Countrycore is the combining of

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

and heavy metal influences with

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

and country rock influences. Matanza from

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

has been described as the first countrycore act. Later, bands such as Belmont and their single "Country Girl" have been described as countrycore.

History

Cowpunk: Late 1970s–1980s

The first instance of a country music and punk rock fusion took place in the late-1970s. This led to the creation of what is now known as cowpunk, which combined country with punk rock or new wave music. As the 1980s progressed, cowpunk began to wane and many of the musicians in the genre later became associated with the alternative country,

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

, or

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

genres.

Countrycore: Late 1990s–present

The second instance of a country and punk fusion took place in the late 1990s and involved hardcore punk and heavy metal. Matanza has been described as being the earliest known countrycore band, having formed in 1996. Later, in 2014,

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...

band Belmont would form and would at times have songs, especially "Country Girl", labeled as countrycore. The name for this genre was not coined until 2007 when Mike Milo on College Humor was quoted as saying:

Throw up your devil horns and rock out to some country-core!

References

{{Hardcore punk 20th-century music genres Country music Country music genres Hardcore punk Hardcore punk genres Heavy metal music Heavy metal genres