10 Great Rock Music Acts Who Were Too Far Ahead Of Their Time
8. Die Kreuzen
Mathcore: a perplexing congregation of free jazz, math rock, hardcore, post-hardcore, punk, and a number of other secret ingredients stolen from far-reaching, distant genres. The end result? A sharp-edged, unruly mass of alt-metal mayhem that can be nothing short of mind-boggling when in full swing. Although bands like Converge and Botch brought mathcore to the metal mainstream at the turn of the century, the origins of the genre can be traced back as far as the early '80s, to a largely forgotten crossover-hardcore band named Die Kreuzen.
The Illinois-based punk group formed in 1981, utilising jarring guitar riffs and experimental time signatures, two characteristics that would later contribute heavily to mathcore. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1984 and shows hints of what could be described as proto-mathcore, if there is such a thing. Only two of the 21 songs featured surpassed the two-minute mark, highlighting influences from the blossoming hardcore punk scene and bands like Dead Kennedys. ‘Die Kreuzen’ is a blistering, audacious, and sometimes unsettling record that included an unprecedented array of styles, even by today’s standards.
Die Kreuzen were never hugely successful though, releasing four albums before disbanding in 1992. They never reached the singles or album charts, but their debut album went a long way in laying the foundation for what became the classic ‘mathcore’ sound. A sound that can now be detected in every band from Car Bomb to the Callous Daoboys.