Growing up Hardcore

How growing up in the alternative scene shaped me

Whether it was moshing, skanking, or just slam dancing; I've spent every moment I can in the midst of the chaos of the pit. The exhiliration breathes new life into me. There's something so cathartic about being in a sea of bodies all sweating togeather, slamming rythmically into each other as we lose ourselves in the music. The battering your body takes as the bass hits. The incomperable scent of the mixture of blood, sweat, and alcohol all around you and stinging your eyes. It's unlike anything- a completely raw experience.

But what is "hardcore"?

Hardcore isn't just about the music; or the moshpits, crowd surfing, and stage diving that go with it. It's so much more than that. It's a whole community of generally like-minded people. The term hardcore refers to a subgenre of punk rock that originated in the late 1970s and is characterized by its fast tempos, aggressive guitar riffs, and socially conscious lyrics. This extended into the growth of the metal scene, where the two cultures blended. You can generally recognize people within this alternative subculture by their style of dress. Often people who identify with the hardcore ideals will be dressed mainly in black, and have tattoos, as well as other body modifications.