Funk Metal

tagStarted 1985Peak 1989-1995Last big hit 2001

Located in 2 routes

Funk's slap-bass pocket meets metal's distortion: thick, popping basslines and syncopated riffs driven by down-tuned, palm-muted guitar crunch and double-kick punctuation. Vocals bark, rap or wail; grooves stay danceable even at high gain. Aggressive and rhythmic, it swings where pure metal stomps.

History

Crystallized in the late '80s as American bands fused Red Hot Chili Peppers' punk-funk with heavy guitar, led by Faith No More's 1989 breakthrough and Living Colour's hard-rock funk. Mr. Bungle, Primus and Infectious Grooves widened it; it fed nu-metal before fading mid-'90s as that scene took over.

Defining artists

Essential listening

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Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk_metal
  • https://www.allmusic.com/style/funk-metal-ma0000012061
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_No_More