Emo vs. Hardcore
by Elijah Coleman
Website Exclusive, 2005
As recently as five years ago, hardcore was arguably the most popular NJ music genre. But as the emo scene gains popularity, hardcore seems to be fading away, creating a rivalry of sorts between fans of each genre. Emo, a melodic style of rock music that mixes simple chord progression with emotional lyrics, seems to the opposite of all things hardcore. Hardcore music is usually metal-based with power chords and screaming vocals.
Despite differences, it could be that the two genres may end up mixing together. Some NJ hardcore and emo bands are crossing over to "screamo," a sub genre that combines emo's introspective lyrics with hardcore's heavy guitar sound and screaming vocals.
"It's much smaller than emo," Dustin Isbert, guitarist of the screamo band Calls From Bethany said of the hardcore fan base.
"There are only a few that do listen to hardcore in this area. Everyone else involved the music scene listens to emo. Jersey's hardcore music scene is slowly dying," Isbert said.
Some hardcore fans disagree.
"There no way in hell that hardcore is dying. It's too awesome to die," said bassist for the post hardcore band Riverra, Frankie Bernardo.
"There a lot of hardcore shows and kids that go to hardcore shows. There just so many bands and fans so it can't be dying," he added.
But even Bernardo admits that the hardcore scene is much smaller than the emo scene.
"Well of course the emo scene is huge, there's a emo kid on every corner in my town," says Bernardo, referring to his Spring Lake Heights neighborhood.
When it comes to which genre has the most fans, without question emo takes the cake.
It is uncertain what will come of the hardcore-emo rivalry. Is screamo is just a fad that will someday fade? Or is it the next generation of music? Whatever comes of it, it can be argued that NJ is the state where the best of emo, hardcore and screamo live.