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

Screamo1991

Second genre

Post-hardcore1985

Head to headScreamo vs Post-hardcore
Screamo: heaviness 6, melody 5, speed 8. Post-hardcore: heaviness 5, melody 7, speed 6.Heaviness6 / 5Melody5 / 7Speed8 / 6
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Screamo is a wing of post-hardcore, and the difference is intensity and duration - this is far more extreme and far briefer.

Post-hardcore is part sung, part screamed where screamo is growled or screamed, and slower: 120 to 170 bpm against 150 to 220. Songs run longer in post-hardcore: usually 3 to 6 minutes, against 1½ to 4 minutes in screamo. To hear the difference, play Orchid next to Fugazi. Screamo grew out of post-hardcore, six years later.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Screamo6
Post-hardcore5
−1
Speed
Screamo8
Post-hardcore6
−2
Melody
Screamo5
Post-hardcore7
+2

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 →

Post-hardcore

1985 · Washington DC / Chicago · 6 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore

In short

Hardcore that allows itself dynamics, empty space and irregular structures. Emo, screamo and mathcore all branch off from here.

How it sounds

  • Wide dynamics: near-silent passages alternating with explosions.
  • Bass with its own voice, often leading, and guitars in unusual tunings.
  • Loose structures with sections that never repeat.

Key acts

  • Fugazi
  • At the Drive-In
  • Refused
  • Thursday

Start here

The pickRefused - The Shape of Punk to Come. The title was an arrogant joke that came true.

Full page →