Lancashire Loud’s Top 10 Metalcore Tracks

Our latest feature brings together ten tracks spanning more than two decades, from foundational acts like Converge to modern acts like Spiritbox.

Take a look below for our choices, in no particular order, or head over to the Lancashire Loud Metalcore Spotify playlist.

Killswitch Engage — “The End of Heartache”

No metalcore feature would be complete without Killswitch Engage. The End of Heartache is the band’s 2004 album and their first with Howard Jones and Justin Foley. The End of Heartache is arguably one of the biggest metalcore anthems ever written, and has been a personal favourite of ours since its release, alongside My Last Serenade and My Curse.

Bleeding Through — “Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire”

Taken from 2003’s This Is Love, This Is Murderous, “Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire” is a track that’s gone on to achieve signature status. It’s one of Bleeding Through’s most iconic songs, with a memorable intro from the movie, The Boondock Saints.

Trivium — “Rain”

Frontman Matt Heafy has explained that this track is deeply personal for him. It reflects a period of his life when he was dealing with intense anxiety, boredom and continually failed expectations. He also touches on being betrayed by those he trusted and how easy it is to be pulled under in a world that is moving faster than you. It’s an iconic track on the Ascendancy album, and is often the one Trivium chooses to open their shows with. Although we did want to include something from Shogun, this track ended up claiming the spot.

All That Remains — “Six”

“Six” by All That Remains is from the album The Fall of Ideals. The track gained fame as a bonus track on Guitar Hero II and is known for its guitar work and brutal speed.

Parkway Drive — “Glitch”

Released in 2022, “Glitch”, which is taken from the Darker Still album, explores sleep paralysis and night terrors. The band have described the feelings and experiences that occur when you fluctuate between being awake and being asleep. 

Bury Tomorrow — “Choke”

“Choke” is from Bury Tomorrow’s 2020 album, Cannibal. Dani Winter-Bates spoke openly about going through panic attacks and anxiety when creating this album, giving it a personal foundation. The song’s catchy groove makes it an undeniable choice.

Shadows Fall — “The Light That Blinds”

Opening our playlist is “The Light That Blinds”, which is from Shadows Fall’s 2004 album, The War Within. According to Brian Fair, vocalist for the band, the track explores how external pressure and societal expectations force people to adopt personas and become people-pleasers, hiding and betraying their authentic selves. After recently signing with MNRK Heavy, the band are set to release their first full-length album since reuniting in 2021. 

Unearth — “My Will Be Done”

Taken from The March, Unearth’s 2008 album, this song helped to put the band on the map. The sheer power of this track made it almost impossible to ignore.

Spiritbox — “Circle With Me”

“Circle With Me” is a newer entry compared to some of the other songs on this list, but it’s a defining track that helps to put the spotlight on modern metalcore. Courtney LaPlante explains that this song captures the way she feels about making music and the anxiety that comes with getting things wrong. Released in 2021, it’s from their debut album, Eternal Blue, and deals with the constant pressure of having to live up to the bar set by others.

Converge — “Jane Doe”

Converge are one of the bands who helped create the genre of metalcore. Jacob Bannon has spoken openly about making this record. During the time he wrote it, he felt as though he needed somewhere for his pain to go. The album as a whole touches on how difficult it can be to process an experience while you’re still experiencing it. 

Concluding Lancashire Loud’s Top 10 Metalcore Tracks

These ten tracks explore numerous topics and cover the vast expanse of metalcore’s distinctive sound. Check out our other Loud features on the Lancashire Loud website, which include Loud Black, Loud Power and Loud Melodeath.