(insert genre) starter kit...best albums for newcomers?

If you had to introduce someone to your favorite/current obsession genre, what album(s) would you recommend or show to them to see if they liked it? I would do metal cause lately I've been a total metalhead, but I'll do metalcore since I think it is a highly underrated genre that is stereotyped because it is overflowing with posers. Album art would be appreciated too.

OVERVIEW:

Metalcore (also known as djent/emo metal/screamo/melodic death metal/melodic hardcore) today is a genre looked down upon for the sole reason that it has probably the biggest collection of shitty wannabes in the metal community today. It's very hard to pull off and sound great and a distinctive voice is required for it to stand out. A lot of times the lyrics are super cheesy and sound stupid as frick when the singer is singing with a bear growl and then transitioning to what sounds like a 10 year old's whine. The height of its popularity hit around the mid-2000s that was spearheaded by a highly criticized Bullet For My Valentine. They do fall under the incredibly emo category at times, but as I'm about to elaborate below, pull it off really well in their recommended album.



Description:

Probably my favorite box art of these few, this album's instrumentation and melodies are a harmony junkie's wet dream. The album starts out with a slow intro by Apacolyptica that leads into the next song that just punches you in the mouth from the very start. The album never lets up and pretty much makes you question your girlfriend/wife/sister's loyalty to you.

Best tracks:
1. Hit The Floor
2. Her Voice Resides
3. 4 Words To Choke Upon



Description:

Killing With A Smile is another one that really has kind of a cheesy theme to it, but you can't really tell because the singer has a distinct voice and doesn't really..."sing" per se as an interlude between screams. It's really more of just power talking. They're out of Australia and according to a lot of critics were really the pioneers of Australia's metalcore movement about a decade ago. It's a little down-tuned but, the solos are progressions are solid and even in the midst of the screaming and what not, are kind of catchy.

Best tracks:

1. Smoke 'em if you got 'em
2. Anastasis
3. Romance is Dead

(sidenote: Go to the two minute mark in Romance is Dead before anything else and you'll kind of get an idea of an overall theme of the album. )



Description:

Periphery II - This Time It's Personal is the album name.

This band is a bit odd in the fact that they use some electronic elements in this album amidst some absolutely tasty riffs. I would've put their first album, but the singer was autotuned when he didn't need to be and the mixing was a bit off and low quality. I find it a little dumb how much this album is hated on by the general public considering that as of right now, is the catchiest and most badass album they've put out. Many people say it's "safe" and "bland" when I believe that couldn't be farther from the truth. The singer is let off his leash in contrast to the first album and really delivers like a boss on pretty much all the tracks. The only complaint I really have is that about three songs on the album have unneeded and drawn out low key guitar parts that really don't add anything to the music in the track. I would also say the singer is far and away the best of any of the vocalists I mention in this list. He can fricking nail some high octave notes and is fantastic live.

Best tracks:

1. Make Total Destroy
2. Have a Blast
3. Scarlet



Description:

This is what I would call the "workout album" of the group. It's the last album from AILD before the group split up and formed Wovenwar. Shortly after its release, the singer Tim Lambesis was caught and convicted of conspiring to kill his wife via hitman. The band stated that with this album, they wanted to stray away from constant and hardcore screaming to more melodic and catchy compositions that moved a bit faster than previous releases. Unlike a lot of metalcore bands that tune their guitars to drop D or lower essentially eliminating the bass, it is actually mixed well into the songs and is a balanced presence in the album. The screams are easy to make out and don't drown out the instruments which really shine in tracks like A Greater Foundation. The bassist a good bit of the time takes over the chorus duties.

Best tracks:

1. A Greater Foundation
2. Wasted Words
3. Cauterize



Description:

This is it, folks. The finale. The gold standard. The metalcore bible. This album is fricking amazing and will probably never be matched as far as quality from top to bottom. Nearly very track is catchy and ALL of them melt your face off. The singer Phil LaBonte is the prototype metalcore singer and despite barely passing the clean vocal test, kicks arse throughout. My favorite thing about this album is it is so fricking raw. I mean just sick. The breakdowns drop at the best times and the occasional whammy bar slip is a fantastic addition amidst the nasty lower notes in the songs. The lyrics aren't cheesy at all and send an underlying positive message to the listeners who may be going through some hard times. This band is more death metal-ish than any of the others but not so much that the songs totally reflect it. I would have to say probably the best and most apparent straight up death metal in the album is "The Weak Willed." There is almost nothing but low growls and high screams that sound like a witch is choking on her broomstick. Overall, this is THE best metalcore album hands down and will never be surpassed. Ever.

Best tracks:

1. Not Alone
2. We Stand
2. This Calling


---------------------------------------------



FINAL WORDS:

In retrospect, you either love or hate this type of music. I compare it to drinking your first beers. It's completely disgusting (at first), but you eventually develop a taste for it and really like it from time to time. That's pretty much the way I was. My first real taste of the genre at its core was Periphery 2, which a fellow high school band member would not stop talking about. I about forced myself to listen to it in its entirety and after a while, I couldn't get enough. Weird I know, but IDGAF. I'm glad I did it. This whole post went way overboard for what it is, but oh well. Let's hear it everyone. It'll be nice to see if some of us can be introduced and slowly brought to liking music we shied away from in the past.