金属蕊（Metalcore）是一个金属乐的子类型，结合了极端金属与硬蕊庞克。金属蕊这个词大约是在1990年代中期出现，由极端金属的「金属」与硬蕊的「蕊」组成，而这些类型乐团有Earth Crisis、Deadguy、Integrity。这些早期的乐团，像是Integrity，最早在1988年表演，当时玩这类型的乐团有终极杀戮乐团（Killswitch Engage）、叛客魔咒乐团（Underoath）、All That Remains、 混种魔兽乐团（Trivium）、As I Lay Dying、致命情人乐团（Bullet for My Valentine）与The Devil Wears Prada。

Metalcore is a broad fusion genre of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The word is a blend of the names of the two genres. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages that are conducive to moshing. Pioneering metalcore bands—such as Integrity, Earth Crisis and Converge, all of which had formed by 1990—are described as leaning more toward hardcore, with their style sometimes being called metallic hardcore, whereas later bands—such as Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine, and Parkway Drive—are described as leaning more towards metal.