The 30 best metalcore songs from the 2000s that will scare the crap out of everyone at the family barbecue

It’s summer, which means it’s time for barbecues, good food, and my whole family is going to be scared to death because I’ve hijacked the backyard playlist and am playing nothing but 2000s metalcore. It was about time in music history that someone combined metal and hardcore, but I don’t think my family approves. Anyway, let’s tune the guitars down, double-hit the bass drum pedal, and compile the top 30 songs from this genre that just scare the crap out of my immediate and extended family. (Listen to the playlist, Click here)

30. From a second floor window: “In a river where you least expect it, there are fish” (2003)

At any family gathering, you must first assert your dominance to demonstrate your worth. And there’s no better way to do that than to start with this intense six-minute musical assault. “From a Second Story Window” is always a great choice for cozy family gatherings.

29. On Broken Wings “I do my crossword puzzles with a pen” (2003)

You have to remember that the height of entertainment in the 2000s was Bam Margera doing kickflips on his dad on national television and releasing a live alligator in his parents’ kitchen and hitting him in the face. Music had to match that intensity back then. Nobody knows that better than On Broken Wings. But nobody knows that better than my stupid family.

28. Shai Hulud “Linoeleum” (2006)

Finally, someone has done a metalcore-style NOFX song. It’s rawer, harder, and makes me want to grab a second helping of potato salad to escape the current tension this track seems to be bringing to this family event.

27. Emmure “When things go wrong, being honest” (2007)

If you’re interested, you can buy boxing gloves with the word “Emmure” written on them in big letters on the band’s website. But don’t show up to a family event wearing these gloves unless you want to get a lot of questions about them.

26. Misery Signals “The Year Summer Ended in June” (2004)

You know how mothers all over the world do it when they say, “I just don’t understand why they have to scream like that?” They’re usually talking about distress signals, and these judgements are obviously not limited to the mother alone. Her sisters, brothers, parents, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and the family dog ​​all seem to share this sentiment equally.

25. Hopesfall “The End of an Era” (2002)

The first 20 seconds of this track are actually quite beautiful and calming, leading my family to believe that the instrumental carnage might be over. But then the screaming and voracious double bass drum suddenly starts up again and little do they know that two dozen more tracks are to come. Metalcore is notoriously deceptive.

24. From Autumn to Ashes “The After Dinner Payback” (2004)

This FATA track found its way onto the soundtrack of Freddy vs. Jason (2003) along with other metalcore and other more traditional metal bands. Real metalheads weren’t always keen on metalcore as a genre. Just like my family members are now. I guess Aunt Gertrude has a lot in common with Slayer fans.

23. Miss May I “A Dance with Aera Cura” (2009)

I’m beginning to think that no one at this party could handle a single Knocked Loose song, let alone a Miss May I. Oh, but when Uncle John put on a Steely Dan song, everyone went crazy. A truly embarrassing family.

22. Between the Buried and Me “Mordecai” (2003)

Everyone at this barbecue seems pretty impressed that Cousin Kyle got his law degree, started his own law firm, got married, and had two kids since we last saw him. On the other hand, no one seems to care that I haven’t changed at all since 2005 and I still listen to Between the Buried and Me. Consistency is key, Kyle.

21. Atreyu “Bleeding Mascara” (2004)

Pretty cool naming your band after the badass warrior boy from The NeverEnding Story. However, telling everyone this just seems to depress my family. Either that or they’re sad that I keep playing the scene where the horse dies in the swamp of sadness. This family will learn the history of metalcore, even if it causes lifelong trauma.

20. Hatebreed “Perseverance” (2002)

Sure, Hatebreed’s flaming band logo looks like it was designed by Guy Fieri’s t-shirt guy. But don’t let that fool you. This band scares the crap out of all my aunts at the same time. The same can’t be said for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

19. Killswitch Engage “My Curse” (2006)

Killswitch Engage is probably a band that at least my immediate family knows, as I played them constantly on Guitar Hero in my parent’s basement in the 2000s and still do today. One day I’ll be able to play through them on Expert.

18. A Day to Remember “The Downfall Of Us All” (2009)

Metalcore meets pop punk, A Day to Remember should theoretically be the band that appeals most to those unfamiliar with the genre. The opening “duh duh duh duh duh” vocals alone should bring this family together. But if anything, it’s tearing us apart. Or rather, it’s tearing my family away from me.

17. The Chariot “And Shot Each Other” (2007)

The Chariot seems to have written about 30 different components for this song, including what appears to be a 10 second long, instrument-less scream at 40 seconds in. It’s hard to believe that my family doesn’t like any of the parts they wrote for it. It’s like they don’t like anything.

16. The acacia variety ‘Carbomb’ (2004)

The Acacia Strain is somewhere between deathcore and metalcore. Whatever you want to call them, The Acacia Strain is a heavy band. If you go by my nieces and nephews, who stick their fingers in their ears and close their eyes when they hear this song, they completely agree.