Copy Editor
Maybe it’s just me, but I know that my For You page is full of musical mashups like “Last Christmas” by Wham! and “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit. I’m sure we’ve all heard the beginning of “Last Resort” by Papa Roach, too. It is pretty hard to miss someone yelling “Cut my life into pieces.” The more I go on social media, the more I see the mention of popular nu metal bands like Slipknot or Deftones.
You might know this as “older brother music,” but nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal, having components of heavy metal with other music genres like hip hop or rap. It gets its name from the introduction of new, hence the “nu”, elements from other music genres integrated into the music. This creates fresher sounds while still keeping aspects of heavy and thrash metal. This particular genre began in the mid 90s right here in California.
While bands like Korn have stood the test of time, there is still a lot of controversy around the genre. People continue to question whether or not this genre really falls under the metal category. The question is “Does nu metal really have metal components?” The short answer is yes.
Heavy drumming, distorted guitar riffs and power chords, harsh vocals, and low-range bass are all elements of metal, but they are also all very important to the nu metal genre. The only difference is that a song might not have one of these components because of its unique inclusion of elements from other music genres.
The two most altered parts of the music are the drumming and vocals. Many songs often may have lighter drumming to focus on the guitar and bass more heavily, or it is simply a little drowned out. But these differences mainly stem from the incorporation of rap and lighter vocals within the genre. Of course these elements don’t apply to every nu metal song, but they are common throughout the genre.
This genre gives those who are interested in listening to heavier music a great outlet, as it is very easy to find a band, or at least a few songs, that can cater to everyone’s niche preferences. Recently, it seems like more people have been dipping their toes into the nu metal pool. Deftones, System of a Down and Korn are all very popular bands within the genre, but they have slowly begun to rise in popularity once again among more than just the “metalheads.”
It wouldn’t be unheard of to hear that your friend who usually would listen to Lana Del Ray might be adding “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones into their repertoire. Maybe you want a hard hitting song then find yourself listening to “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed or “Psychosocial” by Slipknot.
Countless trending TikTok audios have the nu metal genre on the rise once again. It’s normal to see trendy dances on the app going only with a pop song, but who would have thought there would ever be a dance trend to “Rosemary” by Deftones, too?
While these bands may not be as popular as Harry Styles or Taylor Swift, many have absolute hits and millions of monthly listeners. The metal genre in general is very mainstream with bands like Metallica, but this niche subgenre has become more well known recently. Even my mom knows about Korn!
If you have never listened to any of these songs before, I highly encourage that you do. The nu metal community welcomes all with open arms!