Sadcore is a subgenre occasionally identified by music journalists to describe examples of alternative rock characterised by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies and slower tempos. The term is an example of use of the suffix "-core". It is a loose definition and does not describe a specific movement or scene. It is categorised by Allmusic's reference guide as music "by and for the depressed". Sadcore is synonymous with the term Slowcore, and both share the distinction of often being dismissed as a label by the bands they would describe.