The difference, by ear
Youth crew invented the mosh part; beatdown is what happened when it swallowed the song and lost the positivity.
Youth crew / straight edge is shouted where beatdown / metallic hardcore is growled or screamed, and much faster: 170 to 210 bpm against 90 to 140. To hear the difference, play Hatebreed next to Youth of Today. Beatdown / metallic hardcore comes from the metal side of the tree and youth crew / straight edge from the rock side, and youth crew / straight edge came first, by seven years. New York appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Beatdown / metallic hardcore
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Metalcore › Beatdown / metallic hardcore
In short
Hardcore reduced to breakdowns and slow groove, with barked vocals and lyrics about loyalty and endurance.
How it sounds
- Slow, heavy riffing built entirely around the breakdown.
- Very low tunings with thick, matte guitar tone.
- Barked vocals with gang shouts and lyrics about loyalty, the street and endurance.
Key acts
- Hatebreed
- Madball
- Terror
Start here
The pickHatebreed - Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire. Twenty-seven minutes, produced by Steve Evetts.
Full page →Youth crew / straight edge
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Youth crew / straight edge
In short
Hardcore with a code: no alcohol, no drugs, gang vocals and breakdowns. The ethics of the scene became the subject of the songs.
How it sounds
- Gang vocals - the chorus shouted by the whole band and the audience at once.
- A breakdown at the midpoint, with the tempo halved, made for dancing.
- Simple riffs, with the emphasis on energy and message.
Key acts
- Youth of Today
- Gorilla Biscuits
- Minor Threat
Start here
The pickGorilla Biscuits - Start Today. Optimistic hardcore, which is rarer than it sounds.
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