Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Emo1985

Second genre

Screamo1991

Head to headEmo vs Screamo
Emo: heaviness 3, melody 9, speed 5. Screamo: heaviness 6, melody 5, speed 8.Heaviness3 / 6Melody9 / 5Speed5 / 8
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Screamo takes the break in the voice and makes it the whole record: shorter, faster, and screamed throughout rather than arriving there.

From the Emo entry.

Screamo is growled or screamed where emo is part sung, part screamed, and faster: 150 to 220 bpm against 120 to 170. To hear the difference, play Rites of Spring next to Orchid. Screamo grew out of emo, six years later.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Emo3
Screamo6
+3
Speed
Emo5
Screamo8
+3
Melody
Emo9
Screamo5
−4

Emo

1985 · Washington DC, USA · 4 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo

In short

Hardcore in which the lyrics turn confessional and the voice cracks. The term started as an insult and became an entire decade of fashion.

How it sounds

  • Quiet-to-loud dynamics, with the voice cracking at peak intensity.
  • Open tunings and arpeggios instead of full chords.
  • First-person confessional lyrics, sometimes embarrassingly sincere on purpose.

Key acts

  • Rites of Spring
  • Sunny Day Real Estate
  • American Football

Start here

The pickSunny Day Real Estate - Diary. The bridge between DC hardcore and everything that followed.

Full page →

Screamo

1991 · San Diego, California

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Screamo

In short

Emo pushed into hysteria: continuous screaming, cutting guitars and songs that collapse into silence. Also called skramz.

How it sounds

  • Almost continuously screamed vocals, often at the edge of physical exhaustion.
  • Sharp guitars with dissonant chords and no thick distortion.
  • Very short songs that collapse suddenly into quiet passages.

Key acts

  • Orchid
  • Pg. 99
  • City of Caterpillar
  • Envy

Start here

The pickCity of Caterpillar - And You're Wondering How a Fool Can Die. Post-rock catching fire.

Full page →