Nu Metal and Alternative Metal

Origin: Mid-Early 1990’s USA

Characteristics: Rhythmic, percussive, power-chord-oriented guitar playing; Groove-oriented drumming; Angry, angst-filled vocals (more so in nu metal); Clean, high-end production value

Typical Live Hand Gesture: 🖐

What is the appeal?: Self-indulgent fun; edgy, empowering percussive riffs; nostalgia, both for the music and in the music

As the fire of the thrash metal and glam metal movements subsided, allowing the mainstream spotlight to shift to the largely-Seattle-based grunge, a different movement emerged from California, filling the clubs of Los Angeles with a more down-tuned, groove-oriented, and overall angsty sound than anyone had heard yet. Bands like Korn, Deftones, System of a Down, and Coal Chamber all did away with the lead guitar theatrics of earlier extreme metal, and instead made music out of rhythmically-oriented power chord riffs, over groovy and even funky drumming that likewise didn’t make much use of the double-bass drumming used in thrash and death metal.

With its seven-string start-stop guitar riffs, groovy drumming, and hurt-sounding vocals, Korn’s debut self-titled album created a spooky, unsettling and angry atmosphere.

In an interview with LouderSound, Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara notes that “everybody had to sound different and look different to stand out.” This sentiment would be a defining aspect of nu metal, as most of the bigger bands managed to sound pretty different from one another, within those main defining sonic aspects of nu metal. While Korn created a haunting atmosphere, Deftones had a nostalgic edge to their music, System of a Down had a zany and bombastic sound, and Florida’s Limp Bizkit would completely embrace hip-hop influences.

Deftones’ early sound was raw, angry, and emotional, keeping a lot of the nostalgic feeling of their music that would persist as they expanded their sound beyond nu metal.
System of a Down’s early sound was zany and bombastic. The breakdown in “Suggestions” absolutely crushes.

Although nu metal is often thought of as a commercial, trendy genre, artists like Deftones had a lot of sincerity in their music, and Deftones as well as System of a Down would be better described as “alternative metal” later in their careers, as nu metal’s popularity faded, and as these bands expanded their sounds to be even more distinctive. Alternative metal is a style of metal that never really had its own scene, instead being used as a label to describe the music of later Deftones, SoaD, Faith No More, and even the music of the band Katatonia from around 2003 until 2010.

As early as 2000’s White Pony, Deftones had begun to expand their sound beyond nu metal, incorporating post-rock soundscapes and an even greater emphasis on nostalgic feelings.
Following the Toxicity era, System of a Down would also get more artsy in their music. Mezmerize and Hypnotize were largely devoid of nu metal’s edge, falling more loosely into “alternative metal.”
Faith No More’s Angel Dust is a definitive alternative metal album, featuring Mike Patton’s signature creative wackiness. You can hear the funk influence in the bass, as well.
Hailing from a completely different musical background – in death-doom metal and doomy alternative rock – Katatonia also produced what could best be described as alternative metal from 2003 until 2009, full of edgy power chord riffs and melancholic alternative songwriting.

Works Cited

Everley, Dave. “Revenge of the Freaks: the Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Nu Metal.” Metal Hammer Magazine, Louder, 19 Mar. 2020, http://www.loudersound.com/features/revenge-of-the-freaks-how-nu-metal-took-over-the-world.

“Nu Metal.” Rate Your Music, Sonemic Inc., rateyourmusic.com/genre/Nu+Metal/.