Nu Metal

Nu metal is a derivative form of Alternative Metal emerging in the mid-1990s, emphasizing a 'bouncy', syncopated rhythmic approach built around groovy (often single string) riffs, and fusion aspects, most notably drawing upon Hip Hop. The sound of nu metal is characterized by the muddy rumble of its guitar sound, which is heavily distorted, often played on drop-tuned/extended-range guitars. Nu metal notably doesn't feature guitar-solos, which are often found in other Metal subgenres, the guitar instead utilized primarily for riffing. An emphasis is placed on the rhythm section of nu metal bands, nu metal bassists sometimes implementing Funk Metal-style slap bass. Nu metal develops on the vocal style eclecticism of alternative metal, with vocalists often alternating between screamed, rapped, sung, and sometimes even growled vocals. Due to its utilization of hip hop elements, and rapping, nu metal heavily overlaps with the Rap Metal style. Along with hip hop, nu metal draws upon a disparate range of other styles, including Post-Grunge, Electronic and Industrial Metal, among others. Nu metal's fashion is equally eclectic, drawing aesthetically from hip hop, rave, alternative, and other subcultures. Lyrically, nu metal ranges from morbid topics such as abuse, and neglect, to more palatable themes of angst and aggression. Nu metal largely originates from the Californian alternative metal scene, which was notable for its role in the genre-bending funk metal movement. Faith No More are cited as forerunners to nu metal due to their fusion approaches, most notably with their greatly influential Angel Dust record. Other bands are also noted for influencing the style, namely, rap metal group Rage Against the Machine, and Helmet, the latter of which credited as prototypical to nu metal's riffing style. The invention of the style, however, is attributed mainly to Korn, with their debut self-titled record, which utilized murky 7-string guitar riffs, and hip hop influenced instrumentation. The genre would bolster popularity throughout the latter-half of the 1990s, reaching its peak in popularity during the turn-of-the-millennium with such groups as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. Following its peak in the early-2000s however, the genre declined in popularity. Notable nu metal groups such as Linkin Park, Deftones, Papa Roach and Disturbed released material that distanced themselves from nu metal, instead fitting more generally under the Rock/metal genres. Nu metal's popularity was followed by the emergence of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, which was referential to more traditional metal styles, and Metalcore. Nu metal has however seen a contemporary resurgence, with modern metalcore bands like Tetrarch adopting elements of the style, a fusion that has been dubbed "nu metalcore".