Editing Mathcore (section)

=== Establishment, milestone albums and first scene (1996–2002) ===
Converge was formed as an amalgamation of extreme metal, [[crossover thrash]] and [[hardcore punk]], but in the mid-1990s they were heavily affected by early metalcore and post-hardcore bands, such as Rorschach, [[Universal Order of Armageddon]] and [[Starkweather (band)|Starkweather]].<ref name=converge>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2013/01/02/say-what-not-so-long-long-converge-quotes/|website=[[Decibel (magazine)|Decibel]]|title=Say What? Not So Long Long Converge Quotes|date=January 2, 2013 |first=Chris |last=Dick}}</ref><ref name=converge_rorschach>{{cite web|access-date=February 18, 2018|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37497-5-10-15-20-converges-kurt-ballou/|date= January 7, 2010|title=5-10-15-20: Converge's Kurt Ballou|website=[[Pitchfork.com]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109022353/https://pitchfork.com/news/37497-5-10-15-20-converges-kurt-ballou/|archive-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> Their second and third albums, 1996's ''[[Petitioning the Empty Sky]]'' and 1998's ''[[When Forever Comes Crashing]]'', developed an increasingly technical and bleak style.<ref name=converge_rorschach/><ref name=converge_evolution>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/converge_have_innovation_through|website=[[Exclaim!]]|title=Converge Have Innovation Through Suffering|first=Chris |last=Gramlich|date=January 1, 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112042022/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/converge_have_innovation_through|archive-date=January 12, 2016}}</ref>

At their first stages, Coalesce and Botch were influenced by [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], New York metalcore and [[vegan straight edge]] pioneers [[Earth Crisis]].<ref name=coalesce/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|url=http://lineout.thestranger.com/2008/02/march_9th_at_studio7_firestorm-iphone|title=Guilty Pleasure March 9th at Studio7!!! Firestorm!!!|first=Brian|last=Cook|date=February 29, 2008|newspaper=[[The Stranger (newspaper)|The Stranger]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171006203657/http://lineout.thestranger.com/2008/02/march_9th_at_studio7_firestorm-iphone|archive-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref><ref name=oral_history_incomplete>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|title=The Oral History Of Botch: Thank God For Worker Bees|url=http://altpress.com/features/69.htm|first=Chris |last=French |date=June 29, 2007|website=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228044448/http://altpress.com/features/69.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2008}}</ref> Vocalist [[Sean Ingram]] relocated to Syracuse to be nearer to its scene, but ended up disillusioned with their ostracizing attitude and on his return to Missouri formed Coalesce. They incorporated influences from [[progressive metal]] band [[Tool (band)|Tool]], with founding drummer Jim Redd stating that they "wanted to be" them "with none of the quiet parts", but only using their "heavy guitars, heavy drums, wacky time signatures, and loud-quiet dynamics".<ref name=coalesce/> Whereas their debut album ''[[Give Them Rope]]'' (1997) was considered "an underground milestone that helped [further] what was soon [universally] called 'metalcore'",<ref>Lars Gotrich, [https://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/10/25/141573753/coalesce-a-tale-of-two-ropes "Coalesce: A Tale of Two Ropes"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420061034/http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/10/25/141573753/coalesce-a-tale-of-two-ropes |date=April 20, 2015 }}, All Songs Considered, October 25, 2011.</ref> their sophomore studio album, ''[[Functioning on Impatience]]'', became a landmark of mathcore in 1998.<ref name=coalesce_svbterranean/><ref name=coalesce/>

Botch initially tried to become a political-straight edge band but got discouraged by the "elitist" and aggressive stance of many of their participants.{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|p=321-322, 323}} Their second album ''[[We Are the Romans]]'' of November 1999 was influenced by Drive Like Jehu, [[Sepultura]] and [[Meshuggah]].{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|p=324}} This album has influenced numerous bands and met high critical acclaim throughout the years, being lauded by [[TeamRock]] in 2015 as "one of the greatest albums in the history of heavy music".<ref name=coalesce_svbterranean/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 22, 2018|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-09-16/botch-should-have-been-bigger-than-the-dillinger-escape-plan|title=Botch could have been bigger than The Dillinger Escape Plan|date=September 16, 2015 |first=Stephen |last=Hill|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326003254/http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-09-16/botch-should-have-been-bigger-than-the-dillinger-escape-plan|archive-date=March 26, 2016 }}</ref>

In 1997, The Dillinger Escape Plan evolved from the political-oriented act Arcane because they did not want to become part of "cliques" again.<ref name=ug_weinman>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|title=Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman: 'We Never Want to Be An Assembly Line of Riffs'|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/dillinger_escape_plans_ben_weinman_we_never_want_to_be_an_assembly_line_of_riffs.html|website=[[Ultimate Guitar Archive]]|date=April 16, 2013 |first=Steven |last=Rosen|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171210121114/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/dillinger_escape_plans_ben_weinman_we_never_want_to_be_an_assembly_line_of_riffs.html|archive-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> They turned around their sound significantly in their second EP, ''[[Under the Running Board]]'' of 1998, and their debut album, ''[[Calculating Infinity]]'' of September 1999, drawing from [[progressive death metal]] bands [[Cynic (band)|Cynic]], Meshuggah and [[Death (metal band)|Death]], as well as [[King Crimson]] and several [[jazz fusion]] artists.<ref name=noisefull/><ref name=ug_weinman/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 22, 2018|url=http://www.mikedolbear.co.uk/story.asp?StoryID=2051|title=Chris Pennie (Coheed & Cambria) – unleashed and moving forward|website=Mikedolbear.co.uk|first=Jerome|last=Marcus|date=October 2009|publication-date=January 1, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171126012328/http://www.mikedolbear.co.uk/story.asp?StoryID=2051|archive-date=November 26, 2017}}</ref> Both records created an extremely technical and fast brand of mathcore, which "launched an arms race in the metallic hardcore scene" and went on to define the subgenre substantially.<ref name=cory/>{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|loc=308-309}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-w486923/the-dillinger-escape-plan-calculating-infinity-1999-w486974 |title=The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Calculating Infinity' (1999) - The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time |last=Considine |first=J.D. |author-link=J. D. Considine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=June 21, 2017 |access-date=February 22, 2018}}</ref> [[Relapse Records]] marketed ''Calculating Infinity'' as "math metal" because its sound and the album's title "sounded mathematical", yet this was not the band's intent.{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|p=314-315}}<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 21, 2018|url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/calculating-infinity-mw0000695657|website = [[AllMusic]]|first = Jason |last = Hundey|title = The Dillinger Escape Plan {{!}} Calculating Infinity |url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120717053639/https://www.allmusic.com/album/calculating-infinity-mw0000695657|archive-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref>

In 1999, Converge released the split album ''[[The Poacher Diaries]]'' expanding drastically their technical elements, but afterwards main songwriter [[Kurt Ballou]] called it "a failed experiment".<ref name=jane_doe>{{cite web|access-date=February 25, 2018|url=https://www.vinylmeplease.com/magazine/converge-look-back-jane-doe/|title=Converge Look Back On 'Jane Doe'|date=March 8, 2017|first=Andy|last=O'Connor|website=Vinylmeplease.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313095140/http://www.vinylmeplease.com/magazine/converge-look-back-jane-doe/|archive-date=March 13, 2017}}</ref> This inspired him to change his focus to song structure and the "memorable" elements that initially attracted him to music, birthing their 2001 album ''[[Jane Doe (album)|Jane Doe]]''. This record was the first with drummer [[Ben Koller]] and bassist [[Nate Newton]] who made significant contributions to the songwriting.<ref name=jane_doe/>{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|p=332-335}} ''Jane Doe'' exerted considerable influence in extreme music circles and attained a cult following.{{sfn|Mudrian|2009|p=331}}

Other important albums of this period are 1996's ''Variable Speed Drive'' by [[Cable (American band)|Cable]],<ref name=cable>{{cite magazine|access-date=February 25, 2018|title=Cable {{!}} Brilliance meets resilience|page=61|first=Jadd |last=Shickler|magazine=Unrestrained!|date=February 6, 2008|issue=27|url=https://issuu.com/metalindia/docs/unrestrained_27_free}}</ref> 1998's ''[[Until Your Heart Stops]]'' by [[Cave In]],<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 25, 2018|url=https://www.themonolith.com/music/the-mathcorner-vol-4-sponsored-by-the-letter-c-getting-down-with-cave-in-coalesce-and-candiria/|website=Themonolith.com|title=THE MATHCORNER VOL. 4: SPONSORED BY THE LETTER C – GETTING DOWN WITH CAVE IN, COALESCE, AND CANDIRIA|date=January 30, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331095100/http://www.themonolith.com/music/the-mathcorner-vol-4-sponsored-by-the-letter-c-getting-down-with-cave-in-coalesce-and-candiria/|archive-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref> 2000's ''Rock and Roll Killing Machine'' by [[Drowningman]],<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 25, 2018|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/2433/reviews/152-|website=[[Drowned in Sound]]|title=Drowningman {{!}} Rock n Roll Killing Machine |date=October 23, 2000|first=Mat |last=Hocking |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226011920/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/2433/reviews/152-|archive-date=February 26, 2018}}</ref> and 2002's ''[[Challenger (Knut album)|Challenger]]'' by [[Knut (band)|Knut]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 25, 2018|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/challenger-mw0000216216|title=Knut {{!}} Challenger |first=William |last=York|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>