| |
|
Like most labels formulated by brainless music critics, "post-hardcore" doesn't really describe any of the music that supposedly falls within it's nebulous borders. I've heard so many disparate bands, all drawing from tremendously different backgrounds, referred to as post-hardcore that it boggles the mind. I think it's a lazy and obnoxious term that has become yet just another signifier of how clueless most music critics are about just about everything that comes from an underground source. But this is a rant and isn't directed at any of the posters here.
I've always thought that progressive hardcore/punk being cordoned off from their more straightforward brethren is a good indication of how stale and straight jacketed punk and hardcore music has become. I always thought that, originally, punk and hardcore was all about embracing the way ward influence-- from free jazz to reggae-- into a punk schema. Somewhere along the way, hardcore/punk became traditionally minded, retro and, frankly, boring. In my experience, most bands that tried something new, some of which are named in this thread, got pushed into this other thing-- post punk/ progressive punk/ post whatever, a place where most punk and hardcore kids feared to tread. Many of these bands, if not completely ignored within the scene they originated, gained cross over appeal with indie rock and emo kids. I'm not sure if this is to do with these bands taking on easier to swallow influences than hardcore and punk (although that appears to be the case at most times) or what. It's funny, that of all music scenes, punk has become some of the most fiercely retroactive in their music.
Submission Hold and Orchid are both bands that definitely came from a punk background. I like both of them. Orchid, in fact, is still one of my favorite bands. I'm not sure how tremendously progressive they were -- musically, they were very influenced by Canadian doom punk bands like Union or Uranus and One Eyed God Prophecy, just adding a faster element and situationist lyrics-- which is probably why they did pretty well within the punk scene. But they definitely were one of the first bands to really popularize the whole screamo thing with bands like Frail and Reversal of Man. If I were to put in a progressive punk/hardcore band from that period (late 90s, early 00s) that strove beyond the template and were overlooked, I would include: In//Humanity. This band from South Carolina made some of the most abrasive thrash ever but added electronics, strings, odd song structures, time signatures, and all their lyrics were dominated by a hilarious "Occultonomy" theme (Aleister Crowely mixed with situationist thought and Clue). They realized how ridiculous genre names like "emo," and emo's musical antithesis, "power-violence," were, so they beat everyone to the punch and half jokingly labeled themselves "emo-violence." "Emo-violence," unsurprisingly I suppose, caught on and actually became a label for bands like End of the Century Party, Orchid, Asshole Parade, and Combat Wounded Veteran (all of which are worth checking out). They didn't really sound the same but shared a similar and, yes, emotional but crazed/experimental aesthetic. The singer of In//humanity, Chris Bickle, went on to Guyana Punchline, another overlooked, pretty strange, great band, as well. In//humanity, of course, never achieved much fame in or out of the punk scene but have gained a bit of cult following. They have a discography CD out on Prank Records which is easy to find. I'll stop now. |
|
|
