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[Western Music] Both Speed and Bittersweet Feels! Recommended Melodic Hardcore/Punk Bands [2026]

In the 2020s, what kind of image comes to mind when you hear the music genre “melocore”? Chances are, the bands and sounds you think of vary depending on your generation.

The heyday of melocore in the ’90s, the early 2000s boom of pop punk and youth punk, the mid-2010s onward pop-punk revival—each band has had its own sound.

In this piece, we focus on melocore—short for melodic hardcore—which has become established in Japan as the abbreviation for melodic hardcore, just as the name suggests.

We’ll also look at related styles like pop punk, selecting both veteran acts and rising younger bands drawing attention in the 2020s.

[Western Music] Both Speed and Bittersweetness! Recommended Melodic Hardcore/Punk Bands [2026] (111–120)

Weakness/ProgressionSurroundings

Surroundings – Weakness/Progression
Weakness/ProgressionSurroundings

Surroundings, a hardcore band from Australia.

True to their beautiful band name, you can hear an exquisitely beautiful hardcore track.

It’s not just heavy distortion—there are arpeggio and shout sections, crushingly heavy passages, and a wealth of band-driven arrangements that make every moment worth hearing.

The chorus has an incredible sense of speed, and the beat—seemingly capturing the velocity of overflowing emotion—will grab your ears.

Fall in love with the beauty of the sound shifts!

Murakami Shinpei
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RejoiceTaken

They are a legendary band and a leading figure in the lyrical new-school hardcore scene.

Formed in 1997 and disbanded once in 2004, they reunited in 2015 and have been active ever since, performing live and releasing new EPs.

Their popularity in Japan is extremely high, and they even toured the country in March 2019.

While their discography is small, be sure to listen to the historic masterpiece released in 2004, “Between Two Unseens.”

KOH-1
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Since I Was Born…The Elijah

The Elijah – Since, I was born Lyrics
Since I Was Born...The Elijah

This is a UK band that guitarist Michael McGough—now active as a member of Being as an Ocean—used to be in.

Their sound treats what you might call melodic hardcore as just one element, and is characterized by a post-rock and post-hardcore approach that makes heavy use of spatial effects.

The way their music unfolds from ambient, quiet passages into walls of roaring sound is simply beautiful.

The contrast between hardcore-style screams and the delicate, emotional clean vocals is also superb.

As an evolved form of hardcore, it’s worth knowing that bands like this existed.

KOH-1
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Strangers [feat. Dan Campbell]Trash Boat

Trash Boat – Strangers [feat. Dan Campbell] (Official Music Video)
Strangers [feat. Dan Campbell]Trash Boat

Trash Boat, based in St Albans, UK, is a pop-punk/melodic hardcore band known for its powerful, emotional sound.

Since forming in 2014, they’ve gained attention with songs that pair aggressive yet catchy guitar riffs with Tobi Duncan’s heartfelt vocals.

Their 2016 debut album, “Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through,” received widespread acclaim, helping them establish a solid foothold in the punk scene and expand their activities worldwide.

Signed to Hopeless Records and known for their relentless touring, they’re a band you won’t want to take your eyes off in the coming years!

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Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never DieFour Year Strong

Four Year Strong is an American pop-punk band.

Building on a pop-punk foundation, they skillfully blend elements of post-hardcore and melodic hardcore to create a distinctive sound.

The song title means “Heroes are never forgotten, and legends never die.” It’s an upbeat, bright track paired with powerful vocals.

HATSUMI
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Abandon Ship or Abandon All HopeFour Year Strong