Bad Hardcore Bassists?

[bass element]

Why are most, if not all, hardcore/metalcore/emocore bassists always kinda poor, simply playing root notes and keeping simple beats.
i may be wrong on my opinion, but if i am and you can prove me wrong, please give me songs/bands with examples.

[Brendan]

36 Crazyfists for one.

[Spanish Key]

Ion Dissonance comes to mind.

[Hurley]

Originally Posted by bass element

Why are most, if not all, hardcore/metalcore/emocore bassists always kinda poor, simply playing root notes and keeping simple beats.
i may be wrong on my opinion, but if i am and you can prove me wrong, please give me songs/bands with examples.

That's a pretty broad generalization.

[Puarija]

Define "hardcore" and "metalcore". What are some bands that fit those genres? If I know exactly what you're talking about, I could probably point you in the direction of a couple of decent players.

Jake

[jonasp]

IMO, the hardcore bassists are "doing their part" for the band. hardcore music isn't really the right type of music to listen to if you want to hear fancy bass solos. the guitars do that and the bass holds the music and provides the heavy low end.

[Tash]

I've actually heard some really good bassists in hardcore/metalcore bands (at least bands I veiw as falling into those genres, which includes all of the "numetal" acts because I frankly have yet to hear one of them do something that the HC bands I grew up hanging and playing with weren't doing in 92-95).

While its certainly not the most melodic music around it can still be made interesting and executed with impressive grace and passion. Perfect examples would be RhinO from Mudvayne (who blows me away despite the fact that I hate his band), and Ian Edwards of Earth Crisis (who I opened for a couple times when I was active in the Albany NY scene).

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Spanish Key

Ion Dissonance comes to mind.

They're not really hardcore or metalcore, or anything. They're just nuts.

[Against Will]

Originally Posted by bass element

Why are most, if not all, hardcore/metalcore/emocore bassists always kinda poor, simply playing root notes and keeping simple beats.

This is true for most of rock. Hardcore actually has quite a few high quality bassists:

Evan Patterson-Black Cross
Willy Graves-Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower
Daughter's Bassist (forget his name)
Hugh/Dan/Jacob from Black Eyes


And, of course,

Darryl Jenifer of the Bad Brains.

[DEVILMAN]

...Harley Flannagan from the Cro-Mags...

~S~

also: dude from Sheer Terror

[Adam Barkley]

Probably not hardcore by definition, but the bassist from Horse the Band is solid, not flashy, but rock solid. They are very agressive music with splashes of melody, worth a listen if nothing else.

[7Stringer]

Hardcore music is designed to be like this - no solos, just rock solid pounding. No BS. You're not going to find a Wooten playing in a real hardcore/metalcore band, it's just doesn't fit with the concept of the style.

[bass element]

alright, im def going to check out the bands mentioned. i was not trying to put down any hardcore type bassists or anything, i was just trying to see if there was any real super talented ones out there.

the bands i was thinking along the lines of were like, Norma Jean, Unearth, Atreyu, Hatebreed, Poison the Well, Mastodon, etc.
i kno my genres were kinda broad in my earlier post, i was just trying to fit all the vague/similar genre types in.

[bass element]

its just that i've been playing in some metalcore/hardcore bands around my town and ive been trying to implement more articulate, technical stuff more along the lines of the style of Ryan Martinie, as mentioned before. i kno that hes not a hardcore style bassist but so far its been fitting really well and complementing the music alot.

[karrot-x]

Originally Posted by bass element

alright, im def going to check out the bands mentioned. i was not trying to put down any hardcore type bassists or anything, i was just trying to see if there was any real super talented ones out there.

the bands i was thinking along the lines of were like, Norma Jean, Unearth, Atreyu, Hatebreed, Poison the Well, Mastodon, etc.
i kno my genres were kinda broad in my earlier post, i was just trying to fit all the vague/similar genre types in.

Unearth and Mastodons bassists don't fit 'good' for you? I think they're both creative writers, and they fit perfectly with the music. Oddly enough I think both are almost fulltime finger players. Check out some more Mastodon, I think he writes well.

[Matt Till]

Uhm, this "genre" isn't about flash at all. I think you are defining good as flashy. In that case, the flashiest person in a hardcore band is usually the drummer, and they aren't that flashy.

Pretend Spiral Architect is hardcore and listen to them.

[protoz]

I'm involved in a metalcore-ish band (lots of breakdowns short solos) and it is pretty hard to be able to break out of playing the basics of the song without over playing and it sounding quite bad. Believe me i've been trying but when you are playing as fast as you can it gets tricky to toss in some difficult pieces . Our drummer can show off more than the guitars/bass because we are hammering everything out as fast as possible and he can sit back and push the song around to how he wants.

On the other hand I also play in a 3-piece stoner rock band that lets me experiment and do crazy stuff as long as I can keep on holding down the beat as well. Drummer takes a back seat and doesn't get fancy. He leaves that up to the guitar and bass.

Just different styles to go about it I guess. I'd go crazy if I couldn't play heavy stuff, and I would also go crazy if I couldn't do strange stuff so both bands suit my bass playing ADD

[Matt Till]

I'd also like to say the terms emocore and screamo crack me up.

[Dincrest]

Although a short-lived band, Luddite Clone's Kevin Hannum plays some cool stuff. Granted, the bass is more prominent on the songs they did on the 7" split with Burnt By The Sun, but on their EP "The Arsonist and the Architect" Hannum has some nice jazzy runs on the last couple of songs.

[f'nar f'nar]

Superjoint Ritual is decently hardcore, and their bassist is decent when he need's to be.