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Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of
heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands develope ...
with elements of other music genres such as hip hop,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal bands have drawn elements and influences from a variety of musical styles, including multiple genres of heavy metal. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of technical competence; the genre is heavily
syncopated In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "plac ...
and based on
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
s. Many nu metal guitarists use
seven-string guitar The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range (usually a low B) or also to extend the treble range. The additional string is added in one of two different ways: by ...
s that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound.
DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
are occasionally featured in nu metal to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic backgrounds. Vocal styles in nu metal include
singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music ( arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or ...
,
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, screaming and growling. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal. Nu metal became popular in the late 1990s with bands and artists such as
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...
, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot and Kid Rock all releasing albums that sold millions of copies. Nu metal's popularity continued during the early 2000s, with bands such as Papa Roach, Staind, and P.O.D. all selling multi-platinum albums, and came to a peak with
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...
's diamond-selling album '' Hybrid Theory'', which became the best-selling rock album of the 21st century. However, by the mid-2000s, the oversaturation of bands combined with the underperformance of several high-profile releases led to nu metal's decline, leading to the rise of
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
and many nu metal bands disbanding or abandoning their established sound in favor of other genres. During the 2010s, there was a nu metal revival; many bands that combine nu metal with other genres (for example,
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
and deathcore) emerged, and some nu metal bands from the 1990s and early 2000s returned to the nu metal sound. Bands like Of Mice & Men, Emmure, Issues and
My Ticket Home My Ticket Home is an American heavy metal band formed in 2008 from Columbus, Ohio. They have released two EPs and three full-length albums. Their first three releases exemplified metalcore and hardcore punk, while 2013's '' Strangers Only'' mar ...
combined nu metal with metalcore or deathcore. Artists like Grimes, Poppy and Rina Sawayama integrated nu metal sounds into electronic pop music in the late 2010s and early 2020s.


Characteristics and fashion


Terminology and origins

Nu metal is also known as nü-metal and aggro-metal. It is a subgenre of
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
.
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
states that the early nu metal group
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...
"arrived in 1993 into the burgeoning alternative metal scene, which would morph into nü-metal the way
college rock College rock was the alternative rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream ...
became alternative rock." '' Stereogum'' has similarly claimed that nu metal was a "weird outgrowth of the Lollapalooza-era alt-metal scene". Nu metal merges elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, and alternative rock. Nu metal bands have been influenced by and have used elements of a variety of musical genres, including
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...
, funk,
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie ...
,
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
, punk rock,
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...
, new wave,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
, symphonic rock and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
. Nu metal bands also are influenced by and use elements of genres of heavy metal music such as death metal,
rap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and e ...
, groove metal, funk metal, and
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
. Some nu metal bands, such as
Static-X Static-X is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until hi ...
and Dope, made nu metal music with elements of industrial metal. In contrast with other heavy metal subgenres, nu metal tends to use the same structure of verses, choruses and bridges as those in
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
.


Musical characteristics


Instrumentation

Nu metal is heavily
syncopated In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "plac ...
and is based mostly on
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
s. Mid-song bridges and a general lack of guitar solos contrasts it with other genres of heavy metal. Kory Grow of '' Revolver'' wrote, "...  its efforts to tune down and simplify riffs, effectively drove a stake through the heart of the guitar solo". Another contrast with other heavy metal genres is nu metal's emphasis on rhythm, rather than on complexity or mood, often its rhythm sounds like that of groove metal. The wah pedal is occasionally featured in nu metal music. Nu metal guitar riffs occasionally are similar to those of death metal. Nu metal bassists and drummers are often influenced by funk and hip hop, respectively, adding to nu metal's rhythmic nature. Blast beats, which are common in heavy metal subgenres such as
black metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an em ...
and death metal, are extremely rare in nu metal. Nu metal's similarities with many heavy metal subgenres include its use of common time, distorted guitars, power chords and note structures primarily revolving around Dorian, Aeolian or Phrygian
modes Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine * ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
. While loud and heavily distorted electric guitars are a core feature of all metal genres, nu metal guitarists took the sounds of "violence and destruction" to new levels with their overdriven guitar tone, which music journalists Kitts and Tolinski compared to the "...sound fa Mack truck being crushed by a collapsing skyscraper." Some nu metal bands use
seven-string guitar The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range (usually a low B) or also to extend the treble range. The additional string is added in one of two different ways: by ...
s that are generally down-tuned, rather than traditional Likewise, some
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
ists use five-string and six-string instruments. in nu metal often features an emphasis on funk elements. In nu metal music,
DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
are sometimes featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic backgrounds. tends to have hip hop grooves and rhythms.


Vocals

Vocal styles used in nu metal music include
singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music ( arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or ...
,
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, screaming and growling. Vocals in nu metal are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop. While some nu metal bands, such as Limp Bizkit and
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...
, have rapping in their music, other nu metal bands, such as Godsmack and Staind, do not. Nu metal bands occasionally feature hip hop musicians as guests in their songs; Korn's song "Children of the Korn" features the rapper Ice Cube, who performed on the band's 1998 Family Values Tour. The hip hop musician
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...
was featured on Korn's song "Play Me", which is on the band's album '' Take a Look in the Mirror''. Limp Bizkit has recorded with multiple hip hop musicians including
Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half o ...
,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
, Xzibit, Redman,
DMX Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...
and
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
.
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...
collaborated with hip hop musician Jay-Z on their 2004 extended play '' Collision Course''. Kid Rock has recorded with hip hop musicians Eminem and Snoop Dogg. Trevor Baker of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' wrote, "Bands such as Linkin Park, Korn and even the much reviled Limp Bizkit ... did far more to break down the artificial barriers between 'urban music' and rock than any of their more critically acceptable counterparts."


Lyrics

Lyrics in nu metal songs are often angry or nihilistic; many of the genre's lyrics focus on topics such as pain, angst, bullying, emotional issues, abandonment, betrayal, and personal alienation, in a way similar to those of grunge. Many nu metal lyrics that are about these topics tend to be in a very direct tone. However, some songs have lyrics that are about other topics. P.O.D. have used positive lyrics about promise and hope. The nu metal song "
Bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * B ...
" by Drowning Pool is about moshing. '' The Michigan Daily'' wrote about Limp Bizkit's lyrics, writing that the band "used the nu-metal sound as a way to spin testosterone fueled fantasies into snarky white-boy rap. Oddly, audiences took frontman Fred Durst more seriously than he wanted, failing to see the intentional silliness in many of his songs". Limp Bizkit's lyrics also have been described as misogynistic. Dope's lyrics are usually about sex, drugs, parties, women, violence and relationships. In contrast, according to Josh Chesler of the '' Phoenix New Times'', the lyrics of Deftones, who were once considered a nu metal band, "tend to have complex allusions and leave the songs open to many different interpretations."


Fashion

Nu metal clothing typically consists of baggy pants, shirts, and shorts,
JNCO JNCO, short for "Judge None Choose One", is a Los Angeles, California-based clothing company specializing in boys' and men's jeans. History JNCO was founded in 1985 by Moroccan-born, French-raised brothers Jacques Yaakov Revah and Haim Milo ...
jeans, Adidas tracksuits, sports jerseys, baseball caps, baggy hoodies, cargo pants, and
sweatpants Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as ...
. Nu metal hairstyles and facial hairstyles include dreadlocks, braids, spiky hair, chin beards, bald heads, goatees,
frosted tips Frosted tips refer to a men's hairstyle in which the hair is cut short and formed into short spikes with hair gel or hair spray. The hair is bleached such that the tips of each spike will be pale blond, usually in contrast to the wearer's main ...
, and bleached or dyed hair. Common accessories in nu metal fashion include wallet chains, tattoos, and piercings, especially facial piercings. Nu metal fashion has been compared to hip hop fashion. Some nu metal bands such as
Motograter Motograter was an American heavy metal band formed in Santa Barbara, California in 1995. They are best known for their homemade, namesake instrument, designed with industrial cable and guitar pieces that creates a unique bass sound, and painti ...
,
Mushroomhead Mushroomhead is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1993 in the Cleveland Warehouse District, the band is known for their avant-garde sound and horror film-inspired imagery which features masks and costumes as well a ...
, Mudvayne, and Slipknot wear masks, jumpsuits, costumes, face paint,
corpse paint Corpse paint is a style of black and white makeup used mainly by black metal bands for concerts and band photos. The makeup is used to make the musicians appear inhuman, corpse-like, or demonic, and is perhaps "the most identifiable aspect of th ...
or body paint. A few nu metal bands, such as Coal Chamber, Evanescence, Kittie, and Jack off Jill are known for having
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
appearances.


History


1980s–1993: Precursors and influences

Many heavy metal, alternative metal, industrial, funk metal,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
, rap metal, and industrial metal artists and bands of the 1980s and early 1990s have been credited with laying groundwork for the development of nu metal by combining heavy guitar riffs with pop music structures and drawing influences from subgenres of heavy metal and other music genres; Faith No More, Primus, Helmet,
Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is an American hip hop band from Carson, California, consisting of the American Samoa Devoux brothers Paul (died 2020), Ted (died 2018), Donald, Roscoe, Danny (died 2022), David and Vincent. It is noted for its use of a liv ...
,
Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates b ...
,
Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...
,
24-7 Spyz 24-7 Spyz (pronounced "twenty-four-seven spies") are an American rock band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (born Wayne K. Richardson) (guitars), Rick Skatore (born Kenneth D. Lucas) (bass), Ki ...
, Hot Dawgz, Fishbone,
Biohazard A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bi ...
, Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves,
Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick ( guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. ...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
, White Zombie,
Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...
, Prong, Rage Against the Machine, and Ministry all have been highlighted as examples of this. Groove metal and
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
bands of the same period such as
Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
, Sepultura,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, Pantera, Slayer, and
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...
all have been cited as influential to nu metal as well. For example, Anthrax pioneered the rap metal genre by combining hip hop and rap with heavy metal on their 1987 EP '' I'm the Man'', which laid groundwork for development. Korn's lead vocalist Jonathan Davis said about Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, "if there was no Dimebag Darrell, there would be no Korn". In the 1990s, bands described as "neo-metal" by the author Garry Sharpe-Young emerged; these bands include Pantera, Strapping Young Lad, Machine Head, Biohazard and Fear Factory. Sharpe-Young wrote that these bands "had chosen to strip metal down to its raw, primal element" and that "neo-metal paved the way for nu-metal". Nu metal is often influenced by hip hop. Rappers
Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
and Ice Cube have been a big influence on nu metal pioneers Korn; guitarist
Munky James Christian Shaffer (born June 6, 1970), also known by his stage name "Munky", is an American musician best known as co-founder and guitarist of the nu metal band Korn. He has cited Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen, and Randy Rhoads as some of ...
said the band were trying to emulate the samples of Dr. Dre's 1992 album '' The Chronic''. Munky and fellow Korn guitarist
Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals ...
also said they tried to emulate samples by the hip hop group Cypress Hill. Both the Geto Boys and N.W.A. also have been a major influence on Korn. Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit has cited the hip hop group The Fat Boys as a major influence on him.
Shifty Shellshock Seth Brooks Binzer (born August 23, 1974), better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, is an American musician, best known for being a co-founder and front man of the rap rock band Crazy Town, known for their hit song "Butterfly". He has al ...
of the nu metal band Crazy Town cited
Run–D.M.C. Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
and Beastie Boys as influences. Josey Scott of the nu metal band Saliva cited LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A.,
Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D helped creat ...
, Doug E. Fresh, and
Whodini Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; J ...
as influences. Sonny Sandoval of the nu metal band P.O.D. cited hip hop groups Boogie Down Productions and Run–D.M.C. as influences. Linkin Park member
Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji Shinoda (; ja, 篠田 賢治, Shinoda Kenji; born February 11, 1977) is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and was the band's collaborative vocal ...
's hip hop influences include Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, N.W.A., and the Juice Crew. Chester Bennington, another member of Linkin Park, cited A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Run–D.M.C., Public Enemy, N.W.A., Beastie Boys, and
Rob Base Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock were an American hip hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Rob Base is the stage name of Robert Ginyard (b. 1967) and DJ E-Z Rock was Rodney "Skip" Bryce (1967–2014). They are best known for the 1988 hit " It Takes Two", ...
as influences. Beastie Boys are a hip hop music group that influenced nu metal. Hip hop group Run–DMC was one of the first groups to combine rap with rock, paving the way for nu metal.


1993–1998: Early development and rise

Joel McIver acknowledged Korn as the band that created and pioneered the nu metal genre with its demo ''
Neidermayer's Mind ''Neidermayer's Mind'' is a demo tape by American nu metal band Korn. It was produced by Ross Robinson and released in 1993. The demo is a rarity, but finished versions of the songs appeared on subsequent Korn albums. Background Before Korn ev ...
'', which was released in 1993. McIver also acknowledged Korn as the band that started the new wave of American heavy metal, which is a
heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands develope ...
movement that started in the 1990s. The aggressive riffs of Korn, the rapping of Limp Bizkit, and the melodic ballads of Staind created the sonic template for nu metal. The origins of the term "nu metal" are often attributed to the work of producer Ross Robinson, who has been called "The Godfather of Nu Metal" between producers. Robinson has produced for nu metal bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. Many of the first nu metal bands, such as Korn and Deftones, came from
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
; however, the genre soon spread across the United States and many bands arose from various states, including Limp Bizkit from
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, Staind from
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, and Slipknot from
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
. In the book ''Brave Nu World'', Tommy Udo wrote about the nu metal band Coal Chamber, "There's some evidence to suggest that Coal Chamber were the first band to whom the tag 'nu metal' was actually applied, in a live review in ''Spin'' magazine." In 1994, Korn released their self-titled debut album, which is widely considered the first nu metal album. Korn had experienced underground popularity at this time; their debut album peaked at number 72 on the ''Billboard'' 200. However, earlier the same year, P.O.D.'s album '' Snuff the Punk'' was also released, which was later recognized as the first nu metal album. In 1995, the band Sugar Ray released its debut studio album '' Lemonade and Brownies'', an album described as both funk metal and nu metal. In 1995, Deftones released their debut album '' Adrenaline''. The album peaked at number 23 on the Heatseekers Albums chart on October 5, 1996. Deftones also were temporarily controversial in 1996 when their vocalist Chino Moreno was blamed by TV news reports for a riot that occurred at the 1996 U-Fest festival. Deftones' 1997 album '' Around the Fur'' peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' 200 on November 15, 1997. Both ''Adrenaline'' and ''Around the Fur'' were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the summer of 1999. ''Adrenaline'' and ''Around the Fur'' were certified platinum by the RIAA in September 2008 and June 2011, respectively. Sepultura's 1996 album ''
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'' features nu metal elements that were considered influential to the genre, while ''Roots'' itself was influenced by Korn's self-titled debut album. Few bands were playing nu metal until 1997 when bands such as Coal Chamber, Limp Bizkit, and Papa Roach all released their debut albums. Attention through
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
's 1995 introduction of Ozzfest was integral to the launching of the careers of many nu metal bands, including Limp Bizkit in 1998. Nu metal began to rise in popularity when Korn's 1996 album '' Life Is Peachy'' peaked at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 106,000 copies in its first week of release. In 1997, Sugar Ray released its second studio album '' Floored''. The album achieved mainstream success very quickly and was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA on February 20, 1998. Although ''Floored'' is a nu metal album, the only song from the album that achieved chart success was the song "
Fly Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
", which is instead a
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
song. Although Sugar Ray continued to be extremely popular, the band abandoned the nu metal genre and became a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
band with its 1999 studio album '' 14:59''.


1998–2003: Mainstream popularity

In 1998, nu metal became one of the most mainstream genres of music when Korn's third album '' Follow the Leader'' peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, was certified 5× platinum by the RIAA, and paved the way for other nu metal bands. At this point, many nu metal bands were signed to major record labels, and were playing combinations of heavy metal, hip hop, industrial, grunge and hardcore punk styles. Hip hop artists
Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, ''Hooked'', ...
and Cypress Hill, along with heavy metal bands Sepultura, Primus, Fear Factory, Machine Head, and Slayer released albums that draw from the nu metal genre. In 1999, Korn's fourth studio album '' Issues'' peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA in one month. The album sold at least 573,000 copies in its first week of release. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, multiple nu metal bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit and P.O.D. appeared repeatedly on MTV's '' Total Request Live''. The
Woodstock 1999 Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock f ...
festival featured multiple nu metal artists and bands such as Korn, Kid Rock, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit and Sevendust. During and after Limp Bizkit's performance at the festival, violence occurred and people tore plywood from the walls during the performance of the band's song " Break Stuff". Several sexual assaults were reported to have happened during the festival; a rape that was reported during Limp Bizkit's performance, and
gang rape Gang rape, also called serial gang rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape in scholarly literature,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape: A Multidisciplinary Re ...
was reported to have occurred during Korn's set at the festival. Despite the incidents at the festival, Limp Bizkit's popularity and the sales of their then-recent album '' Significant Other'' were not affected. The album peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 643,874 copies in its first week of release, topping over one million sold in two weeks, and eventually being certified 7× platinum in 2001. ''Significant Other'' sold at least 7,237,123 copies in the United States. Other nu metal bands began to emerge or achieve mainstream popularity in 1999. Godsmack's self-titled debut album was released in 1998 and was certified 4× platinum. In April 1999, Kid Rock's album '' Devil Without a Cause'' was certified by gold by the RIAA. The following month, ''Devil Without a Cause'', as Kid Rock predicted, went platinum. Eventually, the album sold at least 9,300,000 copies in the United States and was certified 11× platinum. In 1999, Slipknot emerged with an extremely heavy nu metal sound, releasing their self-titled album, which was certified platinum in 2000 and 2× platinum in 2005. In a review of the band's self-titled album, Rick Anderson of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
wrote about Slipknot, "You thought Limp Bizkit was hard? They're the Osmonds. These guys are something else entirely." Anderson noted the death metal influence on the album. Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, noted by Anderson for his death metal-influenced drumming, said of Slipknot's music: "The roots are death metal, thrash,
speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. ...
, and I could go on and on about all those bands." In 1999, Staind's second album '' Dysfunction'' was released; the track " Mudshovel" peaked at number 10 on the
Mainstream Rock chart Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in ...
. ''Dysfunction'' was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2000 and 2× platinum in 2004. In 2000, Limp Bizkit's third studio album ''
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' is the third studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on October 17, 2000, by Flip and Interscope Records. Title The first part of the title is a slang term for the h ...
'' set a record for highest week-one sales of a rock album, selling over 1,000,000 copies in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
in its first week of release—400,000 of which sold on its first day of release, making it the fastest-selling rock album ever and breaking the world record held for seven years by
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, g ...
's '' Vs.'' ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' by Limp Bizkit was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA. That same year, both Papa Roach's second studio album '' Infest'' and Disturbed's debut studio album '' The Sickness'' were released. Both albums became multi-platinum hits. In 2000, P.O.D.'s album ''
The Fundamental Elements of Southtown ''The Fundamental Elements of Southtown'' is the third studio album and major label debut of Christian metal band P.O.D., released on August 24, 1999. It went on to become the band's first platinum album, peaking at No. 51 on the ''Billboard'' ...
'' went platinum in the United States and was the 143rd best-selling album of 2000. The album's song "
Rock the Party (Off the Hook) "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)" is a song by American Christian metal band P.O.D. It was released in August 2000 as the second single from their third studio album ''The Fundamental Elements of Southtown''. The music video for "Rock the Party (Off ...
" went to number 1 on MTV's ''Total Request Live''. At the turn of the millennium at the time, many nu metal bands performed at Ozzfest, including Kittie, Disturbed, Mudvayne,
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...
, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Otep,
Static-X Static-X is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until hi ...
,
Methods of Mayhem Methods of Mayhem is an American rap rock band formed in 1999 by Tommy Lee, who had temporarily quit his position as Mötley Crüe's drummer. History Lee formed Methods of Mayhem on the eve of his divorce from Pamela Anderson. The band's self- ...
, Taproot and Drowning Pool. Ozzfest was successful, with Ozzfest 2000, for example, selling out and having 19,000 audience members. During that same year, nu metal bands like Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit joined rappers like Eminem and Xzibit on Eminem's Anger Management Tour, which had sold-out concerts. Late in 2000, Linkin Park released their debut album '' Hybrid Theory'', which was the best-selling debut album by any artist of any genre in the 21st century. The album was also the best-selling album of 2001, selling more than albums such as ''
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in spor ...
'' by NSYNC and '' Hot Shot'' by
Shaggy Shaggy may refer to: People *Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer *Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse *Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspora ...
. Linkin Park earned a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for their second single " Crawling". Their fourth single, " In the End", was released late in 2001 and peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in March 2002. In 2001, Linkin Park's album ''Hybrid Theory'' sold 4,800,000 copies in the United States, making it the highest-selling album of the year. Linkin Park's album ''Hybrid Theory'' was certified 12× platinum (diamond) by the RIAA and sold at least 10,222,000 copies in the United States. In 2000, Godsmack released their second studio album ''
Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which m ...
'', which was certified double platinum. The album's title track peaked at number 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Both the album's title track and the song "
Sick of Life "Sick of Life" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on the band's second studio album, ''Awake''. "Accelerate Your Life" commercials In one of the recruitment advertisements, the beginning of "Sick of Life" plays in the backg ...
" have been featured on the United States Navy's television commercials. Crazy Town's debut album ''
The Gift of Game ''The Gift of Game'' is the debut studio album by American band Crazy Town. It was released on November 9, 1999 in the U.S. by Columbia Records. The album yielded the band its biggest hit to date with "Butterfly" which reached number 1 on the ' ...
'' peaked at number 9 on the ''Billboard'' 200, went platinum in February 2001, and sold at least 1,500,000 copies in the United States. Worldwide, the album sold at least 2,500,000 copies. Staind's 2001 album '' Break the Cycle'' debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with at least 716,000 copies sold in its first week of release, selling more than albums such as '' Survivor'' by Destiny's Child, '' Lateralus'' by Tool and '' Miss E... So Addictive'' by Missy Elliott. ''Break the Cycle'' by Staind was certified 5× platinum by the RIAA, with 4,240,000 copies sold in 2001 in the United States. Although the album featured nu metal tracks, a lot of the album showed Staind moving to a softer sound. Noting Staind's change in style to a softer sound, Tommy Udo of ''Brave Nu World'' wrote: "It's often said that nobody over the age of 24 could possibly like Limp Bizkit or Korn, but Staind are a more mainstream band and their songs are likely to appeal to a much bigger fanbase." In August 2001, Slipknot released their album ''
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
'', which peaked at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and went platinum in October 2001. Critic John Mulvey called the album the "absolute triumph of nu metal". P.O.D.'s 2001 album ''
Satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...
'' went and peaked at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200. P.O.D.'s popularity continued in the year 2002. On June 5, 2001, Drowning Pool released a nu metal album titled '' Sinner'', which features the song "
Bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * B ...
". The album went platinum on August 23, 2001 and its song "Bodies" became one of the most frequently played videos on MTV for new bands. "Bodies" went to number 6 on the Mainstream Rock chart. In 2001, System of a Down's album ''
Toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...
'' peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In July 2022, ''Toxicity'' was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA. System of a Down blended nu metal with occasional influences of
Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypri ...
, Greek music,
Armenian music The music of Armenia ( hy, հայկական երաժշտություն ''haykakan yerazhshtut’yun'') has its origins in the Armenian highlands, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, and is a long-standing musical tradition that encompass ...
, and jazz music, and the band featured political lyrics. In 2003, MTV wrote that nu metal's mainstream popularity was declining, citing that Korn's fifth album '' Untouchables'' and Papa Roach's third album '' Lovehatetragedy'' both sold less than the bands' previous releases. Korn's lead vocalist Jonathan Davis believed music piracy was the reason for the lower amount of sales of ''Untouchables'' compared to ''Follow the Leader'' and ''Issues'' because ''Untouchables'' had been leaked to the Internet more than four months before its official release date. MTV also wrote that nu metal bands were played less frequently on radio stations and MTV began focusing on other musical genres. MTV wrote that Papa Roach's third album ''Lovehatetragedy'' has less hip hop elements than the band's previous album ''Infest'' and also said that Saliva's 2002 album ''
Back into Your System ''Back into Your System'' is the third studio album by American rock band Saliva. It reached number 19 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) since its release. ''Back into Your Sy ...
'' has less elements than the band's 2001 album ''Every Six Seconds''. MTV also wrote that Crazy Town's second album ''
Darkhorse ''Darkhorse'' is the second studio album by American rap rock band Crazy Town, released on November 12, 2002. The album peaked at No. 120 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 164 in the UK. It sold less than 13,000 units in its first week. Crazy ...
'' had no hit singles and sold less than the band's previous album ''The Gift of Game''. MTV wrote that although Kid Rock's album '' Cocky'' had characteristics of the musician's 1998 album ''Devil Without a Cause'', ''Cocky'' song "
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
", which featured the style of Kid Rock's song " Bawitdaba", was not as popular as ''Cocky''
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
song "
Picture An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimension ...
". MTV also wrote, "Another cause for nü-metal and rap-rock's slip from the spotlight could be a diluted talent pool caused by so many similar-sounding bands. American Head Charge, Primer 55, Adema, Cold,
the Union Underground The Union Underground is an American nu metal band based out of San Antonio, Texas. Original band members included Bryan Scott, Patrick Kennison, John Moyer and Josh Memolo. They released one major label album, '' ...An Education in Rebellion' ...
, Dope, Apartment 26, Hed (Planet Earth) and
Skrape Skrape was an American heavy metal band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1997. History Formed in 1997 under the name "Jojo", they later renamed to "Skrape" two years later. Prior to their formation in 1997, members had been involved in notable act ...
—all of whom released albums between 2000 and 2001—left more of a collective impression than individual ones". Despite what MTV wrote, the RIAA certified Korn's album ''Untouchables'' platinum in July 2002, and one of the album's singles, " Here to Stay", received a lot of radio play and peaked at number one on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' twice. ''Untouchables'' sold at least 434,000 copies in first week of release and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200. However, ''Untouchables'' still did not sell as many copies as Korn's most commercially successful album, ''Follow the Leader''. Despite the MTV report that nu metal was declining, nu metal remained extremely popular with bands such as Linkin Park, Godsmack, and Evanescence. Linkin Park's remix album '' Reanimation'' was released in July 2002 and sold more than a million copies that year, which MTV described as "impressive for a remix album". Canadian newcomers Three Days Grace had also taken a turn in the spotlight of the genre with their hit single I Hate Everything About You peaking at number 4 on the Billboard rock charts during the summer of 2003. Evanescence's debut album '' Fallen'' was released in March 2003. Johnny Loftus of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
noted the nu metal sound of the album. ''Fallen'' Grammy Award-winning lead single " Bring Me to Life" peaked at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. In 2003, Linkin Park's album '' Meteora'' peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold at least 810,000 copies in its first week of being released. ''Meteora'' by Linkin Park and ''Fallen'' by Evanescence ranked third and fourth respectively on the best-selling albums of 2003. Both Linkin Park and Evanescence released high-charting singles throughout 2003 to ''Fallen'' by Evanescence was certified diamond by the RIAA and sold at least 7,600,000 copies in the United States and ''Meteora'' by Linkin Park was certified 7x platinum by the RIAA and sold at least 6,100,000 copies in the United States. That same year, Godsmack released their third studio album '' Faceless'', which peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA in its first five weeks of being released.


2003–2010: Decline in popularity

Most of nu metal's mainstream popularity sharply declined in 2003 and 2004. After a period of mainstream success with bands such as Godsmack, Linkin Park and Evanescence, nu metal declined in popularity. Limp Bizkit's 2003 album ''
Results May Vary ''Results May Vary'' is the fourth studio album by American rap rock band Limp Bizkit, released on September 23, 2003, through Flip and Interscope Records. It is the band's only release under the sole-leadership of vocalist Fred Durst after the t ...
'', which features alternative rock music and peaked at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200, with sales of at least 325,000 copies in its first week of being released. In three weeks of being released, the album had sold at least 500,000 copies. In 2004, Blabbermouth.net reported that, according to Nielsen SoundScan, ''Results May Vary'' sold 1,337,356 copies in the United States. However, the album garnered very poor critical reception and consequently performed much weaker than previous Limp Bizkit albums such as ''Significant Other'' and ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water''. Korn's 2003 album '' Take a Look in the Mirror'' sold less than previous Korn albums like ''Issues'' and ''Untouchables''. In 2004, 1970s and 1980s-inspired rock bands such as Jet and The Darkness were achieving mainstream success as the popularity of nu metal declined. During the the popularity of
emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
exceeded the declining popularity of nu metal. Also, during the
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
, a fusion of extreme metal and hardcore punk, became one of the most popular genres in the new wave of American heavy metal. In the mid-to-late 2000s, many nu metal bands experimented with other genres and sounds. Linkin Park's third studio album ''
Minutes to Midnight The Doomsday Clock is a symbol that represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, in the opinion of the members of the ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists''. Maintained since 1947, the clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity ...
'', released in 2007, was noted for its complete departure from the band's nu metal sound. Nu metal bands such as Disturbed and Drowning Pool moved to a different sound away from nu metal. Slipknot also departed from their nu metal sound and included elements of groove metal,
death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...
and
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
into their music. Staind and Papa Roach moved to lighter sounds. Staind's 2003 album '' 14 Shades Of Grey'' was significantly less heavy than previous albums and shows the band's departure from nu metal and a movement towards a lighter sound. Papa Roach abandoned the nu metal genre with their 2004 album '' Getting Away with Murder'', moving to a hard rock style. System of a Down released two albums in 2005, '' Mezmerize'' and '' Hypnotize''. Both did well commercially and critically, but the band took a more
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
approach to the two albums compared to their past three efforts. In 2005, Limp Bizkit released a record called ''
The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' is an EP by the American band Limp Bizkit, and their fifth major release overall. Released in 2005, it is the first release by the band to feature guitarist Wes Borland since he rejoined the group. He had le ...
'' without promoting and advertising the record. The album was not very popular; its sales fell 67% during its second week of release. In 2006, Limp Bizkit went on hiatus. In 2012, vocalist Fred Durst said: In 2004, the popularity of nu metal was gone, and metalcore replaced nu metal as the most prominent heavy metal genre with the success of bands like
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and A ...
and
Shadows Fall Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of Jon Donais (lead guitar, ...
. Other metalcore bands, including God Forbid, Unearth, Trivium, and Bullet for My Valentine, were also popular. Groove metal band
Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
also became successful in the heavy metal genre. Stephen Hill of '' Louder Sound'' called the rise of metalcore after the decline of nu metal "the metalcore revolution".


2011–present: Revivals and fusion with other genres

During the mid-2010s, there was a discussion within media of a possible nu metal revival because of bands fusing nu metal with other genres. Despite the lack of radio play and popularity, some nu metal bands recaptured some of their former popularity as they released albums in a nu metal style. Many
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
and deathcore groups such as
My Ticket Home My Ticket Home is an American heavy metal band formed in 2008 from Columbus, Ohio. They have released two EPs and three full-length albums. Their first three releases exemplified metalcore and hardcore punk, while 2013's '' Strangers Only'' mar ...
,
Stray from the Path Stray from the Path is an American hardcore punk band formed in 2001 in Long Island, New York. They have released ten full-length albums. Their first three records were independently released – ''People Over Profit'' in 2002, ''Audio Prozac'' ...
, Emmure, Of Mice & Men, Suicide Silence, and Issues, all gained moderate popularity in the 2010s and used elements from nu metal. This fusion has sometimes been referred to as "nu metalcore". Suicide Silence's 2011 album ''
The Black Crown ''The Black Crown'' (stylized as ''THE BLΔCK CRΦWN'') is the third studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence, which was released July 12, 2011 through Century Media Records. It is the final album to feature vocalist Mitch Lucker ...
'', which features elements of nu metal and deathcore, peaked at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2014, Issues' self-titled debut album peaked at number 9 on the same chart. The album features elements of metalcore, nu metal, pop and R&B. Of Mice & Men's 2014 album '' Restoring Force'', which features elements of nu metal, peaked at number 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200.
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon (often abbreviated as BMTH) are a British rock band formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group consists of lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls and keyboardist Jordan Fis ...
, often described as a
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...
band, released their fifth album '' That's the Spirit'', which peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200, in 2015. The album draws from multiple genres including nu metal and would experiment further with nu metal on their 2020 album '' Post Human: Survival Horror''. The band's keyboardist has described them as a nu metal band. A nu metal revival began in the mid-2010s, with groups like
Blood Youth Blood Youth are an English hardcore punk band formed in Harrogate in 2014. They have released three studio albums, two EPs and a short-form documentary produced by Kerrang!. The current line-up consists of guitarist Chris Pritchard, bassist Mat ...
,
Cane Hill Cane Hill Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Coulsdon in the London Borough of Croydon. The site is owned by GLA Land and Property. History The hospital has its origins as the third Surrey County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, designed by Charle ...
Sworn In Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to giv ...
,
DangerKids Dangerkids (stylised as DangerKids or dangerkids) is an American metalcore band formed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2012. The band's line-up consists of dual vocalists Andy Bane and Tyler Smyth, guitarist Alex Asch, bassist Jake Bonham and drummer Ka ...
and Islander. Within this movement, nu metalcore became increasingly prominent through the popularity of groups like
Vein.fm Vein.fm (formerly known as Vein) is an American hardcore punk band from Boston that formed in 2013. They are known for their frequent tours and have performed shows with groups such as Code Orange and Twitching Tongues while in Europe. In 2017 ...
, Loathe and Code Orange. According to ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...
'' writer Ethan Stewart, Code Orange's 2017 album ''
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
'' led to nu metalcore becoming "one of the most prominent flavors of contemporary metal". In contrast, ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...
'' writer Dannii Leivers cited the aforementioned groups as simplifying hinting towards a revival, instead claiming a revival began in 2021, "a crop of young revivalists... looking to put a brand-new spin on the music of their formative years", namely Tetrarch. In the mid–late 2010s, genres like emo rap and
trap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and ea ...
emerged. Electronic and art pop singer-songwriters incorporated nu metal into their sound in the late 2010s and 2020s. Poppy has incorporated nu metal on her albums '' Am I a Girl?'' and '' I Disagree'', Grimes on album ''
Miss Anthropocene ''Miss Anthropocene'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian musician Grimes, released on February 21, 2020. It marked her first album in over four years, since she released '' Art Angels''. It was officially announced on March 19, 2019. The albu ...
'' and Rina Sawayama on '' Sawayama''. The songs "
We Appreciate Power "We Appreciate Power" is a song by Canadian musician Grimes, featuring American musician Hana (American musician), Hana. It was released on November 29, 2018, billed as the lead single from her fifth studio album ''Miss Anthropocene'', however it i ...
" and "Play Destroy" were pioneering examples. Poppy has described this fusion as "nu-Poppy" or "Poppymetal". ''I Disagree'' received critical acclaim for this fusion, with single "Bloodmoney" nominated for the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, making her the first female solo artist to be nominated for the award in its history. Dorian Electra incorporated nu metal influences on their album ''
My Agenda ''My Agenda'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Dorian Electra, released on October 16, 2020. Promoted by the singles " Sorry Bro (I Love You)", "Give Great Thanks", "Gentleman", "M'Lady", "Edgelord", and the title track, ...
'', as did
Ashnikko Ashton Nicole Casey (born February 19, 1996), known professionally as Ashnikko ( ), is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. They rose to prominence with their 2019 single "Stupid" with (Yung) Baby Tate, which gained viral popularity on t ...
on ''
Demidevil ''Demidevil'' (stylized in all caps) is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko. It was released on January 15, 2021, through Parlophone and Warner Records. The mixtape was supported by four singles: "Cry" featuring ...
'', particularly on single " Cry". ''The Guardian'' noted that these mostly female artists have revived nu metal, a mostly male genre, and successfully adapted it to showcase a female perspective. Rina Sawayama said "metal itself lends itself to toxic masculine tropes, but it’s also almost taking the piss out of a very masculine expression of emotion”.


Criticisms and controversies

Despite its popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal has often been criticized by many fans of heavy metal music, often being labelled with derogatory terms such as "mallcore" and "whinecore". Gregory Heaney of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
called nu metal "one of metal's more unfortunate pushes into the mainstream". Lucy Jones of '' NME'' called nu metal "the worst genre of all time". In ''Metal: The Definitive Guide : Heavy, NWOBH, Progressive, Thrash, Death ... '', Garry Sharpe-Young described as "a dumbed-down and—thankfully short ived exercise". When
Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
moved to the nu metal genre with their album ''
The Burning Red ''The Burning Red'' is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Machine Head. It is the band's second best selling album in the US, selling as many copies in three years as their debut album, ''Burn My Eyes'', sold in almost eigh ...
'' and their vocalist Robb Flynn spiked his hair in the fashion of many nu metal musicians, the band were accused of "
selling out "Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal g ...
" and many fans criticized their change of appearance and musical style. Machine Head's drummer Dave McClain said, "Pissing people off isn't a bad thing, you know? For people to be narrow-minded is bad ... doesn't bother us at all, we know we're going to piss people off with this record, but some people hopefully will actually sit down and listen to the whole record". Robb Flynn, Machine Head's vocalist, said Jonathan Davis, the vocalist of Korn, spoke about the criticism of nu metal from heavy metal fans, saying:
Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
's vocalist Randy Blythe criticized the nu metal genre and spoke about its loss of popularity in 2004, saying: "Nu-metal sucks, so that's why that's dying off. And I think... people are ready for angrier music. I think people are ready for something that's real, not, you know, ' I did it all for the nookie.'"
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
frontman
Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth, as well as their sole consistent member. Mustaine has rele ...
said he would "rather have his eyelids pulled out" than listen to nu metal. Guitarist Gary Holt of
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...
and Slayer said that he "was so glad about" the decline of .


Criticism from musicians who inspired nu metal

Some musicians who influenced nu metal have tried to distance themselves from the subgenre and its bands. Mike Patton, the vocalist of Faith No More and
Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...
, tried to distance himself from the subgenre and criticized it, even though he is featured on the song "Lookaway" on Sepultura's album ''
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'', which is often considered a nu metal album. Patton said of his music's influence on nu metal, "I feel no responsibility for that, it's their mothers' fault, not mine". Helmet frontman Page Hamilton said, "It's frustrating that people write soff because we're affiliated with or credited with or discredited with creating and rap metal ... which we sound nothing like". Although Trent Reznor of
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
has said he knows some Korn members and that he thinks they are "cool guys", he also criticized nu metal, saying: In response to reports that Fred Durst, lead singer of Limp Bizkit, is a big fan of
Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates b ...
, the latter's vocalist
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusci ...
said, "If the lunch-lady in high school hits on you, you appreciate the compliment, but you're not really gonna start dating the lunch-lady, are ya?" While Durst has cited Rage Against the Machine as a major influence, Rage Against the Machine's bassist Tim Commerford is open about his hatred of Limp Bizkit, describing them as "one of the dumbest bands in the history of music". At the
2000 MTV Video Music Awards The 2000 MTV Video Music Awards (stylized as MTV Video Music Awards vma.00) aired live on September 7, 2000, honoring the best music videos from June 12, 1999, to June 9, 2000. The show was hosted by Marlon and Shawn Wayans at Radio City Music Ha ...
, Limp Bizkit won the Best Rock Video category for their song " Break Stuff", beating Rage Against the Machine's " Sleep Now in the Fire". When Limp Bizkit accepted their award, Commerford went on stage and climbed up a backdrop, rocking back and forth. After the incident, Commerford was arrested and spent a night in jail. Commerford said in 2015, "I do apologize for Limp Bizkit. I really do. I feel really bad that we inspired such bullshit ... They're gone, though. That's the beautiful thing."


Rejection of nu metal label from nu metal musicians

Some nu metal musicians have rejected the label nu metal and have tried to distance themselves from it. Slipknot prefer to distance themselves from other nu metal groups, describing their own music as "metal metal" and equate their link to nu metal as a coincidence of their time of emergence. Jonathan Davis has rejected the nu metal label, saying "We're not ' rap rock,' we're not 'nu-metal ... We might have invented a new genre of heavy music or rock, but I believe the term 'nu-metal' was made up for all the bands that followed us. Those guys to me are nu-metal. And we're just
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...
." In 2014, Davis spoke about the nu metal label, saying: Davis has since become more accepting of the term. In a 2019 interview, he remarked, "if we invented nu-metal then fuck yeah, cool. It’s pretty cool to say we helped invent some kind of movement, that’s pretty insane." Staind's vocalist Aaron Lewis rejected the nu metal label, saying, "if we get called a 'nu metal' band one more time, I don't even know what I'm going to do!" In 2003, Chino Moreno, vocalist of Deftones, rejected the nu metal label saying "We told motherfuckers not to lump us in with nu metal because when those bands go down we aren't going to be with them". As Deftones abandoned the nu metal sound of their early work, Moreno tried to distance himself from nu metal bands and began to criticize the bands and their albums, including Korn's 2002 album '' Untouchables''; he said, "As Korn go on, it's the same things—bad childhoods and mean moms. It gets too old after a while. How old is Jonathan avis Thirty? How long has it been since he lived with his parents?" (May 29, 2003) Davis responded saying, "Obviously, Chino hasn't listened to the words on the rest of my albums because they're nothing about my parents or my childhood." Moreno also said, "A big problem for me was opening for Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, two bands that wouldn't exist if it weren't for me, straight up!".
Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji Shinoda (; ja, 篠田 賢治, Shinoda Kenji; born February 11, 1977) is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and was the band's collaborative vocal ...
of Linkin Park spoke about the nu metal label in an interview with '' NME'', saying "We never held the flag for nu-metal—it was associated with frat rock. Arrogant, misogynistic, and full of testosterone; we were reacting against that."
Wes Borland Wesley Louden Borland (born February 7, 1975) is an American rock musician. He is best known as the current guitarist and backing vocalist of the rap metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock ...
of Limp Bizkit said that he "never liked or condoned" the term "nu metal" in any way, and said he does not understand "how so many bands that sound nothing alike can be put into" the nu metal genre. Mike Wengren of Disturbed said that he doesn't think Disturbed "were ever a nu-metal band to begin with".


Support and legacy

Jody MacGregor of FasterLouder called nu metal "music's most hated genre" conversely, he also wrote that nu metal is "not as bad as people think", praising several examples of the genre. Despite the fact that multiple nu metal musicians rejected the nu metal label, Limp Bizkit's vocalist Fred Durst defended it, saying "Nu metal let people open up and it meant something to people. It really did." Slipknot's vocalist Corey Taylor, also defended nu metal, saying "I’d like to think that that whole nu-metal wave was so important to that next wave of American heavy metal, to be honest." Coal Chamber's vocalist Dez Fafara also defended nu metal. He said he is proud to be associated with the subgenre and that nu metal bands "broke new musical ground" saying, "I think ' hair metal' was cheesy. utI think 'nu metal' was different. I think what's beautiful about 'nu metal' is it's different. And you've got so many different influences." (April 19, 2015)
The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...
vocalist
Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band th ...
praised nu metal, saying "I think it’s fantastic. I think the more people are cross-pollenating between different musical styles… it not only has musical implications but it has cultural ones as well." Chester Bennington of Linkin Park said he accepted the nu metal label, saying: Jack Porter of '' The Michigan Daily'' defended , writing


Association with heavy metal

In addition to criticizing nu metal, many heavy metal musicians have rejected nu metal as a legitimate subgenre of heavy metal, saying it is not "true heavy metal". Some nu metal musicians have tried to distance themselves from being heavy metal at all. For example, Korn's Jonathan Davis rejected the "heavy metal" label. When talking with '' Vice'', Davis spoke about Korn being called a heavy metal band, saying, "I never thought of us to be metal to begin with. Yeah, we're heavy and downtuned, but metal, to me, is like Judas Priest and
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...
. That's metal, man. I always thought of us as a
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
band. That funky, groovy shit." Godsmack's vocalist Sully Erna also rejected the "heavy metal" label and said he views Godsmack as a
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band. Though he was originally more tolerant of the concept, Linkin Park's vocalist Chester Bennington later expressed some disagreement with his band being labeled a heavy metal group because he felt the term limited the scope of the band's actual style. He elaborated:


See also

* List of nu metal bands * New wave of American heavy metal


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


They Did It All for the Nookie: Decibel Explores the Rise and Fall of Nu-Metal
- '' Decibel''
Heavy Metal Classifications: A History of Nu Metal
- Metal Descent

- ''
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''
Vintage Korn: Life Is Peachy At 20
-
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

`Numetal' Blends Hip-hop, Rock
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