"Hard Core" (also written "hard-core," and "hardcore") is a generic term used to describe the most extreme, edgy, and intense portion of a given genre or fandom. "Hard Core" music can refer to one of two different types of music: an offshoot of Punk Rock known for its rebelliousness, screaming, and emphasis on edginess over quality, and a techno off-shoot characterized by fast tempos and the use of atonality and dissonance. In the Diablo series, "Hardcore" is the Self-Imposed Challenge Final Death mode for, well, hard core players.