Nu Metal

by Regan Joachim

What is nu metal? Nu metal is a sub-genre of alternative metal well known among the community. It is a combination of heavy metal with many other genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and many more. Nu metal is the more carefree version of metal that just does whatever it wants. Earlier bands, such as Anthrax, heavily influenced the rap element in these songs.

The term nu metal started in the 1990’s. The band that pioneered this new wave of metal is Korn. The group released their first album, called Korn, in 1994, which started the new sub-genre. Some bands that are lumped into this category don’t consider themselves to fit. A great example of this is Slipknot. The unfortunate timing of their debut album caused them to be in that genre. Other groups are very proud to be in this new wave, such as Limp Bizkit. This groups fashion and music is a staple for the community. The backwards red baseball cap and adidas the main singer wore are now greatly considered the style for nu metal.

A big reason nu metal is considered different from the genre is the small differences. In a lot of bands, for example, Incubus, their music contains more techno sounds than metal in general. Record scratches and electronics beats or noises are the main components of these. Another reason they are different is that nu metal features more comical or over exaggerated vocals. Such as System of a Down, Korn, and Disturbed. These bands frequently feature loud random shouting or a random string of noises. Korn is actually known for this in their songs. Nu metal songs also have a more raw sound to them. There are plenty of tracks that have almost unedited sounding instrumentals. Almost every nu metal band has these qualities.

If you are into metal or hard rock I highly recommend this sub-genre. The community is very kind and welcoming. If you are looking to listen to this type of music, I recommend these bands. System of a Down, Slipknot, Korn, Kittie, Deftones, and Linkin Park. There are hundreds of other bands to discover and it’s worth the time. If you enjoy hyper, loud, and quick music, I believe you’ll enjoy nu metal.