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Stylistic origins Hardcore punk, thrashcore
Cultural origins Late 1980s North America
Typical instruments Vocals, bass, guitar, drums
Other topics

Powerviolence (sometimes written as power violence), is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk.[1][2] The style is closely related to thrashcore[1] and grindcore. In contrast with grindcore, which is a "crossover" idiom containing musical aspects of heavy metal, powerviolence is just an augmentation of the most challenging qualities of hardcore punk; like its predecessor, it is usually socio-politically charged and iconoclastic.


The term was coined by Matt Domino, guitarist of Infest, in 1989. The term was first mentioned in the song "Hispanic Small Man Power (H.S.M.P.)" by genre pioneer Man Is the Bastard.[1][2] Its nascent form was pioneered in the mid-late 1980s in the music of hardcore punk band Infest, who mixed hardcore punk elements of bands like Lärm and Siege, with noisier, sludgier qualities.[1][2] The microgenre solidified into its most commonly recognized form in the early 1990s, with the sounds of bands such as Dropdead, Man Is the Bastard, Crossed Out, Neanderthal, No Comment, and Capitalist Casualties.[1] Powerviolence groups took inspiration from Siege and Deep Wound, Cryptic Slaughter, Septic Death, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Negative FX and early Corrosion of Conformity.[1] These precursors to powerviolence are grouped together as "thrash" or thrashcore.[3]

Spazz vocalist and bassist Chris Dodge's record label Slap-a-Ham Records was a fixture during the rapid rise and decline of powerviolence, releasing influential records by Neanderthal, No Comment, Crossed Out, Infest, and Spazz.[2] The label's Fiesta Grande was an annual powerviolence festival held at 924 Gilman from 1993 to 2000.[2] Spazz drummer Max Ward's label 625 Thrashcore has started its own festival, Super Sabado Gigante, in a similar vein. While powerviolence is closely related to thrashcore (often referred to simply as "thrash"),[1] the style is distinct from the thrash metal groups active in the same place, at the same time.



Powerviolence groups tend to be very raw and underproduced, both sonically and in their packaging.[1][2] Some groups (Man Is the Bastard and Dystopia) took influence from anarcho-punk and crust punk, emphasizing animal rights and anti-militarism.[2] Groups such as Despise You and Lack of Interest wrote lyrics about misanthropy, drugs, and inner-city issues. Groups such as Spazz or Charles Bronson, on the other hand, wrote lyrics mocking points of interest for hardcore and metal fans, or even used inside jokes for lyrics, referencing specific people many of their listeners would not know.

Other groups associated with powerviolence included Noothgrush, The Locust, Dystopia, Assück,[2] His Hero Is Gone, Black Army Jacket,[1][2] Hellnation, Charles Bronson,[1] and Rorschach.[5] The doom metal group Burning Witch also released on Slap-A-Ham and played shows with powerviolence groups.[6]


Powerviolence groups had a strong influence on later grindcore acts, such as Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Mark McCoy of Charles Bronson went on to form Das Oath, a popular thrashcore group. Members of Man Is the Bastard formed Bastard Noise. Rorschach became a prominent influence for the metalcore scene.

A handful of bands from the powerviolence scene of the 1990s have continued to record and perform decades later, including Bastard Noise, Capitalist Casualties, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Infest, and Stapled Shut.


  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stewart-Panko, Kevin (July 2008). "Powerviolence: The Dysfunctional Family of Bllleeeeaaauuurrrgghhh!!". Terrorizer (172): pp. 36–37. ISSN 1350-6978. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Anthony Bartkewicz. "Screwdriver in the Urethra of Hardcore". Decibel Magazine. July 2007. (Subscription-only site; interview reprinted in full at blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=52501650&blogID=285587688 (blacklisted link). Retrieved November 17, 2008.)
  3. ^ Felix von Havoc, Maximum Rock'n'Roll #198 [1] Access date: June 20, 2008
  4. ^ "Interview: Suffering Luna". Grind to Death. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-29. 
  5. ^ Andrew Marcus, "Buzz Clip", SF Weekly, August 6, 2003. [2] Access date: August 7, 2008.
  6. ^ Slap-a-Ham Discography. [3] Access date August 11, 2008.