Nu Metal
tagStarted 1994Peak 1998-2003Last big hit 2011
Located in 2 routes
Downtuned, syncopated seven-string riffs and bouncy, hip-hop-informed groove over scratch turntables and detuned bass. Vocals swing between angsty rap-rhyme, melodic singing, and guttural screams. Choruses are huge, lyrics confessional and aggrieved. Production is thick and percussive, often dropping conventional guitar solos for rhythmic chug.
History
Korn's 1994 debut fused detuned dread with hip-hop swing, codifying the sound. Deftones, Limp Bizkit, and Slipknot expanded it before Linkin Park's 2000 Hybrid Theory took it multi-platinum worldwide. It dominated MTV and rock radio around 2000, drew critical backlash, then receded, but staged a streaming-era nostalgia revival in the 2010s and 2020s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- AllMusic (Nu Metal style)
- Wikipedia (Nu metal)
- Rolling Stone
- Kerrang!