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

Grindcore1985

Second genre

Hardcore punk1980

Head to headGrindcore vs Hardcore punk
Grindcore: heaviness 9, melody 1, speed 10. Hardcore punk: heaviness 6, melody 4, speed 9.Heaviness9 / 6Melody1 / 4Speed10 / 9
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Grind is hardcore taken to its logical end - the songs got shorter and faster until structure stopped being possible - with metal's tuning and vocals bolted on.

Hardcore punk is shouted where grindcore is growled or screamed, and slower: 190 to 250 bpm against 200 to 320. To hear the difference, play Napalm Death next to Black Flag. Grindcore comes from the metal side of the tree and hardcore punk from the rock side, and hardcore punk came first, by five years.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Grindcore9
Hardcore punk6
−3
Speed
Grindcore10
Hardcore punk9
−1
Melody
Grindcore1
Hardcore punk4
+3

Grindcore

1985 · Birmingham, England · 3 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Grindcore

In short

Hardcore and death metal compressed into songs under a minute, with continuous blast beats. Napalm Death have a song that lasts one second.

How it sounds

  • Blast beats at maximum speed, songs under a minute, albums of twenty minutes.
  • Short hardcore and death metal riffs with no development.
  • Dual vocals: guttural growl and high shriek, alternating rapidly.

Key acts

  • Napalm Death
  • Repulsion
  • Terrorizer
  • Brutal Truth

Start here

The pickNapalm Death - Scum. Side B, with Bill Steer on guitar, is the essential half.

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Hardcore punk

1980 · California / Washington DC · 13 subgenres

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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