Diving into alternate or non-mainstream music is a common theme for music fanatics or non-traditional music fans to do. Of these potential off-shoot genres, mathcore is a fascinating genre that’s similar to math-rock, but significantly heavier and much more intense.

Mathcore is defined as a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal, and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands or artists in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signatures, syncopations, and tempo changes. 

Down below are five of my favorite mathcore records from artists Daughters, Converge, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Gaza. These records have a particular notoriety attached to them and are incredibly interesting for the unique listening soundscape each of them present.

Without giving a detailed examination of each album below, it’s best for you to take a deep dive into the records on your own. From my perspective, these records are other-worldly experiences that are worth checking out without getting a pre-determined notion about the albums. Nevertheless, check these albums out and give a listen to various other math-core records.

1. Daughters – Hell Songs (2006)

2. Converge – Jane Doe (2001)

3. Botch – We Are The Romans (1999)

4. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Calculating Infinity (1999)

5. Gaza – I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)