Regulations

Slash punk is a fast, stripped‑down strain of early‑80s U.S. hardcore revived in the 2000s with an even rawer, knife‑edge attack. It prioritizes slashing down‑stroke guitars, treble‑forward tones, whiplash tempos, and barked, unadorned vocals. Songs are short (often under 90 seconds), hooky in a primitive way, and driven by tight D‑beat and skank beats, sudden stops, gang shouts, and blackout‑quick endings. The aesthetic is staunchly DIY: live‑in‑the‑room recording, minimal overdubs, xeroxed artwork, and small‑label or self‑released formats. Lyrically it centers on everyday pressure, boredom, paranoia, and anti‑authoritarian rage—delivered with deadpan sarcasm or blunt confrontation.

Umeå hardcore is a regional straight edge–leaning strain of Swedish hardcore punk centered on the northern city of Umeå. It is characterized by fast, tightly executed songs; urgent, shouted vocals; gang‑chorus hooks; and a strong DIY/collective ethic. Lyrics frequently address personal responsibility, animal rights and veganism, anti‑racism, and youth empowerment, reflecting the scene’s political and lifestyle commitments. Releases were often documented by local labels and compilations, which helped solidify a distinct identity under the banner “Umeå Hardcore.”

Punk is a fast, abrasive, and minimalist form of rock music built around short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and confrontational, anti-establishment lyrics. It emphasizes DIY ethics, raw energy, and immediacy over virtuosity, often featuring distorted guitars, shouted or sneered vocals, and simple, catchy melodies. Typical songs run 1–3 minutes, sit around 140–200 BPM, use power chords and basic progressions (often I–IV–V), and favor live, unpolished production. Beyond sound, punk is a cultural movement encompassing zines, independent labels, political activism, and a fashion vocabulary of ripped clothes, leather, and safety pins.

Hardcore punk is a faster, louder, and more abrasive offshoot of late-1970s punk rock. Songs are typically short (often under two minutes), propelled by rapid tempos, aggressive down‑stroked guitar riffs, and shouted or barked vocals. The style prioritizes raw energy over technical ornamentation: power‑chord harmony, minimal guitar solos, and tightly locked rhythm sections dominate. Lyrically, hardcore punk is intensely direct—often political, anti‑authoritarian, and socially critical—reflecting a DIY ethic that values independent labels, self‑organized shows, and community‑run spaces. The genre coalesced in U.S. scenes such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston, and soon spread internationally. Its velocity, attitude, and grassroots infrastructure profoundly shaped underground music and paved the way for numerous metal, punk, and alternative subgenres.

Garage rock is a raw, energetic style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s from local scenes across North America. Typically performed by amateur or semi-professional teenage bands in basements and suburban garages, the sound is unpolished and immediate, favoring feel over finesse. Its hallmarks include distorted guitars, pounding drums, simple chord progressions (often I–IV–V), prominent Farfisa/Vox organ riffs, and shouted, attitude-heavy vocals. Songs are short, hooky, and driven by rhythmic urgency, with lyrics about teenage love, boredom, rebellion, and swagger. The style became a direct ancestor of proto-punk and punk rock, prized for its do-it-yourself spirit and visceral impact.

Rock is a broad family of popular music centered on amplified instruments, a strong backbeat, and song forms that foreground riffs, choruses, and anthemic hooks. Emerging from mid‑20th‑century American styles like rhythm & blues, country, and gospel-inflected rock and roll, rock quickly expanded in scope—absorbing folk, blues, and psychedelic ideas—while shaping global youth culture. Core sonic markers include electric guitar (often overdriven), electric bass, drum kit emphasizing beats 2 and 4, and emotive lead vocals. Rock songs commonly use verse–chorus structures, blues-derived harmony, and memorable melodic motifs, ranging from intimate ballads to high‑energy, stadium‑sized performances.