The Breathing Process

The Breathing Process is a pivotal entity in the evolution of 'blackened deathcore,' forming in 2003 in the US. While they began with metalcore roots, they quickly distinguished themselves as one of the first bands to successfully hybridize the symphonic elements of black metal (reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir or Emperor) with the rhythmic weight and vocal diversity of deathcore.

Their 2008 debut, 'In Waking: Divinity', is frequently cited as a foundational text for the symphonic deathcore subgenre. The band's middle period, particularly the 2010 album 'Odyssey: (Un)Dead', moved toward elemental concept-driven songwriting, utilizing keyboards to evoke specific biomes like glaciers and deserts. After a significant hiatus, they returned in the late 2010s with a modernized, even more cinematic sound that aligns them with contemporary leaders like Lorna Shore and Worm Shepherd. Critical consensus highlights their ability to maintain a 'wall of sound' production style without sacrificing the clarity of their melodic arrangements. They occupy a unique space as veterans who influenced the current wave of symphonic extreme metal while continuing to evolve their own technical and atmospheric capabilities.