More Into Depth: Sasscore

    I had dived slightly into sasscore and what it is in my previous post, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. According to WKNC, sasscore has "a kaleidoscope of influences — hardcore, post-hardcore, metal, new wave, disco, etc. — consistently infused with cheeky irreverence and borderline-effeminate vocality, sasscore is a truly magnificent musical monstrosity that spits in the face of hypermasculinity..." Sasscore is kind of like twee, but make it punk, pink, and unapologetic. The thing that sets Sasscore apart from its hardcore brothers and sisters, though, is that it seems to find its roots in its opposition to the hegemonic masculinity of the hardcore scene. The hardcore scene has always been very hypermasculine and aggressive, when it should be a genre for all gender identities to enjoy. Sasscore rejects this idea of hypermasculinity and invites those who have been victimized by the patriarchal attitudes of hypermasculinity in punk spaces. I could go on about the sociological implications of sasscore, but if I did that, I would completely stray away from the topic. Sasscore is the antithesis of the hypermasculine, and although many sasscore bands are led by men, they aren't scared to express their femininity whatsoever, dressing up in dresses and skirts, and being very public about their sexuality.

Art for Black Eye's self-titled album

Picture of sasscore band SeeYouSpaceCowboy performing

    

    In terms of sound, key stylistic features of sasscore include an "over-the-top, spastic edge, dissonant, chaotic guitars, synths, and blast beats." Sasscore is an acquired taste though. I vividly remember kind of hating it, but eventually it grew on me... or maybe I just got used to the sounds. Either way, sasscore has that "so-weird-its-almost-bad" kind of sound to it, but done well. It's one of my favorite genres of music now. 

    Of course, it wouldn't be hardcore if the subgenres didn't have their sub-subgenres. The kind of sasscore I listen to takes additional stylistic elements from more extreme genres such as mathcore and grindcore, forming a distinct sound people call "whitebelt." It's definitely an odd name, but it's a funny one. I usually spot other whitebelt listeners at shows if they're wearing a white belt. It's kind of an inside joke that if you wear a white belt, you're sassy. Thus, you listen to sasscore.