7 BEST Electronicore Bands — To Get You Into It
What is Electronicore? Electronicore is a niche sub-sub-genre of metal that stems out of Metalcore, Industrial, and uniquely… EDM. It mixes the synth of EDM along with crunchy and fast metal guitars to make a completely ethereal metal experience. This is helped by the chorus often having almost ballad-like tendencies and, of course, some screamed vocals.
Electronicore was born in the late 1990’s with the UK band Enter Shikari. Electronicore grew parallel to the growth of electronic music, but it always seemed to be in the shadow of more common versions of both metal and EDM.
Though, today Electronicore has grown in popularity, it is still more niche than other sub-genres. With its electronic flare, modern Electronicore often has cyberpunk themes such as AI, dystopianism, and the fear of oppression. With that, the best beginner Electronicore bands are:
- Enter Shikari
Starting off with the beginning of it all, Enter Shikari mixes intense screaming verses with beautiful EDM boosted choruses. Classic early songs like “Sorry You’re Not A Winner” and “Destabilize” and their newer songs such as “It Hurts” and “Bloodshot” generalize around themes of overcoming obstacles and being better despite your shortcomings. Enter Shakari does an excellent job of staying consistently awesome.
2. Electric Callboy
Next is one of the most popular modern Electronicore bands, Electric Callboy. If it wasn’t clear by the name, Electric Callboy are masters of the EDM side of Electronicore. They truly bring songs that are just fun to bang your head and dance to. Songs like “We Got the Moves” and “Tekkno Train” are just fun to listen to. Unlike other metal bands, their lyrics are much lighter with fun themes of love, pleasure, and having hedonistic fun. This along with their hilarious music videos make for an all around fun time.
3. Bring Me The Horizon
One of the kings of metal, Bring Me The Horizon is often overlooked as an Electronicore band. Though, some of their oldest songs like “Sleepwalking” have strong synth roots, and it seems in many of their newer works they have completely embraced their electronic abilities. Their Album Post Human: Survival Horror is filled with moving electronic melodies backed up by intense breakdowns and fierce guitars and vocals. With consistent themes of heartbreak, raging against abusive authority, and taking down whats keeping you back, Bring Me The Horizon is a great way to experience Electronicore.
4. Wargasm
The dynamic duo of Milkie Way and Sam Matlock make for a wild ride when listening to any of their songs. This UK band takes the concept of Electronicore and blows it up in your face. Poppy choruses and screaming glitchy backup vocals make for an extremely fun time, and with hard and fast songs like “Super Fiend” and “Do it So Good” Wargasm has a way of making you move along to their music. Their themes consist of hedonistic violence, and just giving in to rage. If you ever want to feel your heartbeat speed up, they are for you.
5. BABYMETAL
The masters of concert, BABYMETAL brings Idol-Pop to metal in the best way possible! While they were controversial for a time in the metal community they have found a comfortable spot in the Electronicore genre with songs like “METAL KINGDOM” and “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!”. The cute persona of the vocals mixed with gnarly screams in the back make BABYMETAL a fun listen, and they love to collaborate. Artists like Bring Me The Horizon and Lil Uzi Vert have made unique and fun songs with this Japanese band.
6. Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas
Keeping the Japanese theme, Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas is a synth fueled metal band that brings heavily autotuned vocals together with screamo in a way that fits perfectly. Despite their modern Electronicore appearance, they have been around since the late 2000’s making music not only for themselves, but a few notable anime as well, such as HunterXHunter, Baki, and more! Notable songs include, “Just Awake”, “Rave-up Tonight”, and “Let Me Hear”.
7. Samurai Pizza Cats
Last, but not least, is the band Samurai Pizza Cats. This band brings together joke cliches and Electronicore in a way not many others can. Songs like “Pizza Homicide” make for wild fun with their beautifully sung choruses and screaming fillers. But just opposite of that are their surprisingly serious songs like “Outcast”. These songs keep those joke cliches, but with lyrics that seem to have strong and profound messages.
Overall, Electronicore is a broadly applicable yet sparsely appreciated genre that pulls in the best of both the EDM and Metal worlds. Weather you are looking for fun metal songs to dance to, or serious and emotional songs about fear, anger, and growth, Electronicore has so much to choose from. The best part is, many Electronicore artists love to collaborate, so there is always something new to discover, and with the slow growth of the genre, many of the titans of the musical world are beginning to dabble in this flexible area of music.
