Metal's Most Iconic Breakdown One-Liners of All-Time

The most memorable pre-breakdown one-liners in metal music.

by The Metalverse

Updated February 25, 2025

In modern and classic metal, breakdowns are one of the most exciting parts of most songs–from metalcore, to deathcore, to hardcore, most genres include breakdowns in one form or another. We've covered the heaviest breakdowns, but what about the most iconic pre-breakdown vocal one-liners? Let us know what your favorite one-liner is, here's our picks for the most iconic one-liners in metal currently.

ARF ARF

Band: Knocked Loose

Song: “Counting Worms”

Is dog barking the new "blegh"? Knocked Loose created a breakdown one-liner so iconic that many other bands have since used "Arf Arf" in their songs. If you've ever seen Knocked Loose live, you know that when "Counting Worms" kicks in, everyone goes crazy. Knocked Loose has dozens of vocal one-liners that could make the list, but "Counting Worms" is undoubtedly their most iconic.

Disrespect Your Surroundings

Band: A Day To Remember

Song: “Mr Highway’s Thinking About the End”

"Disrespect Your Surroundings" is so well known that even people who don't listen to metal music might recognize it from its use in memes and fails compilations. Besides its internet virality, "Mr Hightway's Thinking About the End" is a classic metalcore track that is equally nostalgic and iconic.

Cough, Cough, Blegh"

Band: Wage War

Song: “The River”

Wage War is another act that is incredibly familiar with powerful vocal lines, and "The River" is one of the most unique one-liners from the band, featuring the vocalist coughing twice followed by a "blegh" and beautifully hard-hitting breakdown.

**So Cry Me A F*cking River Bitch**

Band: Parkway Drive

Song: “Romance Is Dead”

Parkway Drive is a classic metalcore band with a lot of popular songs but a fan-favorite lyric is from "Romance Is Dead" where vocalist Winston McCall screams out "So Cry Me A Fucking River Bitch" before a chunky breakdown follows. Released nearly 20 years ago, "Romance Is Dead" is a classic track that remains iconic to this day.

DEMOLISHER!

Band: Slaughter to Prevail

Song: “Demolisher”

In our opinion, "Demolisher" is one of the heaviest breakdowns of all time, despite being released only 4 years ago it has over 26 million views on YouTube alone. Vocalist Alex Terrible is known for his signature impossibly low growls and mixing Russian/English lyrics. In the song's intense breakdown, Alex Terrible screams "Demolisher"–often without his mic at live shows, showing how powerful his vocals are.

Life’s Swinging Hard but I’m Swinging Harder

Band: The Ghost Inside

Song: “Mercy”

The Ghost Inside has a slew of one-liners that could make their way onto this list, but "Mercy" is an equally comical and brutal breakdown with the line "Life's Swinging Hard but I'm Swinging Harder" being just as good now as it was 10 years ago when it came out.

And In This Dog Eat Dog World—You’re Still The F*cking Bitch

Band: Dealer

Song: “Crooked”

Dealer's fusion of deathcore and hardcore makes for a particularly lethal concoction and "Crooked" is the band's most well-known track for good reason. With an "Arf" earlier in the song and all the crushing hardcore/deathcore heaviness you could ask for, "Crooked" ends in an explosive breakdown with a powerful one-liner.

Seconds From The End, What’s it Gonna Be? Pull The Trigger Bitch

Band: Suicide Silence

Song: “No Pity for a Coward”

Suicide Silence is one of the staples in classic deathcore, and "No Pity For A Coward" has chill-inducing screams delivered by the one and only Mitch Lucker. The iconic line "Pull The Trigger Bitch" is repeated multiple times throughout the song before ending with one of the heaviest breakdowns in metal.

“My Final Breath, Swallowed by the Womb of Death”

Band: Lorna Shore

Song: “To the Hellfire”

Even after Lorna Shore became an internet sensation in 2021, "To The Hellfire" is still one of the most metal's most brutal and iconic breakdowns in recent years. Will Ramos's inhuman gutturals make the track a destructively heavy showcase of impossibly fast drumming and explosive guitar tones–making "To The Hellfire" possibly even the peak of modern deathcore.

"I Think I'm Gonna Die Here..."

Band: Chelsea Grin

Song: “Hostage"

In an equally ominous and hard-hitting finale, "Hostage" ends with Tom Barber screaming "I Think I'm Gonna Die Here" trailed by whispers before launching into one of the most memorable breakdowns of Chelsea Grin's discography. In the song's music video, there is also a pretty extreme showcase of blood, gore, and dark imagery.

"This Is Sempiternal"

Band: Bring Me The Horizon

Song: “Shadow Moses”

While it might not be the heaviest or craziest breakdown on this list, "Shadow Moses" has certainly earned a spot as one of the most iconic one-liners. "This Is Sempiternal" is a widely known vocal line particularly in the early metalcore days when it was a meme on social media as the line sounded a lot like "This Is Sandpit Turtle" without context.

Here's an example of memes that would circulate around in the past: