Originally Posted by LOLPOCALYPSE

One reason I have the capacity to enjoy metalcore is that I do enjoy the clean/harsh vocal dynamic. Vocals are generally the deciding factor for whether I like a band or not, which is generally reflected in the bands I listen to. Some of the older extreme metal genres lose points for me because of unintelligible vocals, as well as the shrieks in black metal that I find monotonous. I also don't like the "heaving" type growls from Machine Head. Not to say I have a problem with these styles, I just prefer vocalists with a wider range of abilities. Not all, but many metalcore acts fit this, and those that don't are able to make up for it with excellent musicianship elsewhere (I like the vocals of BTBAM, but how can the rest be ignored even if the vocals sucked?). Lyrics also play a big part for me, which is where bands like KSE lose points for me with their most recent album. One other factor I look at is ability to perform live. Even though I don't like Machine Head's vocals, the band gains points for me because Flynn can at least reproduce live.
Sure, metalcore bands sound similar to one another for the most part, but that makes sense. They are part of a subgenre after all. There are always ones that stand out and sound better though, which is why I think it is unfortunate that the metalcore label causes them to be overlooked. A band like BTBAM stands no chance at being acknowledged by elitists who don't give them a proper listen due to the metalcore label (although to me they sounding closer and closer to mathcore).
As for the topic of old school versus new school, I think that people tend to let pre-conceived notions get in the way. My barber and I talk about music a lot when I go to see him (for reference: he is in his 40's, enjoys old death metal and thrash the best, his favorite band is Sepultura, he has a master's degree in classical guitar, one of his friends is a member of Zero Boys--a pioneer of hardcore punk with a large underground following). You would think that someone with his background would prefer old school metal, but actually he doesn't. He absolutely detests grindcore for instance, saying half of grindcore fans like grindcore so that they can say that they like grindcore. But he also enjoys black metal. And the real shocker--he enjoys newer acts, even citing *gulp* Static-X and Disturbed as some of his favorites. His son enjoys a band called Necrophagist (not to be confused with Necrophagia). In case you didn't already know, a necrophagist is someone who eats corpses. While my barber said he loved the intricate guitar, he could not put any effort into listening to them because of the type of lyrics they have.
Basically, the point of all this is that everyone has their own preferences that determine their favorite music. From the month or two that I have been a part of this forum, I have noticed a lot of unnecessary negativity towards newer acts and genres. Some people even claim to "know" that certain music is bad, while in truth, music is about as subjective as a favorite color. While certain aspects can be measured, such as technicality, it all comes down to preference.