Envy

Steven Williams, the owner of Midwest hardcore label Init Records, once tried to coin the term "emo violence" as a substitute for the now-convoluted screamo subgenre. At the time, it was tough for independent hardcore acts to differentiate themselves from the growing status of their sissy-pants mainstream rivals. The alternate phrasing never really took off, but the effort was noteworthy nonetheless. Carrying the torch for the screamo survivors, Japan's Envy has been pushing emotional and experimental hardcore since its days as a thrash outfit in the early '90s; more than a decade later, the band -- which is on tour in support of its latest release, Insomniac Doze -- remains as charming as a steak knife to the heart. The album's breakdowns are triumphant, bolstered by Japanese vocals that impact like a graceful collapse of the lungs. Emo violence? Try absolutely fucking brilliant.