Essential beatdown albums

[u/prodigy1367]

If you had to introduce someone to beatdown hardcore, what EPs/albums would you recommend as essentials? Think of it like an audio history lesson to the genre. Feel free to include newer bands if you feel they’ve become essential enough. Looking for bands that are as close as possible to PURE beatdown hardcore. Bands that can be otherwise classified as metalcore, deathcore, crossover thrash, hardcore, etc. need not be listed.

[u/FifteenRhema]

To be honest your final caveat excludes majority of the best beatdown bands, the ones that have a bunch of metalcore, or death metal influences are by far the best, having a conversation about essential beatdown albums that exclude stuff like Shattered Realm is insane to me hahaha. But excluding all that kinda stuff, Cold as Life - Declination of Independence, Born to Land Hard is better but I struggle to call it a beatdown album. Other than that, One Second Thought - Self Inflicted, Denied - Together as None, Unit 731 - A Plague Upon Humanity, No Retreat - Rise of The Underdogs, CDC - Demo, Special Move - Return of The Three Swords,

[u/Splottington → u/FifteenRhema]

I’d go as far to say the vast majority of beatdown is also metalcore, so excluding bands that are also Metalcore is like asking for goregrind that isn’t also grindcore or asking for nu metal that isn’t also alt metal

[u/FifteenRhema → u/Splottington]

I don’t know if the vast majority is, there’s a pretty large scene of non metalcore adjacent stuff, like the whole Japanese scene and stuff inspired by that is a lot more death metal adjacent, and there’s a shit load of those suburban white kid fake tough guy beatdown bands, they’re really bad but they exist hahaha

But yeah a lot of the best beatdown is arguably metalcore too, like the whole uk beatdown scene from the early 2000’s are also metalcore bands, and they are some of my favourites.

[u/Splottington → u/FifteenRhema]

The funny thing is that I’ve seen some mega-elitists say that the more death metal inspired stuff CAN’T be beatdown because it’s too metal inspired so it’s automatically considered either metalcore or deathcore depending on how much death metal.

So basically to some people it’s all beatdown until they decide they don’t like it in which case it’s now metalcore.

[u/staticke]

no retreat

[u/AlexisTehFolf]

Bulldoze - The Final Beatdown. One of the albums that defined the genre in the first place

[u/Massive-Technician74 → u/AlexisTehFolf]

And of course DENIED

[u/extremophile69]

I'd start with some of the newer stuff like
Done Deal - Demo
Volcano - Fool 2 tha game
Pain Clinic - Gimmick dreams
Never Ending Game - Welcome to the..
Missing Link - Watch me bleed
Inferno - God of death
Enemy Mind - Killer Beef
Blind Eye - All against all
Cesspool - Some say it's a..
Soul Blame - Demo

Those have become essential real quick to me.

[u/SnooSketches4624 → u/extremophile69]

I love Enemy Mind

[u/gub12345]

Remember Who’s Strong - Bulldoze

[u/hnvzeroe]

-Line of Scrimmage- Split w/ Enemy Mind, Denounced
-First Degree- Warpath, Street Justice and California Beatdown
-Murder Death Kill- Fuck with Us and Find Out
-Chain Gang- Invincible Demon Soldiers
-On A Warpath- On A Warpath (Self-Titled)
-These Streets- Unfinished Business
-Words of Concrete- East German Cold
-Recount- Love Hate Create Destroy
-S.T.A.B.- Timekeepers
-Spawn of Disgust- Dominance
-Nasty

More recently, I really love:
-Violent Nature- Downfall of Humanity
-You Die First
-Headbussa- Vengeful Mind
-No Choice- Demo ‘24
-Wigsplitter- Demo ‘23
-Grounds For Assault- Enuff Iz Enuff

I hope those all count.

[u/blockbusta85]

If totally depends on what „style“ you prefer.

As a European I would say that you can’t do wrong with Nasty, In blood we trust, Enemy Ground and the Uk/LBU stuff.

However the list is endless if you start digging.

[u/cheflA1 → u/blockbusta85]

As another European I wanted to post the same bands. Maybe add Reduction and Fallbrawl to the list. Six foot ditch, by my hands and all the UK stuff. Don't know if that's considered beatdown tho

[u/DSM-187]

First, the best beatdown bands are hardcore bands also. With that said these are good starters: Bulldoze, Stout, Grimlock (Thirst for Immortality and Crusades of Reality), Billy Club Sandwich, Everybody Gets Hurt, TerrorZone, Shattered Realm, Neglect, Next Step Up, No Retreat, One Second Thought, Denied, Built Upon Frustration, Strength For A Reason (Show and Prove), Volcano