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| 1998: The State of Screamo - Abridged Edition
Hey everyone! The Year of Screamo rages on as I cover yet another historic time for the genre.The first entry is a Screamo Hall of Fame Inductee, 2-7 are HoF Nominees, 8-11 are Connective Tissue (splits) and 12-13 are Holy Grails (comps). 14-20 are additional releases. If you want to see these when they come out daily, follow on Reddit, FB or IG! | | 1 |  | Saetia
Saetia
Coming a year off the heels of their revered demo, Saetia’s 1998 s/t LP is a revelation of Screamo music, taking their formula and supercharging it. The dynamic song forms return with more intensity than ever, balancing perfectly with the softer melodic parts of the album. Introduced in this release are strong Math Rock influences, giving their songs more unpredictability, varying odd time signatures, rhythmic complexity and an overall higher level of technicality than ever. This intricacy adds even more dynamism to their songs, emphasizing the poignant melodies and depravity more than before.
The opening salvo of their discography was a monumental step forward for Screamo, but this album is perhaps one of the most influential works in the genre's history. This bold statement basically defined what Screamo would sound like at its peak and turned the somewhat silly subgenre into one capable of high art. The final shackles of Hardcore Punk and Post-Hardcore that held the genre... | | 2 |  | Forcefedglass
When Backs Are Turned Knives Are Pulled
Instrumental proficiency, musical technicality and syncopated chaos are found in the opening minutes of this destructive album. The frantic, complex sections pass by at a blistering pace, contrasting the brutal, breakdown-heavy parts with precision Powerviolence-esque bursts. The intricate guitarwork and noisy, proficient drumming are synchronized in mayhem and deliver some heavy body blows on the listener. Tying it all together is a reckless vocalist whose voice is ripped apart with each new screamed syllable.
ForceFedGlass’ furious LP showcases the genre's increasing propensity for musical technicality and experimentation. This is not to say Screamo and Emoviolence were simple or basic by any means, but Math Rick and Mathcore influences were becoming more popular, as demonstrated by FFG.
The seminal project turned out to be a Hardcore breeding ground; bassist Zac Davis would go on to play guitar for Hassan I Sabbath while drummer Ben Koller would have a legendary career... | | 3 |  | Combatwoundedveteran
What Flavor Is Your Death Squad Leader?
With such a brief runtime and several tracks clocking in at under 30 seconds, the band utilizes immediacy to its fullest extent. Plentiful with noisy guitar feedback, blast beats, grotesque screaming from multiple vocalists and extremely heavy metallic guitar tones, the band throws caution to the wind and blends the quickest, most intense three seconds of explosive music with chaotic, formless sections of noise.
With cleaner production than their 1996 EP, this ups the ante that the 11 Song 7” started, featuring some of the most brutal and punishing Emoviolence put to record yet. However, the band was still on the cusp of their biggest year by far with two excellent EPs under their belt.
Once again, Combatwoundedveteran’s scathing take on Capitalism, Colonialism and overall Western culture produces genius, sardonic and quick lyrics. With topics like war as entertainment, violence as censorship and rebellion as commodification, you’d be hard-pressed to think the band ever had... | | 4 |  | The Crimson Curse
Both Feet in the Grave
The Crimson Curse's sole LP effort is another entry in the sacred lineage of spastic San Diego Hardcore; the song structures are unpredictable, the dissonant guitars are messy and noisy, the drumming is fierce, precise and dynamic. That isn't even to mention the Gothic synths that harmonically haunt the songs or the manic half-shouted, half-screamed vocal performance from Justin Pearson that ties the album together. Behind the chaotic facade of this release, there are layers of personality and charm.
With ties to San Diego bands like Swing Kids, The Locust and Guyver-One, as well as Michaganders Conststine Sankathi, this brand of playful, frenetic music makes a lot of sense.
Sass was rapidly developing at this point with bands like Brainiac, Blood Brothers and The Locust infusing the genre with Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore and even Powerviolence. Sassy Screamo was coming into its own heading into 1998 with this release being one of the true gems.
Cynicism and nihilism are sprawled... | | 5 |  | Orchid
Orchid
It’s Orchid! Suffocating guitar, powerful screamed vocals and dynamic switches from brutal, mid-tempo Screamo to all-out Emoviolence are all present and accounted for on this EP. The guitar tone is heavy and occasionally breaks out into some metallic chugging. The beginnings of their signature chaotic style were starting to form, but with slower builds, metallic elements and slightly less violence than you’d expect.
One year removed from a somewhat mediocre debut demo, Orchid honed in on the sounds they’d soon become infamous for. Diehard fans of the band love this EP, and Stagnant, in particular, seems to be a bona fide Orchid classic. However, the band was moments away from being the most celebrated artists in the entire genre, and this release would be left in the dust (and out of the Hall).
Confrontational wouldn’t begin to describe Orchid’s lyrical style, represented here by songs about failing relationships, the lie of capitalism and the insincerity of the Punk scene in the... | | 6 |  | Envy
From Here To Eternity
On this LP, Envy crafted gorgeous, pure, cathartic Screamo, just as you would expect. In particular, their dense, heavy guitars would overwhelm if not threaded with clean, standalone guitar arpeggios, tasteful melodic lead lines, dynamic song structures and endless kineticism. This all combines with Fukagawa's intense vocal performance to produce astonishing results.
Simply put, this album is integral to the formation of Japanese Screamo. Although Envy's primary influence on the genre seems to be the integration of Post-Rock, that innovation in and of itself was spurred from Envy's injection of melody into heavy Screamo.
Prior to this album, Envy had undergone numerous lineup and stylistic changes since their 1992 formation, but they would have about two decades with this lineup, wherein all of their legendary material would be released. Special to Japan, this record serves as a harbinger of what's to come more than a standalone entry into the Hall. | | 7 |  | Reversal Of Man
Revolution Summer
This album is a musical gut punch that rarely relents and always keeps you guessing with sudden tempo changes and dynamic volume switches. The dissonant guitar tones perfectly encapsulate the feelings of desperation and unease while the drummer hammers home the immediacy. The bass is refreshingly well-mixed and adds a powerful undercurrent to the songs. The vocals are brimming with passion and reach unhinged levels of depravity during the most chaotic and cathartic moments on this release.
This EP represents the growth of both Reversal of Man and Emoviolence in the last few years; having solidified the lineup for this release a year prior on a split with Enemy Soil, they expanded on that sound with faster and harsher conviction. However, the dynamism found here further shaped Emoviolence away from the more chaotic and grindy stuff. However good this is, Emoviolence was on the cusp of breaking out and this EP remains a hidden gem on the shores of the Hall.
Lyrically, this record... | | 8 |  | Amalgamation/Jeromes Dream
Amalgamation / Jeromes Dream
With tense, sinister buildups and dissonant, explosive crescendos, this chaotic release showcases two bands with a lot to prove. The split begins with Amalgamation’s unhinged trumpeter performing over truly chaotic Emoviolence, and the weirdness doesn’t stop there. The two vocalists are both gnarly and high-pitched, adding to the depravity of their sound. The trumpet continues on, adding both melody and discord to the driving and unpredictable songs.
Jeromes Dream sounds surprisingly fully-formed for this being their first release, pushing forth with unbelievably noisy arrangements, syncopated and raw chord progressions, a deep, buzzing bass that fills the recording, a dynamic drummer capable of the quietest, most fragile beats and the most spastic sections of drumming put to record in Screamo thus far, all tied together by a manic, high-pitched vocalist whose screams are as painful on delivery as they are in purpose. Aside from that, their two tracks flow remarkably well together. | | 9 |  | Orchid/Pig Destroyer
Split
Both of these bands started life in 1997; all three of Orchid’s songs come from their previous We Hate You demo, while Pig Destroyer threw in three songs from their own 1997 demo and a few originals. Both sides showcase young Hardcore bands poised to become defining figures in their respective genres.
Orchid’s contribution features a more metallic-leaning sound than you’d expect, with the chugs you’d hope for and a gritty guitar tone that dominates the songs. Let’s not take away from the admirable drumming performance that keeps up with the guitar’s madness and a brutal vocalist whose every lyric is torture to the ears. Meanwhile, Pig Destroyer put out rapid-fire Grindcore tracks with the faintest of Sludge sensibilities. Their anger and appetite for destruction was quite high on this. Expect rapid-fire blastbeats and piercing shrieking vocals.
Although not the best representation of either band, these early works showcase the potential that these Hardcore pioneers possessed... | | 10 |  | Encyclopedia of American Traitors/Kwisatz Haderach
The Case of Joe Hill
Both of these small-time Emoviolence bands existed solely in the late 90s. EOAT was two splits and one EP deep into their career in 1998, with one more EP and a discography comp in their future. Kwisatz Haderach would only release an EP this year outside of this Split before calling it quits.
Both of these bands execute dynamic Emoviolence with long, atmospheric buildups with some gnarly screams. EOAT tends to have more of a dichotomy between melody and dissonance, sounding somewhat like Saetia performing Emoviolence at times, while Kwisatz is a bit more “Hardcore,” for lack of a better term. Regardless, both of these artists took great care to ensure the hectic sections were balanced out.
This quick East Coast connection wasn’t well known, but both bands would flesh out Emoviolence in their respective regions. Though quite small time, members would go on to flourish in other Hardcore bands like Yaphet Kotto, Tiny Hawks and Virgina Black Lung. | | 11 |  | Orchid/Encyclopedia Of American Traitors
Split
Orchid was still only a year or so into their time as a band, still finding their signature sound. This Split actually includes a song from their 1997 demo as well as two originals, showcasing a somewhat metallic-sounding Orchid with slightly less chaos. EOAT would release another split this year before coming out with a second EP in 1999 and a comp in 2002.
Orchid’s signature chaotic, noisy guitarwork is present here in their early material, switching between sinister melodic lead lines and heavy chord progressions. The singer’s hoarse screams leave an unmistakable impact on the songs, though besides these two elements, this is pretty standard manic Screamo fare. EOAT’s production values are a fair bit lower than their counterparts, but the insanity is more prominent in their songs than Orchid’s side. The lead singer sounds like his head is going to explode from belching out those crazy screams. The heavy chugging makes its way to their side too, though their songs have less... | | 12 |  | Stack/Jasemine/Disclose
Stack / Jasemine / Disclose
Uniquely a three-band split Comp, the first artist features strong, straightforward Hardcore, featuring some interesting buildups. Although far from the genre itself, they seem to borrow a bit from early German Screamo artists, a scene that the band would dip their feet into a few times.
The next artist represented is Jasemine, whose 1994 Screamo demo is quite revolutionary. This is one of the earliest true Screamo releases in France, borrowing the melodic Emocore aesthetic and combining it with some harsh Hardcore Punk in a way that resembles what Screamo would become far better than some of the earlier bands that attempted such a combination. Notably, the screaming is raw, emotional and intense, imparting profound feelings unto the listener. This forward-thinking piece of Screamo could easily pass for something in the late 90s with poor production.
Disclose’s early work is seminal D-Beat music with pounding drums, hyper, Hardcore chord progressions and deep, shouted vocals... | | 13 |  | Constatine Sankathi
Discography
Constatine Sankathi’s discography is surprisingly fully realized and even across its near-hour length. Taking the last decade of Emocore as a blueprint while adding aggression and one of the weirdest trumpets you've ever heard, Constatine Sankathi's output is emotionally potent and dynamic, chaotic at times and serene at others. Half the time, that serenity is broken up by a bonkers and frankly reckless trumpet that may turn some listeners off but adds to the discordant atmosphere.
The band represents Kalamazoo (and all of Michigan, by extension) with profound and forward-thinking early Screamo. They took what Emo scene compatriots Ordination of Aaron were doing and injected it with heaviness and aggression. By mid-90s Screamo standards, they were recording some truly crazy and forward-thinking stuff, but their legacy seems trapped in ice in the Great Lakes.
Approximately 1,500 copies of this CD were made available over a couple for different runs. Overall, while not as highly... | | 14 |  | New Ethic
Demo
Additional release | | 15 |  | My Lai
Learn...Forget...Re-Learn
Additional release | | 16 |  | Nintendo (JPN)
Nintendo
Additional release | | 17 |  | 2138
2138
Additional release | | 18 |  | In/Humanity
Occultonomy
Additional release | | 19 |  | Index for Potential Suicide
Index for Potential Suicide
Additional release | | 20 |  | I, Robot
I, Robot
Additional release | |
EmoEmporium
04.15.25 | Hey all! I'll be taking a bit of a break before continuing onto 1999 so this will come out a bit later than the last ones. Just know that by 1999, the genre is going to EXPLODE and it's going to be filled with more notable releases than the previous years.
Please note that I could NOT get Orchid's EP to be on this list so their OTHER s/t is there instead. Apologies for that, please check out their EP, though! It's surprisingly good. | swallowtales
04.15.25 | Ahh they are all amazing years, hopefully at some point I'll find a physical copy of Revolution Summer someday - I've got the discog release but something about that 10 inch on its own I really want | Sniff
04.15.25 | What a year | swallowtales
04.15.25 | Also when that Constatine Sankathi vinyl discog coming, cause I know it is eventually one way or the other | EmoEmporium
04.15.25 | 1998 was cracked, 1999 was filled with heaters, but 2000-2005 was the initial reason I wanted to do this project in the first place. Can't wait to get to that point. | VlacDrac
04.15.25 | Nice list | bludngorevidal
04.16.25 | well written. i don't care so much for that Envy record to be frank, but i buy what you're selling insofar as it's a harbinger for a distinct sound they'd develop | EmoEmporium
04.16.25 | @bludngore I was surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to the album, but I agree, it's mostly an important footnote in the grand scheme of Screamo. |
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