[Western music] What is post-hardcore? — Summary of representative bands
If you like bands that are often introduced as emo or loud, whether Western or Japanese, you’ve probably come across the genre called “post-hardcore” at least once.
Among the bands that originated from hardcore punk, which began in the late 1970s, those who created a unique sound that didn’t fit neatly within existing hardcore came to be called “post-hardcore.” From there, derivative genres like emo-core and screamo emerged, and since the 2000s the term has been used in a broader sense—making it a very difficult genre to define.
In this article, we’ll introduce, all at once, the bands that debuted from the 1980s to the 1990s and played an important role in shaping post-hardcore.
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[Western Music] What Is Post-Hardcore? A Summary of Representative Bands (1–10)
Rather Be DeadRefused
Refused are a legendary Swedish new school hardcore to post-hardcore band that the country proudly boasts to the world.
Centered around charismatic frontman Dennis Lyxzén—also active in multiple bands such as The (International) Noise Conspiracy—Refused formed in 1991 and released three albums before disbanding in 1998.
In the 2010s they made an unexpected reunion, miraculously toured Japan, and released two new studio albums.
In their earliest days, they delivered a raw sound under the influence of hardcore punk.
But with their second album, 1996’s Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent, metallic guitars entered the mix and Dennis’s vocals shifted toward more intense shouts, resulting in a highly acclaimed masterpiece of so-called new school hardcore.
Their crowning achievement—culminating years of musical experimentation with each release—was their third album, 1998’s The Shape of Punk to Come.
Boldly incorporating elements of industrial, electronica, post-rock, and jazz, their imaginative brand of hardcore is truly “post-hardcore,” and its freaky, boundary-breaking musicality reached a dimension entirely different from run-of-the-mill post-hardcore, shocking music fans and musicians worldwide.
Dennis is also a leftist thinker, and the band tackles themes such as sharp critiques of power and capitalism; extensive knowledge underpinning intelligent references to novels and films further distinguishes their unique musical identity.
Their post-reunion releases are excellent as well—essential listening alongside their classic work.
NubTHE JESUS LIZARD
The Jesus Lizard relentlessly pursued a uniquely intense heaviness, ruled by a terrifying sense of tension and a raw, stinging atmosphere.
Formed in 1987 by members from Texas, they relocated to Chicago early on and made a powerful impact on the indie scene working with the renowned engineer Steve Albini—also known for producing Nirvana’s In Utero.
The four albums they released on the famed American indie label Touch and Go with Albini each showcase a strange, singularly heavy sound born of the band’s unique vision—music that, while brilliant, can hardly be called broadly accessible; it’s quintessentially ’90s underground.
David Yow’s deranged vocals, the unorthodox guitar work that reflects a post-punk influence distinct from conventional rock approaches, the bass that drives the groove at the music’s core, and the mechanical drums all combine into a band ensemble that remains shocking even today.
The members’ high-level musicianship influenced many artists, including Nirvana, with whom they released a split single.
Their two major-label albums shifted toward a comparatively more approachable style, but the band’s madness remained intact; true to their own words, they stuck to a sound that was never going to produce million sellers.
This Ain’t No PicnicMinutemen
Hailing from California in the United States, Minutemen were a band that, despite a brief run of about five years after forming in 1980, influenced later post-hardcore and alternative rock, effectively presenting the next phase of punk and hardcore ahead of the curve.
As evidenced by the release of their 2005 documentary film We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen, the impact they had on the scene was enormous.
In 1981, they released their debut album The Punch Line on SST Records, the label run by Greg Ginn of Black Flag, the charismatic figure of the ’80s hardcore scene.
Those who picked up the record expecting “hardcore” might be startled from the very first track by the band’s unique songs—built from a trio’s spacious interplay of funky guitar cutting, a sinuous bassline, and supple drums.
Armed with a singular sensibility and high-level musicianship, the album that stands as their crowning achievement is undoubtedly the sprawling, four-sided Double Nickels on the Dime, released in 1984.
Its songs, which incorporate elements that step far outside hardcore—jazz, funk, and spoken word—and lyrics that tackle wide-ranging themes from social issues to linguistics, make up a sound world that is distinctly Minutemen’s.
It was a remarkable feat within the American indie scene of the 1980s.
Sadly, in 1985 frontman D.
Boon passed away in an accident, and the band was forced to disband.
[Western Music] What Is Post-Hardcore? — Summary of Representative Bands (11–20)
PorcelainThursday
Although this article doesn’t cover the so-called “screamo” bands from the 2000s onward, Thursday—who can be seen as forerunners of that movement—are an important band within the trajectory of post-hardcore, so I’m including them here as a representative of early-2000s screamo.
Formed in New Jersey in 1997, Thursday predate bands like The Used and Finch among the early screamo acts, and considering that their seminal debut album “Waiting” was released in 1999, it’s no exaggeration to say they bridged the gap between the underground post-hardcore of the ’90s and the commercially successful screamo scene of the 2000s and beyond.
The record that truly put their name on the map is their masterpiece of a second album “Full Collapse,” released on the venerable Epitaph Records.
But if you listen to “Waiting,” which came out on Eyeball Records—the same label that would later launch My Chemical Romance—you can hear how new possibilities were germinating beneath the surface of a late-’90s American rock scene dominated by nu metal.
The sound production and musicianship bear the rough edges of an indie release, yet the contrast between frontman Geoff Rickly’s introspective lyrics, his fragile singing, and his screams is quintessential early screamo.
And, as evidenced by the track “Ian Curtis,” their influences from UK rock such as new wave are also noteworthy.
Thursday’s sound world—where delicate emotion swirls, distinct from the loud, metallic strain of screamo—stands as one of the remarkable possibilities that post-hardcore brought into being.
FazerQuicksand
Quicksand, the legendary post-hardcore band set to return to Japan for shows in November 2022.
Formed in 1990 around Walter Schreifels—renowned as the guitarist of Gorilla Biscuits, one of the most iconic bands from the late-1980s New York hardcore scene—the band released two albums in the 1990s, then unexpectedly reunited in 2012, followed five years later by a comeback third album, and in 2021 released their fourth, Distant Populations.
One interesting point in their discography is that, while their debut EP came out on the storied hardcore label Revelation Records, they had already made their major-label debut with their first full-length, Slip, in 1993.
You could take that as evidence of the high expectations surrounding them, but unfortunately they did not achieve commercial success.
Even so, many later bands cite the influence of their post-hardcore sound, and Quicksand’s status as an important band in the history of post-hardcore remains unchanged.
Their musical style, while showing the influence of bands like Fugazi and Jawbox, is distinguished by metallic, hard-edged guitar riffs woven throughout.
The overall feel is close to what bands like Helmet were doing in the so-called alternative metal sphere, and the distinctive, solid groove that springs from that sensibility is uniquely theirs.
It’s also worth noting that in their early days they covered The Smiths’ classic How Soon Is Now?, hinting at an admiration for UK rock that comes through in their sound.
For Want OfRites of Spring
Active from the early to mid-1980s during the dawn of post-hardcore, releasing just one album and one EP before disbanding, Rites of Spring are nevertheless respected as pioneering figures for subsequent emo and post-hardcore bands.
They were also indispensable to the Washington, D.C.
hardcore punk scene, with members Guy Picciotto and Brendan Canty later known for their work in Fugazi.
In a scene still dominated by raw, hard-driving hardcore punk, their songs burst with emotion, featured delicate guitar work that set them apart from simple power chords, and employed urgent rhythms—truly remarkable for the time.
They are undeniably a prototype for the emo-core and post-hardcore that flourished from the 1990s onward, a band you should definitely know if you’re tracing the genre’s history.
The discography compilation End on End is available from Dischord Records, so if you’re not particular about owning the original releases and just want to give them a listen, this is the one to pick up!
Mistakes And Regrets…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
The memorably long-named …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is a post-hardcore/alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Austin, Texas.
They released their latest album, XI: Bleed Here Now, in 2022 and remain an active force to this day.
The band is centered around two original members who are multi-instrumentalists, while the rest of the lineup is fluid—one of their distinctive traits.
The record that catapulted them into wider recognition was their second album, Madonna, released in 1999.
Put out by the renowned American indie label Merge Records, it drew attention not only for its impactful artwork featuring a portrait of a Hindu goddess on the cover, but also for its highly praised sound: Sonic Youth-esque noise, at times lyrical guitars, busy and dynamic drumming, beautiful melodies, and dramatic song structures that reflect post-rock influences.
In fact, to mark the album’s 20th anniversary, they even held a headlining show in Japan in 2019.
In 2002, they released their major-label debut, Source Tags & Codes, widely hailed as a masterpiece, which stunned listeners with an artistic sonic universe that transcended the bounds of alternative rock and post-hardcore.
Their creativity has never waned since, as they continue to release works grounded in their own aesthetic.
In a landscape where many bands disband quickly, a group like this—maintaining a high standard over the long term—is truly rare and invaluable.