic dynamism to the rhythmic structure in this style of music.

Deathcore singers are great at screaming.
Wikipedia Commons

#21—40

21. Veil of Maya

22. Earth Crisis

23. The Red Chord

24. Embodyment

25. Impending Doom

26. Betraying the Martyrs

27. Suffocation

28. After the Burial

29. Shadow of Intent

30. Emmure

31. Winds of Plague

32. Here Comes the Kraken

33. Attila

34. The Black Dahlia Murder

35. Heaven Shall Burn

36. Between the Buried & Me

37. Infant Annihilator

38. We Butter the Bread With Butter

39. The Faceless

40. Molotov Solution

Characteristics of Deathcore

Deathcore's sound derives heavily from death metal, but it also employs different aspects of hardcore punk and metalcore (especially in its breakdowns). Blast beats are commonly used in this form of music. The use of down-tuned guitars and tremolo picking is common in this genre. Although the majority of bands associated with this style of music do not incorporate guitar solos in their song structures, some bands do include guitar solos with mathcore influences in their songs. Deathcore vocal techniques are usually harsh, including growls, shrieks, and screams. Certain deathcore vocalists use high-pitched shrieks that are known as "pig squeals" in metal circles. While clean vocals are rare, they are used occasionally towards the start or end of a breakdown.

Deathcore fashion relies heavily on dark colors.
Wikipedia Commons

#41—60

41. Arsonists Get All the Girls

42. Elysia

43. Make Them Suffer

44. Fit for an Autopsy

45. Glass Casket

46. I Declare War

47. Salt the Wound

48. Animosity

49. Rose Funeral

50. Waking the Cadaver

51. The Crimson Armada

52. In the Midst of Lions

53. Wretched

54. Slaughter to Prevail

55. Within the Ruins

56. The Agonist

57. AngelMaker

58. Upon a Burning Body

59. Suffokate

60. Breakdown of Sanity

Popularity of Deathcore

Although deathcore is still largely an underground subculture, the popularity of this genre spiked in the mid-2000s when certain bands released critically acclaimed albums. At the same time, deathcore bands made a huge impact on the music charts. In a short span of time, this genre became one of the most influential subgenres in modern metal. Several bands have garnered a huge following among fans of other genres. The demand for deathcore merchandise has risen dramatically in recent years.

Tattoos are a big part of metal fashion.
Wikipedia Commons

#61—80

61. Knights of the Abyss

62. Alpha Wolf

63. Signs of the Swarm

64. Aversions Crown

65. Beneath the Massacre

66. See You Next Tuesday

67. The Red Shore

68. Gravemind

69. Blind Witness

70. Aegaeon

71. The Last 10 Seconds of Life

72. Band of Sacrifice

73. With Blood Comes Cleansing

74. Abated Mass of Flesh

75. King Conquer

76. Dance Club Massacre

77. Hollow Prophet

78. The Agony Scene

79. Dr. Acula

80. Catalepsy

Criticism of Deathcore

Although deathcore had a significant influence on music throughout the 2000s and post 2010, the subgenre has received a fair deal of criticism from fans of other heavy metal genres. A section of heavy metal purists view deathcore as an attempt to commercialize heavy metal by fusing traditional heavy metal elements with hardcore punk sensibilities. This blending of genres has gained it new fans, but it has also divided heavy metal fans. Certain bands have expressed their frustration at being labeled deathcore rather than heavy metal. A number of metal acts are of the opinion there is more to their music than just a fusion of death metal, hardcore, and metalcore.

Deathcore music originated in small clubs.
Wikipedia Commons

#81—100

81. Abigail Williams

82. In Dying Arms

83. Eths

84. From a Second Storey Window

85. A Thousand Times Repent

86. Burning the Masses

87. At the Throne of Judgment

88. We Are the End

89. From the Shallows

90. Into the Moat

91. Becoming the Archtype

92. Left to Vanish

93. The Classic Struggle

94. A Night in Texas

95. Design the Skyline

96. The Silence and the Serenity

97. Eradikal Insane

98. Cold Night For Alligators

99. Broken Flesh

100. The Perrin Sequence

The New Era of Deathcore

Post 2010, a number of deathcore bands have broadened their influences by incorporating newer sounds. Certain bands have started utilizing complex djent and progressive metal elements in their brand of deathcore. Merging deathcore with elements of rap metal, some acts in this genre are being credited with reviving nu metal. Certain Christian deathcore bands have incorporated symphonic elements and neo-classical elements in their music. A number of European bands blend gothic and progressive elements to create theatrical arrangements. These bands are known for their Jekyll and Hyde (quick rises and falls in the song's energy) melodic flourishes encompassed with heavy riffs.