Nicholas Roy Vasallo (born October 28, 1979) is an American composer. In 1997, Vasallo graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where he began his musical career as an electric guitarist and vocalist in a hardcore band called Y.F.H. (which later became Antagony). He has been credited as being the father of a genre of extreme metal called deathcore. Vasallo has since evolved from a rock musician into an award-winning composer and professor of music. He is best known for his compositions combining heavy metal sounds and aesthetics with experimental classical techniques. He has released three albums containing his compositions with different independent labels. His music is published by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and released by Innova Recordings. Vasallo is of Filipino and Taiwanese descent.