Hello Hive.
It is I: DroWn aka DS-Tech Media.
It has been some time since my last post.
I did a recommendation of music post that was pretty well-received, and so here is another one.

I didn't intend for this to metal & hardcore only, but that's sort of how it turned out.
Hardcore and metalcore isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you give these records a chance they might change your mind.
I didn't like this music when I was first introduced to it, but a year or so later I was in a band making this type of music.

Converge

Converge is a metalcore/hardcore band that has been around since 1990. They are almost as old as I am, and they are considered one of the key pioneers in metalcore music.
In their early days they self-described as "A hardcore punk band with leftover Slayer riffs", but that only describes their early work.
They've since evolved several times. They have a sound and style that's entirely their own.

Jacob Bannon

Converge's lead singer Jacob Bannon owns & operates the Deathwish Inc. label that boasts a diverse catalog of both established bands, and up and coming artists.
Jacob Bannon is also a noteworthy visual artist who has done the album art for Converge and many other bands. He also sells prints of his original works, and has done art/design lectures at the college level in Massachusetts universities.

Kurt Ballou

Converge's guitarist is also quite accomplished outside of the band.
He operates Godcity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. He is particularly sought-after as an engineer/producer for aggressive music.
He also runs Godcity Instruments or GCI.
He's designed many guitar-effects pedals, and now guitars and basses as well. They are often sold-out.

Let me be clear: Converge is not a band for everyone.
The music is extremely chaotic, fast, and dissonant.
The vocals are mostly screamed(not shouted) in a brutal way.
If you've never listened to metalcore it could come as quite a shock to you.

Petitioning The Empty Sky (1996)

Converge's first proper album. This was the first album from them I listened to.
It's unlike anything else, and yet so many bands have tried to copy the sound of this album.
It has those 'leftover Slayer riffs' that I love so much more than real Slayer riffs, and it even has quiet intimate moments that are unlike anything else.

Jane Doe (2001)

Considered one of the most important albums in metal music.
Jacob did the artwork, and it has become iconic in and of itself.
You've likely seen it as a sticker or on clothing.
Kurt Ballou was the assistant engineer on this album, and every album since has been produced by Kurt at Godcity.

Botch

Botch is from Tacoma Washington, and they are also considered one of the defining bands in metalcore music.
They sound nothing like Converge, but they share a certain dissonant aesthetic. The break-neck time-signature changes of both bands along with varrying tempos have led both to often be described as "math-metal".
Botch was a rather short-lived band, but have left a lasting influence.
You may not have listened to Botch, but if you listen to any metalcore at all there's a good chance one of the bands you love cites Botch as an influence/inspiration.
Botch has a short, but very interesting catalog with only 2 full-length albums.

We Are The Romans (1999)

Botch's second and final full-length album, and their most acclaimed.
American Nervoso is also very good, but if you have to hear just one it should be this one.

Every Time I Die

ETID are from Buffalo, New York.
They are a 5 piece metalcore/hardcore band that manages to incorporate some pop sensibilities and dance-beats at times.

Hot Damn!(2003)

Their second album, and their break-out success.
From start to finish it's just fun to listen to.
The lyrics are clever, sardonic, and ironic.
There's high-brow references to classical literature and culture, and post-modern punk irreverence mixed with precision.

From Parts Unknown (2014)

11 years after their break-out album it felt like ETID had lost their edge. They had released many albums since Hot Damn, but it felt like they had lost their edge. It can be difficult to translate a heavy band to record, and for this album they went to Converge's guitarist Kurt Ballou at his Godcity studio.
This album is masterfully recorded and performed. It's very fast and hard-hitting, and it has an eerie vibe to it that they hadn't displayed since their earliest work.

Poison The Well

Yet another pioneering hardcore/metalcore band.
Poison The Well is less chaotic than their mathcore contemporaries.
Fans of Pantera are more likely to find this style appealing.
Lots of palm-muted chugging and double-kick patterns with those screeching minor-chords in between.
You can still hear the punk-rock influences, but thrash-metal is also clearly on display.

The Opposite Of December (1999)

Just an amazing album. Very raw, and yet very competent.
Jacob Bannon of Converge did the artwork for this album.
He used an actual pig skull which he shattered to photograph for the design.
The feel of the music is very cold which goes along with the December motif.

Tear From The Red (2002)

Their 2nd album.
This album was also met with critical acclaim, and like the one before it was extremely influential on metal music.
The production quality is higher, and there's a more polished style here. It's warmer sounding, and there's even more melodic-hardcore here.

Underoath

Underoath is a band that reached mainstream success with teenage girls and boys who shopped at Hot Topic in the mid-2000's.
People think of them as a "screamo/emo" band, but they were so much more before their first singer Dallas Taylor departed the band after their first full-length release.
Underoath in the early days were referred to as Christian Death-Metal, and don't let that fool you. This was an extremely brutal and talented band. If you're a fan of death-metal or even black metal I beg you to give their 2nd EP a chance.

Cries Of The Past (2000)

I cannot express to you how amazing this EP is. LISTEN TO THIS RELEASE, PLEASE. If you like heavy music I think you'll thank me for telling you about it.
Most people have never heard this EP, and it's such a shame.
This is one of my favorite pieces of music ever released.
This is their 2nd EP, and the shortest songs on it are over 7 minutes long. Walking Away goes from screaming electric to haunting acoustic and back to screaming electric guitar in an unbelievable way.
The vocals are almost demonic, and you'd never imagine they were singing about Christ.
The break-downs are like thunder cracking the sky, and then they diminish down to drop-tuned clean guitars playing single-note riffs before opening up and roaring again.
It's such a dynamic release.
The longest song is over 12 minutes, and it's sheer brutal pleasure.

The Changing Of The Times (2002)

Their first full-length album.
It shows a major change in style with a lot more keyboard/synth added to the mix. A new guitarist was brought on board, and the death/black-metal style isn't totally gone, but there's a completely different vibe to this record.
This was one of the first metalcore albums I ever heard, and I remember hating it when I first listened. I wasn't into metalcore/hardcore at the time, but when I finally understood the music this album became one of my favorites.
This album is extremely heavy, but also has a lot of melody.

Some Honorable Mentions:

Avenged Sevenfold

I'm only a fan of their first two albums. Especially their first one: Sounding The Seventh Trumpet. This is probably the most popular band on my entire list.

Norma Jean:

This band belongs on this list, but it's hard to pick albums with them.
All of their albums are good, but I'm particularly fond of their first one.

• Bless The Martyr And Kiss The Child (2002)
• Redeemer (2006)
• Meridional (2010)

The Chariot:

This band was created by Norma Jean's frontman Josh Scogin when he left the band right after they released their first album.
I honestly couldn't pick a best album from this band. They are all so damn good.

• Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing... (2004)
• Wars And Rumors Of Wars (2009)
• Long Live (2010)