With the decade coming to a close, what better way to conclude than by revisiting some of the musical highlights from a span of years that produced more quality musical content than any decade previous? In the rock and metal world, the genre of “metalcore” continued to explode, resulting in several titans of the scene launching into mainstream popularity and taking the sonic style to places it had never traveled before. In the coming days, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the successes of the polarizing metalcore world in the past ten years. First, the ten best “deep cuts,” then singles, EP’s, and finally, the ten best albums the genre had to offer in the 2010-2019 decade.

The term “deep cut” isn’t often utilized in the age of streaming, as the “album format” continues to wane in popularity and relevance. But, from a retrospective standpoint, it’s still as useful a term as any to describe the best tracks from an album that perhaps did not get the love they deserved upon release. For the purpose of this list, we’re going to define the term “deep cut” as songs that did not receive the “single treatment,” or in other words: album tracks that are not true singles or pre-album-release songs, are not title tracks, and are also not the lead-off song in the tracklist. Without further ado, let’s dive into the top ten deep cuts from metalcore albums of the past decade.

Previous Next

blessthefall – “Youngbloods” (Hollow Bodies, 2013) Coming off yet another success in Awakening, blessthefall continued their rise to the top of the genre with their best album to date, Hollow Bodies, in 2013. While certainly several tracks from that stellar release could have found their way onto this list, “Youngbloods” (featuring a Jessie Barnett cameo) sticks out just a bit above the rest. From the first note, the infectious energy of the track does not let up once across the sub-three minute runtime. With the punching introduction dropping into the blessthefall-standard circle-pit inducing riff and capped off by a colossal breakdown introduced by one of the genre’s most iconic mosh calls, “Youngblood” became a live-set staple and commands a spot on this list.

Parkway Drive – “Swing” (Atlas, 2012) Parkway Drive made their original statement of relevance on the all-time favorite Horizons, and solidified their status on Deep Blue, but 2012’s Atlas furthered their momentum to the top of the genre. Lead single “Wild Eyes” became one of the biggest metalcore tracks in history, and the album is littered with songs that could have achieved similar fanfare had they been given the single treatment. One of those is undoubtedly “Swing,” which combines all of the hallmarks of the Parkway Drive formula for success, resulting in its extended tenure in Parkway’s live set and its extremely safe bet in selecting it to be among the songs on this list.

The Devil Wears Prada – “In Heart” (8:18, 2013) Before switching gears to a more experimental sound, 8:18 was a dynamic roller-coaster ride of metalcore legends The Devil Wears Prada’s darkest emotional moments and heaviest musical influences. The impeccable “In Heart” closes the album with Mike Hranica’s best vocal performance (to that point), and a soaring chorus by Jeremy DePoyster that rivals album standout single “Sailor’s Prayer.” The desperation in Mike’s vocal is complimented perfectly by the melancholic chords, particularly in the bridge, that juxtaposes the first half of the track which features the high-energy, blistering pace that Prada has long been known for. Ultimately, “In Heart” is a highlight in their discography, despite going largely unnoticed among all their tremendous singles.

As I Lay Dying – “Whispering Silence” (Awakened, 2012) Always known for their stadium-sized riffage, crushing breakdowns, and soaring choruses, As I Lay Dying put it all together for 2012’s “Whispering Silence.” While “Cauterize” and “A Greater Foundation” got the single treatment off the album, and rightfully so, “Whispering Silence” could have certainly achieved similar attention had it been interchanged with either. Josh Gilbert provides the clean vocals in the band and delivers the best performance of his career on the song’s absolutely phenomenal chorus. Nick Hipa comes through with the coolest guitar solo of the album before Gilbert returns on the catchiest hook in the AILD discography, and frontman Tim Lambesis guides us into one helluva breakdown to conclude the track. Ultimately, it’s surprising how “Whispering Silence” has not found itself among the band’s most popular tracks.

Polaris – “The Crooked Path” (The Mortal Coil, 2017) Yet another talented group of Australian metal musicians, Polaris came to be a favorite of the metalcore underground (including becoming the darlings of the /r/metalcore die-hards) following a pair of successful EP’s. Their first full length, The Mortal Coil, solidified their place as a future pillar of the genre. Consistently great from front to back, nearly every song could have amassed similar praise to their momentum-building singles “The Remedy” and “Lucid.” “The Crooked Path” is perhaps the best of the deep cuts, featuring an extremely memorable bridge, without a doubt the finest of their career. Vocalist Jamie Hails excels across the entirety of the track, as the aggression and desperation atop the instrumental build in each pre-chorus allows clean singer Jake Steinhauser to soar across each hook, before Hails returns for the gripping bridge which sends the listener into the outro of the song begging for more spectacular performances like this.

Northlane – “Aspire” (Singularity, 2013) Northlane broke through the Australian scene and made a splash throughout the metalcore world with 2013’s Singularity, a follow-up to an equally impressive debut. “Aspire” was never released as a single, but remains a fan-favorite to this day, closing Northlane’s second album in the most impressive fashion. While Northlane’s sound has drifted a bit from the crushing djent-fused metalcore found on this song and the album as a whole, lyrically it still serves as a mission statement of sorts for the band. “I’ll carve my own name into the earth” is the rallying cry sung by the always poetic former vocalist Adrian Fitipaldes, who puts his entire range on display across this infectiously energetic banger. The bone-rattling breakdown at 1:40 coupled the bouncy, driving riffs and lush atmosphere throughout ensure “Aspire” to be the perfectly fitting bookend to not only the Singularity album but the Adrian-led era of Northlane.

Every Time I Die – Old Light (From Parts Unknown, 2014) “El Dorado” would have been perhaps the better Every Time I Die deep cut choice, but the track received a fair bit of promotion considering its inclusion in the EA Sports NHL video game series, so we’ll settle for “Old Light.” Hardly settling though, “Old Light” remains one of the best all-around tracks from the Kurt Ballou-produced From Parts Unknown, the seventh and perhaps the heaviest album of the legendary ETID’s career. While the album itself served as a statement of longevity and a promise that the Buffalo legends would not waver from their consistently high-quality brand of high-energy metallic hardcore, “Old Light” pulls together all the hallmarks of an ETID classic. Straight out of the gate with the throat-shredding screams of vocalist Keith Buckley atop circle-pit-inducing riffage and just a touch of Southern-rock swing, “Old Light,” like many an ETID track, does not let up once across the three-minute runtime. Keith’s lyrics are as metaphorical and poetic as ever, and he’s joined by The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon for the introspectively deep yet catchy chorus. Perhaps overlooked among their impressive discography, “Old Light” is undoubtedly yet another classic track from the legends that certainly could’ve contributed several more songs to this countdown.

Erra – “Dementia” (Augment, 2013) If I was to put together a list of the best “epic” tracks from the genre, or even the best guitar solos of the past decade, this unreal album-closing track would certainly find its way into both. “Dementia” is widely acclaimed to be Erra’s undisputed masterpiece, bookending an impressive album in Augment. Jesse Cash, Alan Rigdon and Sean Price are always remarkable, but they each take it to another level on “Dementia.” I could ramble about the many features and highlights across the 7:30 runtime of this track, but perhaps it’d be better to just let the song speak for itself. Put on a solid pair of headphones, close your eyes, and simply take in the second half of the track beginning at the 3:16 mark. From there on, the remainder of the song is among the best sonic odysseys the genre has to offer.

Kingdom of Giants – “Sky Burial” (Ground Culture, 2014) Boasting a discography chock full of tracks that deserve their place amongst the genre’s most popular, it’s quite surprising how Kingdom of Giants has flown under the radar in terms of the metalcore landscape. 2014’s spectacular Ground Culture should’ve shot the band to the top of the genre’s totem pole, but instead, it remains most appreciated by the die-hard fans in the underground. “Sky Burial” is perhaps the best example of why Kingdom of Giants should, by all accounts, be as popular as the other artists on this list. Bursting out of the gate with unrivaled energy, vocalist Dana Willax’s throat-searing vocals and a three-guitarist arsenal allow Kingdom of Giants to command a fierce grip upon the listener on “Sky Burial.” The entire track encompasses all of what makes the more accessible side of metalcore great: thrashing riffs, driving percussion, neck-snapping breakdowns, and a vocalist that commands attention. Multiple top-tier mosh calls ensure “Sky Burial” to be extremely fun in a live setting, and provide the icing on the massive cake that broadcasts how deserving of success this band is. While any song from the incredible Ground Culture album deserves attention, do yourself a favor and simply give “Sky Burial” a shot.