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Slams vs. Breakdowns, Deathcore vs. Brutal Death Metal



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Original post

Posted by psykometal, 08.06.2012 - 19:43
This is a topic I've been meaning to explore for some time but just haven't gotten around to it until now. Is there a difference between "slams" and "breakdowns", if so, what are they (because they both sound about the same to me)? Keep in mind I am not a musician but I do hang around with musician friends (none of them are into extreme metal though) so I do have an understanding of music terminology/lingo and I do have a good deal of knowledge about different techniques and what they are because I love reading reviews (especially reviews written by musicians since they do use musician terminology and I like knowing that stuff). Also, why are breakdowns cool in Death metal, especially in Brutal Death metal, but not cool in Deathcore?

I ask these questions because I read reviews all the time about Brutal Death metal bands like Dying Fetus where the reviewer will talk about how "the breakdowns in DF songs are so brutal!" but then they'll review a Deathcore album and write how "the breakdowns in this song suck so bad" and "the whole genre of deathcore is such bullshit because of all the breakdowns". And same with "Slam Death metal" like Pathology and Abominable Putridity, people will write reviews praising the "slams" (which sound like breakdowns to me) but then turn around and bitch about breakdowns in a Deathcore album. What gives? Is there some kind of unwritten rule somewhere that says "Breakdowns are only cool when used in Death metal but not in Deathcore?", or are they just played differently between the 2 genres and something about the way they're played in Deathcore makes them "gay" [or whatever] or am I just the first person to notice that there seems to be a double standard where breakdowns are concerned?
29.10.2012 - 22:27
Lit.
Account deleted
Written by Moosh666 on 29.10.2012 at 14:20

Obvious difference between the two, have heard very few Deathcore bands that don't sound like a 12 year old girl chucking a tantrum.

Based on your argument, I'd guess you were part of a Deathcore band yourself.
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30.10.2012 - 02:26
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Honestly don't see any difference between the two, once has gutturals, the other has screams.
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30.10.2012 - 03:09
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.10.2012 at 02:26

Honestly don't see any difference between the two, once has gutturals, the other has screams.

Well now that I have gotten more into the genre there is definitely a difference; aside from just gutterals and screams. After getting more into the genre I finally figured out what was throwing me off between the 2, there are several deathcore drummers out there that play like death metal drummers and I have a tendency to focus on drums more than riffs when it comes to these types of genres. In deathcore it's typically beefed up metalcore riffs built around the breakdown on top of death metal drums whereas BDM is death metal riffs on top of death metal drums with breakdown accents; Troy probably put it best for a short description "deathcore is built around the breakdown where as BDM just uses breakdowns as an accent".
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30.10.2012 - 19:00
Sync
Account deleted
Only 1 obvious answer here personally in this 'Deathcore vs. Brutal Death Metal' debacle,

and that is of course, BDM.
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02.11.2012 - 16:33
Moosh666

Written by Guest on 29.10.2012 at 22:27

Written by Moosh666 on 29.10.2012 at 14:20

Obvious difference between the two, have heard very few Deathcore bands that don't sound like a 12 year old girl chucking a tantrum.

Based on your argument, I'd guess you were part of a Deathcore band yourself.


Says the 25 year old with a My Little Pony picture.
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02.11.2012 - 16:49
Lit.
Account deleted
Written by Moosh666 on 02.11.2012 at 16:33

Written by Guest on 29.10.2012 at 22:27

Written by Moosh666 on 29.10.2012 at 14:20

Obvious difference between the two, have heard very few Deathcore bands that don't sound like a 12 year old girl chucking a tantrum.

Based on your argument, I'd guess you were part of a Deathcore band yourself.


Says the 25 year old with a My Little Pony picture.

You really couldn't come up with a better insult than that? Sad, but no matter, I love you anyway.
I stand by my remark. But it's okay, anyone who's still new to listening to metal (which you obviously are considering your remarks on Cryptopsy's The Unspoken King thread) will undoubtably have biased and ignorant views on other genres until they learn to grow up and listen to more metal.
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03.11.2012 - 14:32
Moosh666

Written by Guest on 02.11.2012 at 16:49

Written by Moosh666 on 02.11.2012 at 16:33

Written by Guest on 29.10.2012 at 22:27

Written by Moosh666 on 29.10.2012 at 14:20

Obvious difference between the two, have heard very few Deathcore bands that don't sound like a 12 year old girl chucking a tantrum.

Based on your argument, I'd guess you were part of a Deathcore band yourself.


Says the 25 year old with a My Little Pony picture.

You really couldn't come up with a better insult than that? Sad, but no matter, I love you anyway.
I stand by my remark. But it's okay, anyone who's still new to listening to metal (which you obviously are considering your remarks on Cryptopsy's The Unspoken King thread) will undoubtably have biased and ignorant views on other genres until they learn to grow up and listen to more metal.


I listen to a lot of different Metal, I just don't care for trends, temporary pointless Pop music shite that calls itself Metal every decade and fades away, I bet you liked Limp Biskit a lot when they were the "In" band, but now you hate them because they're old news. And having a personal taste in music isn't immature, what's immature is shitting on someone because they don't like a certain kind of music, if not liking what you like makes me immature, then I shall be 19 forever.
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03.11.2012 - 15:09
Uldreth

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 14:32



I listen to a lot of different Metal, I just don't care for trends, temporary pointless Pop music shite that calls itself Metal every decade and fades away, I bet you liked Limp Biskit a lot when they were the "In" band, but now you hate them because they're old news. And having a personal taste in music isn't immature, what's immature is shitting on someone because they don't like a certain kind of music, if not liking what you like makes me immature, then I shall be 19 forever.

No, that is not immature, what I outlined is immature, especially you have no basis of saying that.

Pretty much bigoted elitism at its best.

But if I remember well you were the guy who called Cycles of Light pop punk, so yeah...
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03.11.2012 - 15:17
Moosh666

Written by Uldreth on 03.11.2012 at 15:09

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 14:32



I listen to a lot of different Metal, I just don't care for trends, temporary pointless Pop music shite that calls itself Metal every decade and fades away, I bet you liked Limp Biskit a lot when they were the "In" band, but now you hate them because they're old news. And having a personal taste in music isn't immature, what's immature is shitting on someone because they don't like a certain kind of music, if not liking what you like makes me immature, then I shall be 19 forever.

No, that is not immature, what I outlined is immature, especially you have no basis of saying that.

Pretty much bigoted elitism at its best.

But if I remember well you were the guy who called Cycles of Light pop punk, so yeah...


Seriously, what else would you call Limp Biskit? And I don't know who Cycles Of Light is, but if I was calling them Pop Punk evidently I was trying to be a dick to whoever I was talking to, apologies to the band if they are actually good. I like how people call having an opinion elitism if the opinion displeases them, priceless.
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03.11.2012 - 17:24
Lit.
Account deleted
Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 15:17

Seriously, what else would you call Limp Biskit? And I don't know who Cycles Of Light is, but if I was calling them Pop Punk evidently I was trying to be a dick to whoever I was talking to, apologies to the band if they are actually good. I like how people call having an opinion elitism if the opinion displeases them, priceless.

Limp Biskit = Alternative/Rap Metal. Once more: Alternative/Rap metal.
And no, I never liked them. Never bothered to listen to them, really. Just never catched my interest. Though, I have to admit: Break Stuff is catchy shit.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure Cycles of Light is an album by a black metal group called Everything Went Black. IF it is... Nice job jumping to conclusions, hero.
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03.11.2012 - 17:41
Uldreth

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 15:17



Seriously, what else would you call Limp Biskit? And I don't know who Cycles Of Light is, but if I was calling them Pop Punk evidently I was trying to be a dick to whoever I was talking to, apologies to the band if they are actually good. I like how people call having an opinion elitism if the opinion displeases them, priceless.

I thought you were referring to deathcore with that.

Having an opinion is not elitism, calling a genre with next to 0 pop appeal "pop music" and "trend" because it has a relatively large following in a subculture that is different from metalhead culture, but still a subculture nontheless is elitism.

Your comment about "pop genres calling themselves metal" or what did you say seems like prime form of elitism when you cannot accept there is a genre clearly fitting into metal that for some reason falls out of your interest so much you cannot even accept its existence.

If that was about LB, dunno. If it was about nu-metal in general I'd say the same (except that has way more commercial appeal than deathcore but probably still on par with euroflower metal and classic heavy metal) but I don't really consider it (LB, many other nu metal bands are clearly metal) metal either, not because I don't like it but there are simply not enough metal elements in it. But I listened very little to LB so /shrug.

Cycles Of Light is the name of an album by a band called Everything Went Black, released this year, reviewed by Doc Godin, band is pretty much metalcore (the original form of the genre as opposed to melodic metalcore) where you entered the topic and declared this is "homorerotic punk crap". Not really relevant here, but it makes me not really trust the credibility of your opinions when it comes to hardcore-based genres, since even objectively speaking that album had absolutely no relation to pop punk in any way (indicating you probably didn't even listen), so that seemed like a spite comment because you don't like the genre or something.
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03.11.2012 - 18:22
Moosh666

Written by Guest on 03.11.2012 at 17:24

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 15:17

Seriously, what else would you call Limp Biskit? And I don't know who Cycles Of Light is, but if I was calling them Pop Punk evidently I was trying to be a dick to whoever I was talking to, apologies to the band if they are actually good. I like how people call having an opinion elitism if the opinion displeases them, priceless.

Limp Biskit = Alternative/Rap Metal. Once more: Alternative/Rap metal.
And no, I never liked them. Never bothered to listen to them, really. Just never catched my interest. Though, I have to admit: Break Stuff is catchy shit.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure Cycles of Light is an album by a black metal group called Everything Went Black. IF it is... Nice job jumping to conclusions, hero.


Rap Metal? I don't really know how to respond to that. You've left me speechless XD
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03.11.2012 - 18:28
Moosh666

Written by Uldreth on 03.11.2012 at 17:41

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 15:17



Seriously, what else would you call Limp Biskit? And I don't know who Cycles Of Light is, but if I was calling them Pop Punk evidently I was trying to be a dick to whoever I was talking to, apologies to the band if they are actually good. I like how people call having an opinion elitism if the opinion displeases them, priceless.

I thought you were referring to deathcore with that.

Having an opinion is not elitism, calling a genre with next to 0 pop appeal "pop music" and "trend" because it has a relatively large following in a subculture that is different from metalhead culture, but still a subculture nontheless is elitism.

Your comment about "pop genres calling themselves metal" or what did you say seems like prime form of elitism when you cannot accept there is a genre clearly fitting into metal that for some reason falls out of your interest so much you cannot even accept its existence.

If that was about LB, dunno. If it was about nu-metal in general I'd say the same (except that has way more commercial appeal than deathcore but probably still on par with euroflower metal and classic heavy metal) but I don't really consider it (LB, many other nu metal bands are clearly metal) metal either, not because I don't like it but there are simply not enough metal elements in it. But I listened very little to LB so /shrug.

Cycles Of Light is the name of an album by a band called Everything Went Black, released this year, reviewed by Doc Godin, band is pretty much metalcore (the original form of the genre as opposed to melodic metalcore) where you entered the topic and declared this is "homorerotic punk crap". Not really relevant here, but it makes me not really trust the credibility of your opinions when it comes to hardcore-based genres, since even objectively speaking that album had absolutely no relation to pop punk in any way (indicating you probably didn't even listen), so that seemed like a spite comment because you don't like the genre or something.


I don't see how Deathcore could fit into Metal save maybe a few bands (Despised Icon, Whitechapel even at some points), but for the most part it seems more apart of that whole Post Hardcore movement to me. I never had anything against the original Hardcore Punk, heck I even kinda like bands like Send More Paramedics, Sick Of It All, etc. By Hardcore I was referring to 'Post Hardcore' which is the thing I apparently have a grudge against.
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03.11.2012 - 18:36
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Uldreth on 03.11.2012 at 17:41

Off topic banter towards Moosh777...

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 18:22

Off topic banter towards Uldreth...

Hey guys, you're getting very off topic. If you want to continue to argue about the validity of Limp Bizkit and deathcore then please do so in PMs. This thread is for discussing the differences between Brutal Death Metal, Slam Death Metal and Deathcore...
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03.11.2012 - 18:38
Uldreth

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 18:28


I don't see how Deathcore could fit into Metal save maybe a few bands (Despised Icon, Whitechapel even at some points), but for the most part it seems more apart of that whole Post Hardcore movement to me. I never had anything against the original Hardcore Punk, heck I even kinda like bands like Send More Paramedics, Sick Of It All, etc. By Hardcore I was referring to 'Post Hardcore' which is the thing I apparently have a grudge against.

Post-hardcore is a pretty different thing

I guess the reason it confuses you because many nowadays popular metalcore/pop punk mix groups get referred to as post-hardcore often (and sometimes they also have deathcore in their sound). It is debatable how applicable that term is there but originally post-hardcore refers to an offshot of hardcore punk that is almost undefinable but common elements seem to be heavy usage of soft-harsh dynamics, erratic song structures and often post-rock-ish buildups while still keeping a hardcore base.






Stuff like this, mainly. Most deathcore bands either have a death metal-based sound (Despised Icon, Rings of Saturn, Whitechapel, All Shall Perish' first album) or a gothenburg/melodeath/melodic metalcore based sound (later All Shall Perish, Conducting From The Grave, After The Burial) and don't have much to do with actual post-hardcore.

I doubt you'd like original post-hardcore either but it definitely isn't a genre that would be despicable in any ways.

Written by psykometal on 03.11.2012 at 18:36

[
Hey guys, you're getting very off topic. If you want to continue to argue about the validity of Limp Bizkit and deathcore then please do so in PMs. This thread is for discussing the differences between Brutal Death Metal, Slam Death Metal and Deathcore...

Sorry man I posted this after I saw this

But yeh you're right, we should stop this.
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03.11.2012 - 19:01
Lit.
Account deleted
Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 18:22

Rap Metal? I don't really know how to respond to that. You've left me speechless XD

"All great truths begin as blasphemies."

But Psykometal is right. Back on topic.
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03.11.2012 - 20:14
Moosh666

Written by Uldreth on 03.11.2012 at 18:38

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 18:28


I don't see how Deathcore could fit into Metal save maybe a few bands (Despised Icon, Whitechapel even at some points), but for the most part it seems more apart of that whole Post Hardcore movement to me. I never had anything against the original Hardcore Punk, heck I even kinda like bands like Send More Paramedics, Sick Of It All, etc. By Hardcore I was referring to 'Post Hardcore' which is the thing I apparently have a grudge against.

Post-hardcore is a pretty different thing

I guess the reason it confuses you because many nowadays popular metalcore/pop punk mix groups get referred to as post-hardcore often (and sometimes they also have deathcore in their sound). It is debatable how applicable that term is there but originally post-hardcore refers to an offshot of hardcore punk that is almost undefinable but common elements seem to be heavy usage of soft-harsh dynamics, erratic song structures and often post-rock-ish buildups while still keeping a hardcore base.







Stuff like this, mainly. Most deathcore bands either have a death metal-based sound (Despised Icon, Rings of Saturn, Whitechapel, All Shall Perish' first album) or a gothenburg/melodeath/melodic metalcore based sound (later All Shall Perish, Conducting From The Grave, After The Burial) and don't have much to do with actual post-hardcore.

I doubt you'd like original post-hardcore either but it definitely isn't a genre that would be despicable in any ways.

Written by psykometal on 03.11.2012 at 18:36

[
Hey guys, you're getting very off topic. If you want to continue to argue about the validity of Limp Bizkit and deathcore then please do so in PMs. This thread is for discussing the differences between Brutal Death Metal, Slam Death Metal and Deathcore...

Sorry man I posted this after I saw this

But yeh you're right, we should stop this.


Yeah, the stupid kids are just calling Deathcore/Metalcore that for some reason then. But you should really check out Send More Paramedics if you like the traditional Hardcore Punk style.
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03.11.2012 - 20:15
Moosh666

Written by Guest on 03.11.2012 at 19:01

Written by Moosh666 on 03.11.2012 at 18:22

Rap Metal? I don't really know how to respond to that. You've left me speechless XD

"All great truths begin as blasphemies."

But Psykometal is right. Back on topic.


Pfft. The point was you're speaking myth here. When I think Alternative Metal I think Faith No More. Just saying.
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03.11.2012 - 20:18
Valentin B
Iconoclast
I myself prefer deathcore slightly over brutal death metal. That being said, I think there is no way in hell this thread would be anything but a "death metal rules! fuck deathcore!" post repeated over and over.
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03.11.2012 - 20:29
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Valentin B on 03.11.2012 at 20:18

I myself prefer deathcore slightly over brutal death metal. That being said, I think there is no way in hell this thread would be anything but a "death metal rules! fuck deathcore!" post repeated over and over.

Well that's why I have stepped in and said something. I created this topic when I was still very ignorant about brutal and slam but in the 5 months since posting this I have gotten extremely immersed in brutal and slam death metals (so much to the point that that's almost exclusively what I have been listening to for the last 5 months) and I can definitely tell the differences between them and between them and deathcore. This thread topic though still needs to remain on point for other such curious souls who might find it while looking for the same answers I was looking for 5 months ago.

The differences have already been pretty well stated many times over by several users that know the differences (including myself after getting so immersed in the genres) so I might just see about having this thread locked down and certain posts deleted so that it doesn't continue to spiral further downward into juvenile "death metal rules and deathcore is for gay scene kids" bullshit. If anyone wants to discuss the "awesomeness of death metal vs. the gayness of deathcore" they can open a new thread.
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04.11.2012 - 02:30
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Keep it on topic and off personal insults. different strokes for different folks.

consider this a nice, informal warning .
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04.11.2012 - 07:18
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Seeing a personal attacks between Moosh and Lit, I sense a Deja Vu of a year back when I got caught off guard with Lit rumbling incessantly on Metallica thread and got banned for 5 days by big old daddy.
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04.11.2012 - 09:04
SuicidalCyco
Account deleted
Ive played some shows before with some deathcore bands and everyone of them sounded exactly the same. All their songs had the same breakdowns, same screams and all the members did that weird bending of the legs shit together as a band. No lead whatsoever. All they had was rhythm. They even head banged at the same exact time, and jumped up and down, almost like a fucking synchronized swim team. To me pretty much all deathcore sounds the same, ive yet to hear a deathcore band that stands out. But i havent heard a breakdown in a brutal death metal band though, and i have no fucking idea what a "slam" is either.
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04.11.2012 - 21:37
Lit.
Account deleted
Judging by the post above, I think the posts on this thread have more repetitiveness that Deathcore itself.

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 04.11.2012 at 07:18

Seeing a personal attacks between Moosh and Lit, I sense a Deja Vu of a year back when I got caught off guard with Lit rumbling incessantly on Metallica thread and got banned for 5 days by big old daddy.

You're gonna have to fill me in because I do not remember that. That sucks, because I'd like to think I'd remember getting in a fight with someone like you.
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04.11.2012 - 23:28
SuicidalCyco
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 04.11.2012 at 21:37

Judging by the post above, I think the posts on this thread have more repetitiveness that Deathcore itself.




Judging from your theory, you can obviously tell that not very many people on this site enjoy deathcore. Hence your thought of my post being just a repeat of everyone else's.
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05.11.2012 - 02:05
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Guest on 04.11.2012 at 09:04

But i havent heard a breakdown in a brutal death metal band though, and i have no fucking idea what a "slam" is either.

The breakdowns in BDM are different than in deathcore, they stand out a lot more in deathcore than in BDM because BDM bands incorporate them into the songs instead of accentuating the shit out of them like deathcore bands. And slams are slams (they are kinda like breakdowns but not actually breakdowns ), lol, I can't actually explain them from a technical standpoint; listen to bands like Pathology, Abominable Putridity and Cephalotripsy and when you hear those moments that are kinda slow and sound breakdown-y those are slams. That's the best way I can think to point them out right now since I'm at work I can't actually pull out my iPod and give you a specific time stamp in a specific song to listen to right now. There are some posts on Page 1 though from some people more musically inclined than myself who actually posted much better and more technical descriptions then mine.
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05.11.2012 - 06:31
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Written by Guest on 04.11.2012 at 21:37

Judging by the post above, I think the posts on this thread have more repetitiveness that Deathcore itself.

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 04.11.2012 at 07:18

Seeing a personal attacks between Moosh and Lit, I sense a Deja Vu of a year back when I got caught off guard with Lit rumbling incessantly on Metallica thread and got banned for 5 days by big old daddy.

You're gonna have to fill me in because I do not remember that. That sucks, because I'd like to think I'd remember getting in a fight with someone like you.


Yeah we crushed our heads on some stupidity I suppose and I think I don't have any proof to put on your desk claiming that you fought with me except to ONLY REMEMBER ABOUT IT.

Well, if possible you can check it out our disgust in Metallica thread( only if it's available!!).
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05.11.2012 - 12:25
Uldreth

Written by psykometal on 05.11.2012 at 02:05


And slams are slams (they are kinda like breakdowns but not actually breakdowns ), lol,

Slams are breakdowns as long as there is a song to break down.

Breakdown doesn't really mean much more in this context than a sudden shift to rhythmic playing and a drop in tempo. If the song has some riffing, and then riff progression stops and you get a rhythmic pattern at like half or quarter time then you got a breakdown. If the entire song sonsists of a rhythmic pattern played at half or quarter bpm of what is normal in that genre then you have a slow song but there isn't a drop in tempo as it has pretty much a constant tempo.

As far as I collected from this thread and others is that breakdowns in slam and bdm primarily consists of playing slowly along a scale while deathcore breakdowns generally slam the lowest note possible in a staccato manner. As such deathcore breakdowns have distinctive "DUNN DUN DUN DUNN" type sound while BDM breakdowns have this heavy "slithering" sort of sound.

Also I'd really question the "incorporated into the song" thing, most deathcore bands build there songs around breakdowns in the sense that the purpose of a song is to have a build up that culminates in one or more breakdowns and those breakdowns are the climax of the song but that is as integration as it can be.
And on the other hand we have slam bands that do nothing else than slam.
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05.11.2012 - 15:56
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Uldreth on 05.11.2012 at 12:25

Also I'd really question the "incorporated into the song" thing, most deathcore bands build there songs around breakdowns in the sense that the purpose of a song is to have a build up that culminates in one or more breakdowns and those breakdowns are the climax of the song but that is as integration as it can be.
And on the other hand we have slam bands that do nothing else than slam.

Well what I was saying is that BDM incorporates the breakdown into the song [not deathcore], whereas deathcore accentuates the shit out of them.
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12.11.2012 - 20:45
PrinceLink

Honestly not a big fan of deathcore save for Whitechapel and All Shall Perish. And it's not because of elitisim-I do like some metalcore and non-metal music. I just find the genre fairly boring

As for BDM, it has to be at least moderately technical (US Disgorge,Liturgy) if they put more emphasis on brutality.
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