Metalheart (also known as Depthcore or Trendwhore) is a Cyberpunk aesthetic that was prevalent from roughly 1998 to 2004, during the Y2K Futurism Era. It was characterized by deformed abstract shapes and futuristic fonts on blurry backgrounds.
History[]
Metalheart emerged during the Y2K Futurism era of the late 1990s, replacing older Cyberpunk aesthetics such as Early Cyber and Cyberdelic. Websites dated back to that period such as 2Advanced studios and DeviantArt influenced the aesthetic, possibly following the success of The Matrix. Metalheart was named after Andreas Lindholm's 2001 book of the same title. This aesthetic peaked in popularity in the Early 2000s and later became oversaturated by the Mid 2000s. After that, it was morphed into McBling/Frutiger Metro/UrBling vector graphics and was replaced by Hipness Purgatory.
Visuals[]
The visuals consist of deformed abstract shapes, that can be either 3D with metallic and chrome textures or 2D with geometric flat shapes, as well as futurist UIs, that contain minimalist iconography, abstract lines and lights, grids, coding text, and futuristic fonts. These visual elements are usually seen alongside a blurry dark background.
It can be said that Metalheart is a darker and "edgier" offshoot of the Y2K Futurism aesthetic with a more abstract and mechanical feeling to it.
Media[]
Video Games[]
- Metal Gear Solid 1 & 2 (1998-2001)
- Beatmania IIDX (1999-present)
- Ikaruga (2001)
- Samidare (2002-2005)
- Armored Core 3 (2002)
- Metroid Prime series (2002-2007)
- Gradius V (2004)
- Halo series (2001-2021)
- Rez (2002)
- Armored Core: Nexus (2005)
- Alarm für Cobra 11: Crash Time (2007)
- Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity (2007)
- Bayonetta 3 (2022)
- Daemon X Machina
- Xenosaga game series
Webfiction[]
- Orion's Arm (2000-present)
Film[]
- Event Horizon (1997)
- The Matrix (1999)
Music[]
- Celldweller
- Mind.in.a.box
- Pendulum
Gallery[]
