Sputnik And Screamo
So much of the time when people ask for screamo recommendations they are given a massive list of bands without any description at all. So I just felt like making a list that gives recs instead of asking for them, and compares lesser known screamo bands to larger ones. That, and I'm bored. All of the odd numbered bands/albums are bands that are relatively popular or are seen commonly in recommendations or lists or whatever. Each even numbered band is similar to the "odd" band that is one number lower than they are. All the other listed bands after the one whose album you see are just other similar bands I didn't feel like going into great detail over, or are relatively deep cuts that don't have an album in the database. |
| 1 |  | Off Minor
Innominate
Other Potential Bands: We Were Skeletons (self titled), Innards, Calculator |
| 1 | | Off Minor
Innominate |
| 2 |  | Capsule [US]
Blue
This album was released on Robotic Empire. A label that was very important/infleuntial throughout the late 90's screamo scene. It's an amazing album that sounds quite a bit like Off Minor worship. I'd say everything about Blue is just one step below Off Minor's work musically, except for the guitar which just fucking KILLS the whole time. Also, it's the prettiest vinyl I've ever seen. |
| 2 | | Capsule [US]
Blue |
| 3 |  | Gospel
The Moon is a Dead World
Other Potential Bands: Song of Zarathustra (if you like the synthy atmosphere, the vocals are amazing too.), The VSS (same thing) |
| 3 | | Gospel
The Moon is a Dead World |
| 4 |  | Houston We Have a Problem
Shipwreck
This is my favorite screamo album from a fairly unknown band with three full lengths. I wrote a really bad review for it, but it's truly amazing. It captures really progressive, ever changing time signatures backed by an insane attack of dual vocals. Honestly the drumming is nowhere even close to Gospel, but the work of the almost entirely picked guitars is some of the coolest stuff I've heard, and on last.fm one of their guitarists said this to me "Listen to more Gospel too. If you want to hear a band that we've ripped off our at least attempted to as much as possible, listen to more Gospel. I feel they deserve to be talked about." |
| 4 | | Houston We Have a Problem
Shipwreck |
| 5 |  | City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar
Other Potential Bands: If they sound French, and they're not named Anomie they're probably ripped these guys off, Portraits of Past, Maximillian Colby, Funeral Diner. (All of those are relatively well known, but there are just so many post-rock screamo bands and if they crescendo they've ripped CoC off) |
| 5 | | City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar |
| 6 |  | Men As Trees
Weltschmerz
I kind of like these guys. They have an odd vocalist which is mainly why they are here. Really long build ups to fairly long pseudo-crescendos. They're just unique really, which is something very lacking within the style they play. |
| 6 | | Men As Trees
Weltschmerz |
| 7 |  | I Would Set Myself on Fire For You
Believes in Patterns
Other Potential Bands: Rain Inside (amazing), Pansori, We Came Out Like Tigers, Eva-01. |
| 7 | | I Would Set Myself on Fire For You
Believes in Patterns |
| 8 |  | Sinking Steps...Rising Eyes
Majestic Blue
They have really pretty music and a dreamy, clean female vocalist that gets broken up every few minutes by these really insane screams. Worth checking out. It's definitely on the border of being screamo and just being post-rock, but it is highly enjoyable. |
| 8 | | Sinking Steps...Rising Eyes
Majestic Blue |
| 9 |  | Saetia
A Retrospective
Other Potential Bands: Osceola (I've only heard like two songs, not many people rip them off tooooooo badly) |
| 9 | | Saetia
A Retrospective |
| 10 |  | Anasarca
Discography 1994-1997
Saetia is like an Anasarca tribute band. They were one of those bands who were "emo" but not "screamo" if you were to look as a system like Fourfa has. They were also not plagued by having ridiculously long songs. They are some cool stuff. |
| 10 | | Anasarca
Discography 1994-1997 |
| 11 |  | Orchid
Chaos is Me
Other Potential Bands: One Eyed God Prophecy (very influencial), Tristan Tzara (important German band), The Hareste (awesome, i have no. 2/50 of their 7" /skramz points), and if you see anything called "emo violence" you will probably like it if you like Orchid |
| 11 | | Orchid
Chaos is Me |
| 12 |  | Union of Uranus
To This Bearer of Truth
LoL, gay name, bro. This was another band that influenced Orchid a lot and were from Canada. They were not quite as chaotic as Orchid, but they still felt pretty ahead of their time. I find myself preferring Orchid to these guys, but in terms of historical value they're pretty cool. |
| 12 | | Union of Uranus
To This Bearer of Truth |
| 13 |  | The Blood Brothers
This Adultery is Ripe
Other Potential Bands: Antioch Arrow, Guage Means Nothing, Love Like... Electrocution |
| 13 | | The Blood Brothers
This Adultery is Ripe |
| 14 |  | Cobra Kai
Complete Recordings
When I call TBB screamo I do it pretty loosely. There is an obvious influence from bands like Antioch Arrow, and calling anything ever close to "tr00 skramz" after this album is just some sort of a lie, but they're still pretty cool. Cobra Kai did some cool stuff with a synthesizer and two vocalists in a similar style to The Blood Brothers, but both of their vocalists were screaming pretty much all the time, although they did have quiet moments, and I have way too many commas in this sentance, but I'm not going to fix it. |
| 14 | | Cobra Kai
Complete Recordings |
| 15 |  | Hot Cross
Cryonics
Other Potential Bands: iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook (members went onto Beau Navire, and this site is IN LOVE with them even though their instruments are all muddled. I like these guys a lot better, check "13" in particular) L'antietam (I think I splled their name wrong.) |
| 15 | | Hot Cross
Cryonics |
| 16 |  | You and I
The Curtain Falls
Casey Boland, of You and I, went on to lay down some complex guitar licks in the multi-vocalist screamo/post-hardcore band named Hot Cross. Before he was doing that he was laying down some complex guitar licks in the multi-vocalist screamo/post-hardcore band, You and I. |
| 16 | | You and I
The Curtain Falls |
| 17 |  | Pg. 99
Document #5
Other Potential Bands: Joshua Fit For Battle, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Neil Perry. |
| 17 | | Pg. 99
Document #5 |
| 18 |  | Yaphet Kotto
The Killer Was In The Government Blankets
I'm not sure why I picked Yaphet Kotto to display the album for instead of the other 3 I listed for Pg.99. Yaphet sound like if Pg. 99 decided they were really sad instead of really really really pissed off. A lot of stuff like this was being made in the late 90's, but this clearly had more of an "emo" than a "hardcore" background than the other things listed. |
| 18 | | Yaphet Kotto
The Killer Was In The Government Blankets |
| 19 |  | Circle Takes The Square
As The Roots Undo
Other Potential Bands: Index for Potential Suicide, Avenging Disco Godfathers of Soul (Both of the first two really bend the rules of screamo), Bubblejug, 1905 (These last two have some cool male/female vocalist stuff, but Bubblejug are fucking awesome because they have a sax just hanging out in the mix. Bubblejug are also about two years too early to be called screamo.) |
| 19 | | Circle Takes The Square
As The Roots Undo |
| 20 |  | The Assistant
The Assistant
First of all if the only "screamo" that you believe you have heard is from CTTS you should know that that's a really bad representation of the genre. It's not that that release is "bad" (I like it a lot), but it is SO FAR from the norm and that's why I gave those first two recs. They're all just whacked the fuck out. The Assistant had members of You and I playing for them and were really cool. They just had a pretty dynamic sound on this album as well as a male and a female vocalist so that's why I listed them with CTTS. Truth be told there isn't another band out there that sounds like CTTS. |
| 20 | | The Assistant
The Assistant |
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