Pioneering metalcore bands—such as Hogan's Heroes, Earth Crisis, and Integrity—are described to lean more toward hardcore, whereas later bands—such as Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine, Underoath, All That Remains, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Parkway Drive, The Devil Wears Prada and Bury Tomorrow—are described to lean more towards metal.
Ранние группы, как, например, Hogan's Heroes, Earth Crisis и Integrity, больше склоняются к панку, в то время, как современные — Killswitch Engage, Underoath, All That Remains, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine и The Devil Wears Prada — к металу.