The difference, by ear
Hardcore with metal riffs in it. If there are palm-muted metal riffs under the shouting, it has crossed over.
Both are shouted and move at much the same pace, around 180 to 250 bpm. To hear the difference, play D.R.I. next to Black Flag. Crossover thrash grew out of hardcore punk, four years later.
In figures
Crossover thrash
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Crossover thrash
In short
The exact point where hardcore and thrash metal merge: metal riffs, skate-park attitude, mandatory circle pit.
How it sounds
- Thrash metal riffing inside hardcore structures and song lengths.
- Fast tempos with transitions into syncopated mosh parts.
- Lyrics that are often satirical or about the scene itself.
Key acts
- D.R.I.
- Suicidal Tendencies
- Municipal Waste
- S.O.D.
Start here
The pickSuicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized. The best song ever written about parents not listening.
Full page →Hardcore punk
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk
In short
Punk accelerated to 200 bpm, songs of one minute and shouted vocals. Without it there is no thrash, no grindcore, no metalcore.
How it sounds
- Tempos of 180 to 250 bpm with galloping or skank drum patterns.
- Songs under a minute, with whole albums running twenty minutes.
- Shouted rather than sung vocals, and direct political or personal lyrics.
Key acts
- Black Flag
- Minor Threat
- Bad Brains
- Discharge
Start here
The pickBad Brains - Bad Brains (the ROIR cassette). The fastest band of the decade.
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