5 2000s Metalcore Bands That Should’ve Been Bigger

Our list of five 2000s metalcore bands that should’ve been bigger is by no means exhaustive, but they’re all essential listening for fans of the genre.

After taking the underground by storm in the ’90s, metalcore exploded in popularity in the 2000s. Bandssuch as Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red and Underoathenjoyed hugecommercial success with albums that blended bludgeoning breakdowns and larynx-shredding screams with soaring melodies and clean singing.

Yet for every metalcore band that pierced the mainstream with Top 10 albums and sold-out tours,several more fell by the wayside.

READ MORE: The Best Metalcore Album of Each Year Since 2000

It’s not a great mystery why some of these metalcore bands flew under the radar. A combination of intraband dysfunction, minimal financial support and, frankly, abrasive and inaccessible music prevented many of these acts from reaching the larger audience they deserved. Just becausethe 2000s metalcore forerunners cracked the code for brawny-yet-accessible music didn’t mean all of their peers were willing to operate out of the same playbook.

As the2010s approached, some of thebands on this list broke up, some due to creative differencesand others frustrated by a lack of success. Others went onextended hiatuses, emerging in recent years to take another shot atglory (or at least to embark on fairly well-attended club tours). Some have largely stayed the course for decades, cultivating a respectable cult fan base even as mainstream success eluded them.

One thing that’s consistent among the bands on this list is that they’ll always have fans singing their praises, be it inmetalcore subreddits or the comment sections ofgrainy old YouTube videos. They might not have reached dizzying commercial heights, but their music continues to resonate with fans nonetheless.

Read on to see five 2000s metalcore bands that should’ve been bigger.