Metalcore prompts benefit from a few concrete choices: the rhythm of the low guitar riff, how the drums support it and where the vocal changes character. A breakdown can feel heavier through fewer notes and longer spaces without changing the song tempo. These ten examples explore different balances of melody, harsh vocals and instrumental detail. Use the version closest to your idea, then listen for whether the riff, voice and drums each have a clear role.
Starting points in this collection
| Example tempo targets | 148 to 168 BPM |
|---|---|
| Original examples | 10 |
| Before making a recording | Choose the language and vocal or instrumental setting, then review the full brief. Tempo numbers are requests, not measured results. |
Prompts to copy and adapt
These are original directions to try, not recordings or verified performance results. Copy the sound description, then add your own story or lyrics. Use this idea carries the full selected brief into our main composer for review after sign-in.
Harsh verse, open clean chorus
Metalcore, 160 BPM. Use tightly palm-muted low guitars and a kick pattern that follows their main accents. Put a harsh screamed vocal over the verse, then open the chorus into fewer sustained chords beneath a clean sung melody. Write original lyrics about choosing a different path rather than imitating an existing band. Let the chorus finish before a short half-time breakdown introduces wider rests. Return to the clean hook once, then close on the opening riff.
An instrumental riff conversation
Metalcore, 156 BPM. Instrumental only. Build a short low guitar riff answered by a higher melodic phrase, with bass reinforcing the low accents and drums keeping the snare clear. Use double-kick bursts at the ends of phrases rather than under every note. Let the two guitars trade roles in a quieter passage before the low riff returns with a half-time feel. Keep the lead melody distinct from the chugs and finish with a final answered phrase instead of a long solo.
A breakdown built from silence
Metalcore, 150 BPM. Start with a tight guitar pattern and a harsh vocal delivering short original lines about standing your ground. Keep the bass close to the guitar accents, with clear snare hits between them. In the breakdown, hold the same BPM but use a half-time feel and fewer palm-muted attacks separated by deliberate rests. Let one vocal line occupy a gap before the riff answers. Finish with the full band on a short final accent.
Melodic guitars above the chugs
Metalcore, 165 BPM. Layer a simple harmonised guitar lead above a clipped low rhythm part, leaving the snare and vocal clearly audible. Use harsh verses with original words about rebuilding after a setback, followed by a clean chorus that follows the lead melody without copying it note for note. Reduce the low guitar activity under the chorus. Introduce a brief instrumental version of the hook before a final return, and resolve the lead over the last band chord.
A clean opening that earns its weight
Metalcore, 148 BPM. Begin with a lightly picked clean guitar and a close sung verse using original lyrics about facing an uncomfortable truth. Introduce bass and a restrained snare before distorted guitars enter on the same harmonic pattern. Keep the first heavy section simple so the change in texture is clear. Add a short harsh vocal response later, then return to the opening clean guitar after a half-time breakdown. Let its final phrase resolve without another sudden loud entrance.
Syncopated low-string instrumental
Metalcore, 154 BPM. Instrumental only. Set short syncopated low guitar attacks against a steady drum pulse, keeping the bass aligned with the strongest accents. Use a dry guitar tone with a clear pick attack rather than a long distorted wash. Add a brief high harmonic or lead note in the gaps, without changing the central pattern every phrase. Reduce the drums to a half-time snare for the breakdown at the same BPM, then return to the opening rhythm and stop together.
A chorus that leaves room to sing
Metalcore, 162 BPM. Use a fast clipped guitar verse with a harsh vocal and short double-kick flourishes. Write original lyrics about breaking a repeated habit. When the clean chorus arrives, let the guitars hold broader chords and the drums use a simpler backbeat so the melody has room. Bring the low riff back between chorus phrases rather than beneath every word. After a short instrumental bridge, repeat the hook once and close with a concise band ending.
Percussion and riff trade places
Metalcore, 158 BPM. Instrumental only. Introduce a low palm-muted guitar motif with bass doubling only its main accents. Let the drums answer the ends of phrases with small tom patterns, keeping cymbals restrained so the guitar attack stays clear. In the middle passage, thin the guitar to single accents while the toms carry the movement. Restore the full riff over a heavier half-time snare, then return briefly to the faster-feeling groove. End on the opening motif with a clean final hit.
Harsh vocals without a clean hook
Metalcore, 168 BPM. Use a harsh vocal throughout, with original lyrics about refusing an imposed identity. Keep the verse guitar pattern clipped and the kick focused on its strongest accents. Create the hook through a simpler repeated vocal rhythm and a higher guitar answer instead of switching to clean singing. Let the bridge reduce to bass, drums and a few guitar hits, then bring the riff back with wider spaces. Finish with the last vocal phrase answered by the band.
Atmosphere after the heavy passage
Metalcore, 152 BPM. Instrumental only. Set a low guitar riff and a tight kick pattern beneath a slow sustained lead, using the lead sparingly so the rhythm remains clear. Move into a half-time breakdown at the same BPM with fewer guitar attacks and a dry snare. After the final heavy phrase, let the distorted guitars drop away while a clean version of the lead continues over a quiet bass note. End on that clean phrase without bringing the breakdown back.
Keep the words and sound separate
In Words into Music, put the words you want sung in the lyrics field and describe instruments and delivery in the sound direction. The music prompt generator helps you prepare that direction before making a song.
For Suno, Custom mode keeps your lyrics separate from the style request. Use the same sound description as a starting point, then adjust it for each tool.
Make the riff and kick work as one rhythm
Palm-muted guitars can sound forceful without playing constantly. Describe the spaces as well as the attacks, and ask the bass and kick to reinforce the important accents. Use short bursts of double-kick drumming where the riff needs momentum instead of asking for uninterrupted speed. If a result sounds blurred, simplify the guitar rhythm and shorten its low notes. A clearly articulated pattern often gives the next recording more weight than another layer of distortion.
Give each vocal style a specific section
If you want harsh verses and a clean chorus, state that contrast directly. Give the chorus a simpler chord pattern so the sung line has room, and let the riff return as an answer between phrases. A harsh-only or instrumental track can still create contrast through register, drum density and silence. For the breakdown, request a half-time feel at the same BPM rather than a separate tempo. These directions describe a new performance; they do not create stems or precisely edit an existing recording.
Common mistakes and useful revisions
| What to listen for | What to change in the prompt |
|---|---|
| The chorus is buried under the same busy riff as the verse | Simplify the chorus guitars, reduce drum fills and leave a clear space for the clean vocal melody. |
| The breakdown gets faster instead of heavier | Keep the stated BPM, use a half-time snare feel and ask for fewer guitar attacks with longer rests. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask for harsh verses and a clean chorus?
Assign the vocal character to each section: a harsh screamed verse followed by a clean sung chorus, for example. Describe a simpler backing pattern for the sung part. Keep lyrics separate from the sound direction, and listen for the contrast rather than expecting an exact switch at a specified second.
Does a metalcore breakdown need a tempo change?
No. A half-time drum feel and a sparser guitar rhythm can create a slower, heavier impression at the same BPM. Describe the space between guitar accents and the snare placement. A genuinely slower tempo is a different choice and does not need to be included in every breakdown prompt.
Can I use these metalcore prompts without vocals?
Yes. Choose an instrumental example and keep the instrumental setting on. Ask a lead guitar or changing riff to provide the main melodic interest instead of a sung hook. Do not include screamed phrases, chants or wordless vocals if you want an entirely instrumental recording.
