Nu metal
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Nu metal (or aggro metal) is a controversial musical genre that fuses heavy metal music, hip hop and alternative rock. It sometimes bears some influence to hip-hop, because rhythmic innovation and syncopation are primary. Nu metal bands also feature aggressive vocals (either rapped, shouted, or sung), drop-tuned guitars that are clean or distorted, (with riffing similiar to the Seattle scene of the early 1990's) a funk-based rhythm section, and occassional DJ techniques such as turntables and sampling. Generally speaking, the emphasis is on either communicating feelings of angst and hostility, or motivating a crowd to move with the beat -- ideally, both at once. The popularity of such music in the late 1990s led to widespread negative associations with the phrase "nu metal", particularly due to commercialisation, and many nu-metal fans and artists reject the term, which has become almost an all-purpose musical insult. A related term, mallcore, is used similarly to dismiss aggressive music that is seemingly calculated to appeal to angst-filled young teenagers.
The genre is occasionally called "nü-metal," using the traditional heavy metal umlaut.
Definition
Beyond the pronounced hip-hop influence, nu metal has like most forms of heavy metal music proven somewhat difficult to define using common knowledge. Some fans and musicians have a firm concept of the genre and its constructs, but others reject such categorization as unnecessary, limiting or useless.
Some heavy metal fans do not consider nu metal a form of heavy metal music at all, arguing the genre is too diluted from what they consider "true" heavy metal. Nu metal guitarists, for example, typically forgo traditional metal guitar technique, such as soloing and often use riffs quite different from those most commonly associated with traditional metal. It is also not liked because of the lyrics that usually deal with what teenagers face and many metal fans feel that metal is about strength, not weakness. Other heavy metal fans, however, reject these arguments, citing rock music's long history of incorporating disparate elements--including jazz, experimental music and world music--out of curiosity or genuine appreciation for other musical genres. Some of the anti-nu-metal backlash might be due to the genre's significant mainstream success. In general, the rise of nu metal has caused severe divisions and remains the source of much animosity and debate among heavy metal fans.
While Deftones and Korn are typically cited as the genre's instigators, diverse alternative metal bands like Fishbone, Body Count, Urban Dance Squad, Faith No More, Suicidal Tendencies, Jane's Addiction, Helmet, Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool and others are also proclaimed as progenitors. Producer Ross Robinson, for example, was labelled by some as "The Godfather of Nu-Metal" due his producing of several notable Nu-Metal albums. Entertainment!, the 1979 debut from British punk rockers Gang of Four has been cited as an indirect infleunce. Critic Andy Kellman suggests that the album's "vaguely funky rhythmic twitch, its pungent, pointillistic guitar stoccados, and its spoken/shouted vocals have all been picked up by many."
Categorization of specific artists as "nu metal" is difficult, considering the widespread mistrust of the term among artists and fans alike, and the "edges" are fuzzy where nu-metal bleeds into other genres. In general, the artists in question are American bands that found their first success in the mid- to late 1990s. Immediately, other artists began shaping their sound to resemble the new groove-driven metal, and its influence is still felt today. For example, the American metalcore scene of the early 2000s owes much to nu metal, as do recent releases from artists like Metallica and In Flames.
The popularization of the genre
The birth of nu-metal could be pinpointed to the earliest Lollapalooza music festivals in the 1990's which increased the exposure of alternative metal bands who performed brands of metal and metal-influence music that had little to do with traditional genre approaches. The funk of Primus and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, the hip hop crossover of Rage Against the Machine and Fishbone, as well as the experimental rock of Tool have been mentioned numerous times by nu-metal bands who gained mass-media exposure at the end of the millenium.
Although Nine Inch Nails and Ministry are viewed more often as industrial rock or industrial metal, their presence has lived up as origin to industrial/techno-styled nu-metal bands that would appear later, such as Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Orgy, Dope, Static-X and Powerman 5000 (fronted by Rob Zombie's/Cumming's younger brother).
Grunge, Post-Grunge and Nu-Metal
After Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, the viability of other bands in the grunge scene would follow: Alice In Chains' appearances would be sporadic due to Layne Staley's reclusive (and eventually fatal) drug addiction, Soundgarden would record only one more full-length, "Down on the Upside", before splitting up the following year, and Pearl Jam would scrap the rainy bleakness of "Ten" in favor of more politically-focused rock songs, mostly taking form as a side-project with singer Eddie Vedder.
Perhaps more than any other musical definition, Grunge is the most recognizable ancestor of nu-metal; the quick jolts of distorted guitar chords, tortured vocals and lyrics of angst have found clear public display in signature nu-metal artists, including those with a reputation for initiating "hip hop" into their sound.
The most apparent offspring to Grunge is Post-Grunge, which is often quickly dismissed as nu-metal. Whether it is or isn't is a subject of debate or matter of opinion. However, arguments on both sides are usually valid.
Days of the New is perhaps the first post-grunge band with a sound that best defines the groups that would precede: Mostly acoustic riffs, and a less iconoclastic, more radio-driven mentality likelier to appeal to an older, mainstream audience. Creed, Nickelback and 3 Doors Down are nondebatable examples of post-grunge bands.
Others, such as Cold, Staind, and Puddle of Mudd have been seen as both, since the song paces are usually faster, the guitars are louder, and the consumer field is generally younger and usually a fan of what could comfortably be defined as "nu-metal".
Style
Themes
Specifically, lyrics of most nu-metal bands reflect on the stresses and mishaps of everyday life. Topics range from childhood alienation or abuse, socio-economic status and relationship/marital difficulties.
Drug use, particularly marijuana and heroin, is also touched upon, but usually in more celebratory or sarcastic manner. There is usually a fine line drawn for the latter, as a few prominent singers (and sometimes other band members) admitted to extremely hardcore drug addiction in the past and use music as "therapy" to denounce their days before recovery.
Political progressivism and activism is a least common item, but still noticable in many nu-metal bands, especially those that either influenced or started the genre in the late 1980's/early 1990's. More often, this is usually discussed candidly rather than in songs.
Vocals
In the 1990s, many bands began to mix rapping and other new techniques with traditional heavy metal guitar and drum sounds. As a result, fans and music journalists needed to differentiate between the more traditional heavy metal music and this "new breed" of bands who were using samples, DJs, raps and drum machines in a way that made their music distinct. "New metal" evolved into the trendier spelling "nu metal," and a genre was vaguely defined.
Nevertheless, some distinction is usually maintained between bands that use rapping vocals, and those that dont. Bands featuring rap vocals are sometimes loosly called Rap Metal -- with a minimum of other styles. Rapcore is term used by fans to depict a combination of singing, screaming, and/or rapping (for example, the vocals of Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park). Furthermore, some nu metal artists use no rapping at all.
Tool has been a recognizable origin for some nu-metal vocal styles, if not nu-metal in general. Although dedicated fans distance the band as "different" and "progressive" compared to other popular rock acts, Chevelle's Pete Loeffler, Inner Surge's Steve Moore, Taproot's Stephen Richards and even Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst have cited Maynard James Keenan's signature "drone" style as an influence.
While traditional heavy metal was very much guitar-based, with intricate guitar solos and complex riffs forming an important part of most songs, nu metal generally emphasizes the guitar as a rhythmic instrument. The riffs often consist of only a few different notes or power chords played in rhythmic, syncopated patterns. To emphasize this rhythmic "pulse," nu metal guitarists generally make liberal use of palm muting, a technique which itself blurs the boundary between melodic note and rhythmic attack.Unlike classic eighties thrash however, these palm mutes are widely spaced out and blend easily into the surrounding riffs. Another common tactic is the use of de-tuned strings (in drop-D or lower, sometimes adding a seventh string) whose lower pitch creates a thicker, more resonant sound. Finally, many nu metal guitarists occasionally use natural harmonics. The opening riff of Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" is a representative example of many of the above techniques. Guitar solos are generally not part of nu-metal songwriting, though there are exceptions, such as Adema, Inner Surge, Saliva and System of a Down. Some consider these more like melody lines for their short length. Another aspect of nu-metal guitar work is the use of electronic effects. Usually outboard effects pedals are manipulated to enhance simple single note riffs or add to simple to play chord riffs. Luminaries of nu metal such as Korn, Deftones, and Limp Bizkit have all utilized this tactic in their work. Helmet has been cited as one of the biggest nu metal guitar influences, along with Machine Head (band), Prong and Fear Factory. These bands, however, are believed by some, to not be nu metal bands.
The speed and skill of a bassist in Traditional Heavy Metal plays a large part of outcome in the band's sound, complementing percussive tempos (and occasionally the guitar riffs) to add a strong rhythm to the tone.
In nu-metal, however, the bass is often the star, with guitarwork only acting as a sample in the case for more "hip-hop geared" nu-metal.
Although the nu-metal "bass line" is hard to classify, the "slap style" style made popular by Michael Balzary, Billy Gould and Les Claypool would be forefront in the styles of latterday bassists like Justin Chancellor, Reginald Arvizu and Sam Rivers, who would follow in becoming influences themselves.
The nu-metal bass is also slower than Tradional Heavy Metal, strutting a funkier, louder sound that would arguably compete with the presence of the band's vocalist.
Nu-metal drummers usually consist of basic 4/4 beats (some say this could be from the hip-hop influence) but often reach beyond traditional heavy metal patterns for more syncopated beats, such as Eastern dance rhythms (as played by John Dolmayan of System of a Down), jazz drumming, and the complex breakbeats of hip-hop.One of the most important aspects of nu-metal drumming, and the music in general is that tempo rises above the estabilished 'alternative' midtempo range. This is an almost universal rule with the Slipknot and System of a down being the rare exceptions. Also, many notable nu-metal bands feature a DJ who provides sampled "beats" and other effects. Two of the more famous nu-metal DJs are DJ Lethal and Joe Hahn, the latter of Linkin Park.
List of nu-metal bands
A large list has been made of the most notable nu metal bands, List of Nu metal musical groups.