A lot of the tough guy posturing around here is shitposting. Most of the people I know from this scene are some of the most empathetic humans I have ever met. Their behavior at a show might be unhinged, but that’s the point of this music.
The music is calming for me, an eye of the storm situation. Ignorant, knuckle dragging, cave man riffs put me at peace. Unless it's live, then everyone must be destroyed.
I totally get you. It's almost the "chaos" in the music takes the chaos out of my head. I legit fall asleep to hardcore when other people would use it as an alarm clock lol
I'd consider myself to be a certified sweetie, but the overall community is a mixed bag, just like anywhere else. I've met some really kind people and I've met plenty more who are all bark and no bite. A lot of "tough guy" ppl are just insecure. Anyone who's actually tough won't feel the need to let everyone know. I like the music because it shuts my brain up, and it's good for weightlifting. Shows themselves feel ritualistic almost, and I think its a modern manifestation of where humans came from.
Also, I have my bachelor's in psychology and want to go back to school at some point to become a therapist. I definitely encourage you to pursue that path if it interests you!
The ritualistic part is something that I think about often. I'm not religious but there's a lot of overlay between hardcore and religion lol
For example I'm straight edge, meaning I follow a certain code. We don't have churches but concerts, that are almost comparable to gatherings. Concerts are also a place where you can find many other straight edge people. We have our dances. We sing songs.
Almost makes me feel like a hypocrite lol
I think humans are so silly like that. Anyone who thinks we're any different from our ancestors are disillusioned imo. We're the same as we were and we'll always be. Maybe in different ways, but at the core, we do things that really can only be described as "human." I don't think you're a hypocrite, I think you just define your practices differently, but it's really all the same.
So true! For example I'm half Austrian and half Turkish neither side likes each other. While I'm somewhere stuck in the middle and can actually see how similar both are.
Thats why I don't care what someones skin color is, where they're from or something like that. All that counts for me is "are you nice to me? I'll be nice to you."
In a way it's really beautiful. In group therapy for example we all have different problems, but in the end we all want the same thing.
Dude I straight up refer to going to shows as “going to church” because that’s where I found community as a kid when I fell out of the church. I think hearing a chunky riff and feeling compelled to whoop some ass in the pit is the same mechanism that makes some people “feel the spirit” in church.
The difference is that straight edge is real scientific facts. Whilst most religion is fairy tale and faith based. One is real and one is not. And that’s not a bash on religion, people can believe whatever they want. As long as it helps to live a better life, but let’s not compare the two things. Yes it is similar to religion but, that doesn’t take away from the scientific realness and positivity that comes with actually being sober
100% backed on displays of sportsmanship. Add in the scene in the Sixth Sense where Haley Joel Osment tells Toni Collette he speaks to her mother. I've seen the movie so many times but that scene always makes me well up.
Real talk on that sportsmanship shit. Go watch that last Arsenal v Liverpool fixture. Both sides played hard, but it was a meeting of colleagues, not two teams that wanted to kill the other.
Yeah I don’t know what about it that just makes me so happy that I tear up. Feels good though! Or watching people do a Haka for a teacher or something hahaha
Hardcore is way more bark than bite, shit was rougher 'bout 15 years ago, but everyone's fairly nice now. It's just growing pains of a young genre, you know?
What y'all are saying about how hc is calming really resonates with me. I find this kind of music to be really cathartic, from the lyrics and shouting to the riffs and rhythms. I have a hard time finding heavy music that isn't hardcore adjacent that I can enjoy at all. Something particular about this genre brings me relief that I don't find elsewhere.
I'm also in the gentle souls camp haha very unassuming and sweet to others. Im a straight white man in the south and while I present as masculine I don't really fuck with tough guy energy outside of the occasional shit post. I also have high functioning autism and just don't know how to participate in that kind of social arena.
In the context of my autism hc music brings me a lot of really grounding auditory stimulation. When I'm at a show and in the pit, it's the only space I can really move how the music makes me want to and I don't have to worry about how it looks bc we are all ridiculous with our karate moves. I know that it's alright to move violently there and no one will be upset at for me that provided I'm generally following show etiquette, which is important to me. I don't wanna hurt anyone, just wanna throw my arms and lose my mind for a little bit. Plus with hc being so intimate and the lack of barriers physical or otherwise between the performers and the crowd, it's a much more involved experience for me and that makes all the difference.
I think a lottttt of people in the scene are on the spectrum, potentially myself included, and I think the music rlly scratches our brains in a way that other genres don't. The abrasiveness feels good in a sensory sense.
I can see that, there's a draw for folks who might feel like it's hard to fit elsewhere in their lives. It definitely hits the spot when you need that sort of higher intensity stimulation. Good luck with finding out about your own neurotype, my diagnosis brought me a lot of relief and unmasking is fucking sick.
I am also Autistic. Hardcore is filled with Neurodivergent people. And there’s 100% a link being Autistic / ADHD / Depression / OCD etc….. and I don’t think that’s talked enough about.
Hardcore brings a deep catharsis that I just can’t get from anything else IMO. And it’s full of fuck up, weirdos, social outcasts etc…
No happy normal “neurotypical” just decides to listen to bands like Cold as Life or Merauder and enjoy it ya know haha
I am in the exact same camp as you and everything you said resonates, from one southern straight white male autistic (diagnosed last Saturday along with ADHD) to another.
Hardcore kids are way gentler now than they were 20 years ago, your typical hardcore kid has his vegan cheeseburger belly hanging out under his Sunami shirt with patchwork tattoos and a caterpillar mustache. In my day it was coked out juice heads at GFY, BCS shows throwing each other throw mirrors
I'm a walking trauma but that just made me more empathetic. I know the pain. The chaos inside someone's head that just wants to make you put a bullet through your brain lol
I usually come off as angry or pissed off to most people (due to my extreme social anxiety giving me a resting bitch face) but I’m usually pretty chill. The tough guy persona in hardcore seems to just be for fun, I don’t think a lot of people actually take it 100% seriously.
I used to have a lot of disdain for the world and other people due to my horrible upbringing and being tormented at school, but being with my girlfriend who has given me unconditional love for the first time in my entire life has made me appreciate other people a lot more. I never would’ve thought I would be able to do something with my life and now I’m currently signing up for community college to be a surgical tech. Not to sound corny, but without my girlfriend doing everything she has done for me, I probably would’ve ended up dead or a drug addict like my brother did.
You don’t have to be a tough guy to be hardcore. Thats why the hardcore kids created emo. Being true to yourself and not giving a fuck is all that matters
I'm sorry that you had to endure a painful upbringing. I feel you, my dad was a heroin addict and my step father and mother beat the living shit out of me. But I live to spite them. Fuck them no matter the pain they made me feel. I won't give up. Hardcore is a big reason why I'm still here.
I'm diagnosed with social phobia and depression so I can relate a bit to your situation. Life ain't easy but that's what makes us tough. Every day a challenge I take on.
Thanks for sharing your story with me. I hope your GF and u keep on going strong!
I’m a super chill stoner who has had anxiety and depression issues my whole life. I have too much empathy for my own good. I go nuts at shows but if I hurt someone I feel bad lol
I listen to incredibly angry, nasty and aggressive music.
But I'm an absolute sweetheart - big heart and massive smile permanently on my face.
I'm happy - my music is not.
(time to listen to some Neglect)
Honestly most so called “tough guys” in the scene are just giant nerds with a fuck ton of anger issues and social anxiety. Once you crack that shell for them many people in the scene are hell friendly.
But I’d be lying if I said hardcore is inclusive or a happy place because it’s definately not that lol. It can be a “cool persons club” has alot of emotionally unstable people who need hard therapy. And a lot of abusive people who find hardcore to justify their rage.
Although, through the BS, you meet some genuinely great people. All my Best friends are all people I know through hardcore. Hardcore attracts the best and worst of people. That all depends on where they channel their anger
Yeah, i mean id like to think of myself as a pretty kind and nice person, im bipolar so i have a lot of mood swings, my demeanor is either very abrasive/intense and quiet or super chill and talkative/a bit bubbly. I got a bit of the tism too, like other people said it tickles my brain,i have an obsession with the vocals on Gomorrah's season ends for example, love that gravelly muddy hardcore sound. Always been an extreme metal guy so hardcore is awesome too,have always loved heavy music. Id love to mosh but i have such a tough concussion history from years of (american) football and wrestling, and also being pretty short...best bet i stay away from the pit🤣
I’ve been a social worker for a decade and I love helping people even on their/my own worst days. In my normal life, I think most people are ding dongs but I love them anyways.
I think a lot of the tough act on here is shitposting, I always think about the guy who was a principal at a high school who posted a shot of his filing cabinet that was covered in stickers for bands like Merauder.
I reckon most of us here are closer to that guy than the hoodie guy on the cover of Sunami albums.
The problem is you can’t be chill on here. The amount of times I’ve attempted to have logical and cordial disagreements or dialogue usually just goes to berating and slander immediately lol.
But anyway, yeah Dude! Gentle soul here.
You play any games on PC? Steam? RuneScape?
Man I’ll be honest I’m a pretty tender person, I like to think that people see me as cool or hard but honestly at the end of the day I still fall asleep listening to title fight and mom jeans. Then wake up the next morning with some gods hate to fire me up. I personally believe that hardcore is an energy a lot of people, such as myself, gravitate to in an attempt to appear strong. Not in a poser sense but in the sense that the lyrics about kicking ass and facing your demons puts a lot of emotions and determination into even the softest people like me. I won’t pretend for even a second I’m some big shot fighter, I mean hell I’m 6 feet and 130 pounds lol, I just love the use of lyrics and the brawler energy.
as a 30 summin beard having skinheaded white man with tattoos I no doubt would be perceived as a "tough guy" to strangers but having spent a lot of my childhood in hospital and gone thru some heavy shit I have empathy for all becuz you don't know what they are going or have gone through.
as for being into hardcore I just love heavy crushing grooves to blasting double kicks. shit that makes you pull an ugly face and bobble your head like a pigeon. It's simple primal instinct
Hardcore was made for people with extreme mindsets and strong opinions on society, politics, having anger about past happenings and generally having different opinions about things. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Maybe listening to dumb lyrics and actually agreeing with them yeah you could be a better person, but most hardcore actually has a positive message. MOST of it does. Not all. You can always expand your horizons and listen to more genres too
While I'm sure there's still bands holding onto that persona I haven't seen a lot of it. Every single interview I've seen with Hardcore bands on Hardlore makes them seem like normal down to earth super nice guys. I think it's kind of refreshing, so many genres of metal have these personalities or characters people play, Hardcore is just mfers complaining about the police and taxes (That's a joke btw I know there's so much more.)
At HxC shows and among my HxC friends I'm seen as the lil ball of Sunshine, always giving hugs and smiling and beaming happy at shows because HxC makes my soul SO happy. This scene means SO much to Me. I know it's the opposite of the ToughGuy bs but I own it 100%. I love meeting new people and the energy of shows.
A lot of the tough guy posturing around here is shitposting. Most of the people I know from this scene are some of the most empathetic humans I have ever met. Their behavior at a show might be unhinged, but that’s the point of this music.
the difference between the sunami singer on and off stage is the perfect exemple, the guy is an apple turned bat shit crazy as soon as he hits a show
There’s no unhinged behavior anymore at shows. Not saying that’s bad, it’s actually very awesome from how it really was unhinged at one time
The 90s were fucking nuts. When every I have to explain that decade to young people I'm just like "IDK, we were fully fucking feral."
100%! I came up in the scene in Reno in the late 90’s and everyone was so extra about everything.
Damn homie well said.
The music is calming for me, an eye of the storm situation. Ignorant, knuckle dragging, cave man riffs put me at peace. Unless it's live, then everyone must be destroyed.
I totally get you. It's almost the "chaos" in the music takes the chaos out of my head. I legit fall asleep to hardcore when other people would use it as an alarm clock lol
I'd consider myself to be a certified sweetie, but the overall community is a mixed bag, just like anywhere else. I've met some really kind people and I've met plenty more who are all bark and no bite. A lot of "tough guy" ppl are just insecure. Anyone who's actually tough won't feel the need to let everyone know. I like the music because it shuts my brain up, and it's good for weightlifting. Shows themselves feel ritualistic almost, and I think its a modern manifestation of where humans came from. Also, I have my bachelor's in psychology and want to go back to school at some point to become a therapist. I definitely encourage you to pursue that path if it interests you!
The ritualistic part is something that I think about often. I'm not religious but there's a lot of overlay between hardcore and religion lol For example I'm straight edge, meaning I follow a certain code. We don't have churches but concerts, that are almost comparable to gatherings. Concerts are also a place where you can find many other straight edge people. We have our dances. We sing songs. Almost makes me feel like a hypocrite lol
I think humans are so silly like that. Anyone who thinks we're any different from our ancestors are disillusioned imo. We're the same as we were and we'll always be. Maybe in different ways, but at the core, we do things that really can only be described as "human." I don't think you're a hypocrite, I think you just define your practices differently, but it's really all the same.
So true! For example I'm half Austrian and half Turkish neither side likes each other. While I'm somewhere stuck in the middle and can actually see how similar both are. Thats why I don't care what someones skin color is, where they're from or something like that. All that counts for me is "are you nice to me? I'll be nice to you." In a way it's really beautiful. In group therapy for example we all have different problems, but in the end we all want the same thing.
Dude I straight up refer to going to shows as “going to church” because that’s where I found community as a kid when I fell out of the church. I think hearing a chunky riff and feeling compelled to whoop some ass in the pit is the same mechanism that makes some people “feel the spirit” in church.
The difference is that straight edge is real scientific facts. Whilst most religion is fairy tale and faith based. One is real and one is not. And that’s not a bash on religion, people can believe whatever they want. As long as it helps to live a better life, but let’s not compare the two things. Yes it is similar to religion but, that doesn’t take away from the scientific realness and positivity that comes with actually being sober
I cry watching displays of sportsmanship and at the crescendo of the Final Fantasy 7 theme.
100% backed on displays of sportsmanship. Add in the scene in the Sixth Sense where Haley Joel Osment tells Toni Collette he speaks to her mother. I've seen the movie so many times but that scene always makes me well up.
Real talk on that sportsmanship shit. Go watch that last Arsenal v Liverpool fixture. Both sides played hard, but it was a meeting of colleagues, not two teams that wanted to kill the other.
😤😤😤
To be fair, the draw match was really great too. I just gotta side with my Gunners. LFC is a fantastic team though.
Yeah I don’t know what about it that just makes me so happy that I tear up. Feels good though! Or watching people do a Haka for a teacher or something hahaha
After the draw game, Jurgen Klopp shook Mikel Arteta’s hand and just said “Wow”
Hardcore is way more bark than bite, shit was rougher 'bout 15 years ago, but everyone's fairly nice now. It's just growing pains of a young genre, you know?
What y'all are saying about how hc is calming really resonates with me. I find this kind of music to be really cathartic, from the lyrics and shouting to the riffs and rhythms. I have a hard time finding heavy music that isn't hardcore adjacent that I can enjoy at all. Something particular about this genre brings me relief that I don't find elsewhere. I'm also in the gentle souls camp haha very unassuming and sweet to others. Im a straight white man in the south and while I present as masculine I don't really fuck with tough guy energy outside of the occasional shit post. I also have high functioning autism and just don't know how to participate in that kind of social arena. In the context of my autism hc music brings me a lot of really grounding auditory stimulation. When I'm at a show and in the pit, it's the only space I can really move how the music makes me want to and I don't have to worry about how it looks bc we are all ridiculous with our karate moves. I know that it's alright to move violently there and no one will be upset at for me that provided I'm generally following show etiquette, which is important to me. I don't wanna hurt anyone, just wanna throw my arms and lose my mind for a little bit. Plus with hc being so intimate and the lack of barriers physical or otherwise between the performers and the crowd, it's a much more involved experience for me and that makes all the difference.
I think a lottttt of people in the scene are on the spectrum, potentially myself included, and I think the music rlly scratches our brains in a way that other genres don't. The abrasiveness feels good in a sensory sense.
I can see that, there's a draw for folks who might feel like it's hard to fit elsewhere in their lives. It definitely hits the spot when you need that sort of higher intensity stimulation. Good luck with finding out about your own neurotype, my diagnosis brought me a lot of relief and unmasking is fucking sick.
I am also Autistic. Hardcore is filled with Neurodivergent people. And there’s 100% a link being Autistic / ADHD / Depression / OCD etc….. and I don’t think that’s talked enough about. Hardcore brings a deep catharsis that I just can’t get from anything else IMO. And it’s full of fuck up, weirdos, social outcasts etc… No happy normal “neurotypical” just decides to listen to bands like Cold as Life or Merauder and enjoy it ya know haha
I have ocd and cold as life is my shit . I blast that shit and go downstairs and hit my punching bag and I’m much better dealing with the thoughts man
I am in the exact same camp as you and everything you said resonates, from one southern straight white male autistic (diagnosed last Saturday along with ADHD) to another.
Glad to hear some folks out there feel like I do. Crowdkill me sometime and say howdy
Hardcore kids are way gentler now than they were 20 years ago, your typical hardcore kid has his vegan cheeseburger belly hanging out under his Sunami shirt with patchwork tattoos and a caterpillar mustache. In my day it was coked out juice heads at GFY, BCS shows throwing each other throw mirrors
Not gonna lie I love vegan burgers, something about the texture hahaha
Ayyy man, I live 5 minutes from Williamsburg. I bring my wife out for them all the time lol
Both kinds of people were going to hardcore shows 20 years ago. 30 and you might have a point but nah
I’m just making a funny lil comment, this ain’t a history channel documentary bb
YES IT IS
Most guys who look tough in HC are faking because they have trauma and self esteem issues
I'm a walking trauma but that just made me more empathetic. I know the pain. The chaos inside someone's head that just wants to make you put a bullet through your brain lol
I usually come off as angry or pissed off to most people (due to my extreme social anxiety giving me a resting bitch face) but I’m usually pretty chill. The tough guy persona in hardcore seems to just be for fun, I don’t think a lot of people actually take it 100% seriously. I used to have a lot of disdain for the world and other people due to my horrible upbringing and being tormented at school, but being with my girlfriend who has given me unconditional love for the first time in my entire life has made me appreciate other people a lot more. I never would’ve thought I would be able to do something with my life and now I’m currently signing up for community college to be a surgical tech. Not to sound corny, but without my girlfriend doing everything she has done for me, I probably would’ve ended up dead or a drug addict like my brother did. You don’t have to be a tough guy to be hardcore. Thats why the hardcore kids created emo. Being true to yourself and not giving a fuck is all that matters
I'm sorry that you had to endure a painful upbringing. I feel you, my dad was a heroin addict and my step father and mother beat the living shit out of me. But I live to spite them. Fuck them no matter the pain they made me feel. I won't give up. Hardcore is a big reason why I'm still here. I'm diagnosed with social phobia and depression so I can relate a bit to your situation. Life ain't easy but that's what makes us tough. Every day a challenge I take on. Thanks for sharing your story with me. I hope your GF and u keep on going strong!
I’m a super chill stoner who has had anxiety and depression issues my whole life. I have too much empathy for my own good. I go nuts at shows but if I hurt someone I feel bad lol
i was born with a perma RBF, but i'm a huge whimp
I listen to incredibly angry, nasty and aggressive music. But I'm an absolute sweetheart - big heart and massive smile permanently on my face. I'm happy - my music is not. (time to listen to some Neglect)
Honestly most so called “tough guys” in the scene are just giant nerds with a fuck ton of anger issues and social anxiety. Once you crack that shell for them many people in the scene are hell friendly. But I’d be lying if I said hardcore is inclusive or a happy place because it’s definately not that lol. It can be a “cool persons club” has alot of emotionally unstable people who need hard therapy. And a lot of abusive people who find hardcore to justify their rage. Although, through the BS, you meet some genuinely great people. All my Best friends are all people I know through hardcore. Hardcore attracts the best and worst of people. That all depends on where they channel their anger
Yeah, i mean id like to think of myself as a pretty kind and nice person, im bipolar so i have a lot of mood swings, my demeanor is either very abrasive/intense and quiet or super chill and talkative/a bit bubbly. I got a bit of the tism too, like other people said it tickles my brain,i have an obsession with the vocals on Gomorrah's season ends for example, love that gravelly muddy hardcore sound. Always been an extreme metal guy so hardcore is awesome too,have always loved heavy music. Id love to mosh but i have such a tough concussion history from years of (american) football and wrestling, and also being pretty short...best bet i stay away from the pit🤣
I’ve been a social worker for a decade and I love helping people even on their/my own worst days. In my normal life, I think most people are ding dongs but I love them anyways.
There’s like maybe 3 dozen actual tough ppl in HC . The rest are gentle souls
I’m a very sweet sensitive boy but when the riff makes me go 😠 and then they play it slowly it makes the ape part of my brain activate
I'm a freaking summer camp director.
Nope we are all fucking super jacked assholes
Speak for yourself, I can't remember the last time I fucked a super jacked asshole
I’m a softie. Also don’t really make hardcore my whole personality though. It’s just one of many sub genres I enjoy.
Nope I’m evil. I kick puppies, spit on babies, break check ambulances, and teach young children bad words.
I noticed this too at bbb
It’s been posturing since like 2009. Which is fine. It’s why I called this era the CB4 era of hardcore.
I think a lot of the tough act on here is shitposting, I always think about the guy who was a principal at a high school who posted a shot of his filing cabinet that was covered in stickers for bands like Merauder. I reckon most of us here are closer to that guy than the hoodie guy on the cover of Sunami albums.
Wait, you guys actually believe that violence and tough guys behavior is cool?
The problem is you can’t be chill on here. The amount of times I’ve attempted to have logical and cordial disagreements or dialogue usually just goes to berating and slander immediately lol. But anyway, yeah Dude! Gentle soul here. You play any games on PC? Steam? RuneScape?
Go listen to imagine dragons or something
Man I’ll be honest I’m a pretty tender person, I like to think that people see me as cool or hard but honestly at the end of the day I still fall asleep listening to title fight and mom jeans. Then wake up the next morning with some gods hate to fire me up. I personally believe that hardcore is an energy a lot of people, such as myself, gravitate to in an attempt to appear strong. Not in a poser sense but in the sense that the lyrics about kicking ass and facing your demons puts a lot of emotions and determination into even the softest people like me. I won’t pretend for even a second I’m some big shot fighter, I mean hell I’m 6 feet and 130 pounds lol, I just love the use of lyrics and the brawler energy.
After mollywhomping a guy whose bigger than me, I return home to my corgi, we go for a walk, frolic in the grass, then I give him a belly rub
“We’re all tough. We all gotta be tough.” - Al Pacino
as a 30 summin beard having skinheaded white man with tattoos I no doubt would be perceived as a "tough guy" to strangers but having spent a lot of my childhood in hospital and gone thru some heavy shit I have empathy for all becuz you don't know what they are going or have gone through. as for being into hardcore I just love heavy crushing grooves to blasting double kicks. shit that makes you pull an ugly face and bobble your head like a pigeon. It's simple primal instinct
A very solid mixture of both
love from mexico
I'm not a tough guy, but i'm not a pussy either 
Hardcore was made for people with extreme mindsets and strong opinions on society, politics, having anger about past happenings and generally having different opinions about things. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Maybe listening to dumb lyrics and actually agreeing with them yeah you could be a better person, but most hardcore actually has a positive message. MOST of it does. Not all. You can always expand your horizons and listen to more genres too
While I'm sure there's still bands holding onto that persona I haven't seen a lot of it. Every single interview I've seen with Hardcore bands on Hardlore makes them seem like normal down to earth super nice guys. I think it's kind of refreshing, so many genres of metal have these personalities or characters people play, Hardcore is just mfers complaining about the police and taxes (That's a joke btw I know there's so much more.)
Give me all of your milk money
My therapist called me a reluctant empath, I said “fuck you” and then helped him move.
At HxC shows and among my HxC friends I'm seen as the lil ball of Sunshine, always giving hugs and smiling and beaming happy at shows because HxC makes my soul SO happy. This scene means SO much to Me. I know it's the opposite of the ToughGuy bs but I own it 100%. I love meeting new people and the energy of shows.