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post-post-hardcore

Post-Post-Hardcore

United States · 2010s
IntenseEpicSadDancingSentimental

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Description

Post-post-hardcore is a polished, third-wave offshoot of post-hardcore that crystallized in the 2010s. It fuses the genre’s emotive, dynamic vocals and tension-release structures with modern pop hooks, electronic programming, and metalcore heft.

Compared with classic post-hardcore, it favors glossy production, radio-leaning choruses, and hybridized textures—think syncopated djent-lite riffs under bright synths, EDM-style risers and drops, half-time breakdowns, and call-and-response vocals (screamed versus soaring cleans). The result is an accessible yet intense sound that thrives in the internet era of playlists, YouTube covers, and scene cross-pollination.


Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, RYM, MB, user feedback and other online sources

History

Origins (late 2000s–early 2010s)

The seeds of post-post-hardcore were sown as 2000s post-hardcore and metalcore bands began embracing cleaner pop melodicism and electronic elements. Online communities, inexpensive DAWs, and home recording accelerated stylistic blending—electronicore, djent accents, and pop-punk choruses seeped into post-hardcore’s framework.

Consolidation and Aesthetic (mid–2010s)

By the mid-2010s, a recognizable style emerged: tightly edited drums, quad-tracked guitars in drop tunings, sleek synth design, and anthemic, high-register clean vocals contrasted with strategically placed screams. This period normalized EDM-style lifts, sidechain “pump,” and 808 embellishments inside guitar-driven songs, while lyrics leaned toward catharsis, vulnerability, and resilience.

Platform and Globalization

Streaming and video platforms helped the sound travel quickly beyond North America, cultivating scenes in Europe and Oceania. Tour packages mixed heavy and pop-leaning acts, encouraging further hybridization and exposing fans of metalcore, pop-punk, and electronic music to a common middle ground.

Ongoing Evolution (late 2010s–2020s)

The style fed back into newer subscenes: prog-tinged swancore sophistication, glossy neon-pop-punk aesthetics, and post-screamo melodrama. Production values kept rising—vocal tuning and layering, drum sample reinforcement, and sound-design interludes became hallmarks—while songs retained the verse/chorus immediacy that made the sound broadly accessible.

How to make a track in this genre

Core Instrumentation
•   Dual high-gain guitars (often in Drop C/Drop B; 6–7 strings) for blendable chugs, octave leads, and djent-lite syncopation. •   Tight, sample-reinforced drums with punchy kicks and crisp, gated snares. •   Bass that locks to the kick and accents guitar syncopations; occasional 808s for drops. •   Synths for pads, risers, arps, and ear-candy (e.g., EDM-style uplifters, reverse cymbals), plus subtle piano/strings for ambience.
Rhythm & Structure
•   Typical tempos 120–170 BPM with frequent half-time breakdowns. •   Verses lean rhythmically sparse to spotlight vocals; pre-choruses build with snare on 3 or rising synth swells; choruses go full-time with layered harmonies. •   Include a post-chorus hook and a bridge that either breaks down (syncopated low-end chugs) or opens into an ambient/sound-design interlude before a final, bigger chorus.
Harmony & Melody
•   Predominantly minor keys with modal mixture; use IV–V lift and borrowed chords to brighten choruses. •   Melodic writing prioritizes memorable, high-register hooks; add harmony stacks (3rds/5ths/upper extensions) and occasional gospel-influenced voicings.
Vocals & Lyrics
•   Contrast unclean verses (screams or gritty fry) with soaring pop-oriented cleans in choruses. •   Themes: vulnerability, perseverance, relationships, mental health—delivered with direct, first-person immediacy.
Sound Design & Production
•   Sidechain duck pads to kicks for EDM “pump”; automate filter sweeps and impacts into section changes. •   Quad-track rhythms for width; double/quad main vocal choruses; tasteful pitch correction for sheen. •   Mix goals: sub-tight low end, forward vocals, controlled 3–6 kHz bite on guitars/snares; master loud but keep transient punch.
Arrangement Tips
•   Open with an attention hook (riff fragment, vocal motif, or synth riser into a drop). •   Reserve heaviest breakdown or key change for the bridge or final chorus for maximal payoff. •   Use micro-gaps, reverse reverb swells, and stop‑downs to frame transitions and accent lyric lines.

Best playlists

The Sound of Post-Post-Hardcore
The Sound of Post-Post-Hardcore
Every Noise at Once
Post-Post-Hardcore
Post-Post-Hardcore
Chosic
Best of Post-Post-Hardcore
Best of Post-Post-Hardcore
volt.fm

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in this genre
Influenced by
Post-Hardcore
Post-hardcore is a branch of hardcore punk that retains the style’s urgency and DIY ethos while expanding its musical vocabulary. Bands push beyond breakneck tempos and simple power-chord progressions into more dynamic song structures, varied rhythms, and a wider emotional range. Guitars often alternate between caustic distortion and clean, chiming textures; vocals can shift from shouted slogans to melodic singing; and arrangements emphasize tension-and-release, odd meters, and dramatic builds. Lyrically, post-hardcore tends to be more introspective and socially conscious than its hardcore roots, touching on personal, political, and philosophical themes.
Metalcore
Metalcore is a fusion of hardcore punk’s urgency and ethos with heavy metal’s riff language and technicality. It is defined by tightly palm‑muted riffs, rapid double‑kick drumming, and frequent breakdowns—rhythmic, syncopated passages written to accentuate impact and crowd movement. Vocals typically alternate between harsh screams or growls and, in many bands, soaring clean choruses—a contrast that emphasizes both aggression and catharsis. Harmony and melody often borrow from melodic death metal, yielding minor‑key leads, harmonized guitars, and hook‑driven refrains. Modern production favors precise editing, dense guitar layering, and punchy drum sounds that keep complex rhythms clear at high intensity.
Emo
Emo is a rock subgenre that emerged from the mid-1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene as “emotional hardcore” (often shortened to emocore). It retains punk’s urgency but foregrounds confessional, vulnerable lyrics and dramatic dynamic shifts. Across its eras, emo has encompassed several distinct sounds: the intense, cathartic D.C. style; the melodic, guitar‑intricate “Midwest emo” of the 1990s; and the 2000s mainstream wave that blended emo’s lyrical candor with pop‑punk hooks (often called “emo pop”). Common musical traits include intertwining clean and overdriven guitars, intricate arpeggios and counter‑melodies, elastic song structures, and vocals that range from intimate murmurs to raw, impassioned shouts.
Pop Punk
Pop punk blends the speed and attitude of punk rock with the melody, hooks, and songcraft of pop. It features bright, concise songs driven by crunchy power-chord guitars, punchy drums, and catchy vocal lines that often favor gang shouts and harmonies. Lyrically, pop punk tends to focus on adolescence, relationships, boredom, suburbia, and self-deprecating humor, delivered with a mix of earnestness and wit. Production ranges from raw and DIY to radio-ready polish, but the core is always immediacy: big choruses, tight structures, and energetic performances.
Electronicore
Electronicore is a fusion of post-hardcore/metalcore and electronic dance music. It blends down-tuned, chugging guitars, double-kick breakdowns, and screamed/clean call-and-response vocals with club-ready synths, sidechained pads, risers, and drop-centric song structures. Typical tracks juxtapose verses rooted in metalcore energy with EDM-style builds and explosive drops that can reference trance, electro house, or dubstep. Production is as central as performance: sequenced arpeggios, supersaws, wobble/growl basses, and glitch edits are arranged alongside live drums or tight sample-reinforced kits. Lyrically, electronicore keeps the emotive intensity of post-hardcore—introspection, catharsis, and youth-culture themes—while adopting EDM’s hook-forward choruses and festival scale.
Djent
Djent is a substyle of progressive metal defined by ultra-tight, low‑tuned, palm‑muted guitar riffs that create a percussive, onomatopoeic "djent" sound. It favors extended‑range instruments (7–9 strings), precise rhythmic subdivision, and a highly articulate, modern production aesthetic. Sonically, djent emphasizes polyrhythms, syncopation, and metric modulation, often pairing dense, chugging grooves with ambient clean guitars, spacious synth pads, and melodic choruses. Vocals range from harsh screams and growls to soaring cleans, while drums and bass lock tightly to the rhythmic grid, accenting the guitar’s staccato patterns. Although the term took off online in the late 2000s, the core rhythmic and timbral blueprint traces to the 1990s work of Swedish band Meshuggah.
Alternative Rock
Alternative rock is a broad umbrella for guitar-based rock that emerged from the independent and college-radio scenes as a counterpoint to mainstream, commercial rock. It blends the energy and ethos of punk with the textural and songwriting experiments of post-punk, new wave, jangle pop, and noise rock, often foregrounding introspective or socially aware lyrics. Across its many strains—from the melodic minimalism of college rock to the loud-quiet-loud dynamics of grunge and the artful experimentation of Radiohead-era modernism—alternative rock prioritizes authenticity, sonic individuality, and a do-it-yourself approach. Its sound ranges from chiming, chorus-laden clean guitars to abrasive distortion and feedback, supported by straightforward rock rhythms or off-kilter grooves, and production that can be either raw and live-sounding or polished yet unconventional.
Screamo
Screamo is an emotionally charged offshoot of emo and hardcore punk characterized by cathartic, screamed vocals, dynamic extremes, and a blend of melody with discordance. Songs often move rapidly between fragile, clean passages and explosive, chaotic climaxes, emphasizing tension-and-release. Guitars favor octave runs, tremolo-picked melodies, and dissonant chord voicings, while drums switch from driving d-beats to blast beats and spacious half-time drops. Lyrics are typically confessional, poetic, and socially aware, delivered with a visceral intensity that foregrounds vulnerability and urgency. Early recordings embraced raw, DIY production and intimate, basement-show energy; later waves incorporated post-rock atmospherics and more expansive songwriting.
Progressive Post-Hardcore
Progressive post-hardcore is a branch of post-hardcore that emphasizes ambitious song structures, technical musicianship, and dynamic contrast. It retains post-hardcore’s intensity—urgent vocals, driving guitars, and emotional tension—while incorporating progressive rock/metal ideas such as odd meters, extended forms, layered arrangements, and thematic development. The genre often blends melodic passages with explosive climaxes, pairing clean and harsh vocals, and frequently uses intricate guitar work, syncopated riffs, and dramatic breakdowns that serve the composition rather than functioning as simple mosh cues.
Has influenced
Swancore
Swancore is a bright, technical offshoot of post-hardcore marked by intricate, funk-tinged guitar work, elastic grooves, and the interplay of soaring clean vocals with harsher screams. Named after guitarist Will Swan (Dance Gavin Dance), the style emphasizes tight, syncopated riffing, frequent tapping, and jazz-fusion flourishes wrapped in catchy, pop-forward hooks. Arrangements pivot rapidly between aggressive bursts and sleek melodic passages. The harmony often ventures beyond basic triads to include extensions, mode mixture, and chromatic voice-leading, while drums favor ghost-note heavy, linear patterns and occasional odd-meter turns. Despite the complexity, Swancore typically retains an upbeat, glossy production aesthetic that highlights clarity, agility, and rhythmic snap.
Post-Screamo
Post-screamo is a modern, studio-savvy offshoot of screamo that blends the genre’s emotive harsh vocals with sleek, pop-leaning hooks and polished, post-hardcore/metalcore instrumentation. Compared with classic screamo, it favors dynamic “scream-and-sing” song forms, EDM/electronic textures, and breakdowns with djent-tinged guitar tones. Clean choruses, cinematic builds, and glossy production sit alongside cathartic screams, creating a style that is equal parts heavy release and radio-ready melodicism.
Neon Pop Punk
Neon pop punk is a glossy, synth-splashed offshoot of pop punk that emerged in the late 2000s alongside the MySpace/“scene” era and Warped Tour culture. It retains the brisk tempos, power-chord guitar drive, and catchy, chantable hooks of pop punk, but pairs them with bright electronic textures, dance-pop rhythms, and a highly processed, radio-ready sheen. Sonically, you’ll hear palm-muted guitars layered with fizzy polysynths and arpeggiated leads, four-on-the-floor kicks or clap-heavy pop grooves, and clean, often Auto-Tuned vocals stacked with harmonies and gang shouts. Lyrically, it leans toward youthful romance, summer escapism, and playful party imagery, packaged in a neon-bright aesthetic that defined late-2000s teen alternative culture.
Emo Trap
Emo trap is a mid‑2010s fusion of trap production and the melodic, confessional sensibility of 2000s emo and pop‑punk. Built around minor‑key guitar or piano loops, blown‑out 808s, and half‑time trap drums, it favors short, hook‑heavy songs that blur singing and rapping through Auto‑Tune. Lyrically it is candid and diaristic—heartbreak, anxiety, alienation, substance use/recovery, and late‑night introspection are common themes. The sound crystallized on SoundCloud’s DIY ecosystem: rough‑edged mixes, clipped masters, and bedroom workflows that prioritized immediacy over polish, later crossing into the mainstream via viral singles and post‑blog discovery platforms.
Trap Metal
Trap metal is a fusion of contemporary trap production and the aggression of metal and hardcore. It typically pairs distorted 808 bass, half‑time trap drums, and rapid hi‑hat rolls with screamed or harshly delivered vocals, down‑tuned guitar riffs (live or sampled), and industrial textures. Aesthetically, it emphasizes raw intensity, mosh‑pit energy, and abrasive sound design while retaining hip‑hop’s hook‑driven song structures and lyrical cadences. Themes often revolve around alienation, rage, nihilism, and personal struggle, delivered with a visceral, cathartic tone.

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