Nu metal
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| Nu metal | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Alternative metal, groove metal, funk metal, heavy metal, rap metal, hip-hop, grunge, thrash metal |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s, United States |
| Typical instruments | Vocals - Electric guitar - Bass - Turntables - Rapping - Drums - Programming - Beatboxing - Keyboards - Synthesizers |
| Regional scenes | |
| United States | |
| Other topics | |
| Bands - Family Values Tour - Projekt Revolution -Lollapalooza - Ozzfest | |
Nu metal is a genre of music that blends heavy metal elements with other styles, such as hip hop and grunge.[1]
Origins
The term "new metal" was first used for a review of a mid-October 1995 Coal Chamber concert in Spin magazine in the form "new metal".
Like the bands of its antecedent, funk metal, many nu metal bands came from California (such as Korn, Deftones and P.O.D.).[2]
Nu metal initially began with Korn's demo-tape, Neidermeyer's Mind, released in 1993. Korn's signature sound came from an attempt to emulate chords used by Mr. Bungle's guitar player Trey Spruance, which they referred to as "the moveable Bungle chord". They have also cited Mike Patton's other band Faith No More in Kerrang!'s The Greatest Videos of All Time in 2006, saying that Korn was influenced by them because they did something unusual with a metal band. Nu metal bands also often state more conventional metal acts as an influence, particularly Black Sabbath.[3]
Korn use 7-string guitars over traditional 6-string guitars. Steve Vai had originally introduced them onto the market for technical guitar players. Munky, the guitarist from Korn, was not a technical player so he decided to take the 7-string guitar in a different direction.[4]
Producer Ross Robinson was labelled by some as "The Godfather of nu metal" due to his producing of successful nu metal albums, such as Korn's first album.
Mainstream popularity
Nu metal's mainstream popularity came in 1998 with the success of Korn's third album Follow the Leader, which sold 9 million copies worldwide. The following year many bands began receiving airplay and were in heavy rotation on MTV. Bands whose albums became hits that year included Deftones, Coal Chamber, Limp Bizkit and Staind.
Many of the bands that formed the first wave of nu metal came out of the Los Angeles scene, many playing the same venues and all knowing of each other. That scene included Static-X, Coal Chamber, Snot and Spineshank. There were other bands from outside of L.A, such as Des Moines's Slipknot, Atlanta's Sevendust, Jacksonville's Limp Bizkit, Chicago's Disturbed, Phoenix's Soulfly and Lawrence Massachusetts' Godsmack.
Another contribution to nu metal's popularity was festival tours such as Family Values Tour, Lollapalooza and Ozzfest. The 30th anniversary of Woodstock also featured nu metal bands.
Through the turn of the century, more bands broke out like Linkin Park whose debut album "Hybrid Theory" became a platinum hit and Papa Roach whose major label debut Infest also became a platinum hit. Other bands like P.O.D. and Disturbed also had mainstream success. By 2001, nu metal reached its peak as record labels signed many nu metal bands. Though new bands were breaking out, established bands who helped start the genre had successful hit albums like Staind's Break the Cycle, P.O.D.'s Satellite, Slipknot's Iowa.
By 2002, signs that nu metal's mainstream popularity was dying down were apparent. Korn's long awaited fifth album Untouchables, Linkin Park's "Meteora" and Papa Roach's third album Lovehatetragedy did not sell as well as their previous albums. Nu metal bands became less played on rock radio stations and MTV began focusing more on pop punk and emo bands. Since then, some bands have changed their sound to hard rock or heavy metal.
Even though the genre hasn't been popular since the early 21st century, Japanese bands and musicians have nevertheless incorporated Nu metal elements into their music. Dir en grey's albums Vulgar and Withering to death have many Nu metal elements in them. Girugamesh is also known to have Nu metal elements in their music while songs like Break Down, Vermillion and Shojo A are some examples of their nu metal material, Other nu metal bands from Japan include Oblivion Dust, Back-on, Head Phones President, Maximum The Hormone, The GazettE, D'espairsray and MUCC. [citation needed]
Musical traits
Nu metal bands often feature aggressive vocals ranging from melodic singing, guttural screaming, and shouting from various forms of metal, hardcore punk, and like funk metal; rapping is sometimes used.
Korn's Jonathan Davis, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, Chevelle's Pete Loeffler, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, Taproot's Stephen Richards, Disturbed's David Draiman and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst have all cited Maynard James Keenan's signature style as their main influence, with Durst also calling the band Tool both his biggest musical influence and favorite band [5]. Mike Patton of Faith No More is also credited for vocally influencing nu metal. Linkin Park is also a type of Nu Metal that has impacted the world greatly.
Nu metal bass parts are often reminiscent of hip hop or funk grooves, and in some songs, slap bass technique is used to give the music a funk groove. The bass in nu metal is occasionally the driving force behind the music. Many nu metal bassists' use 5-string over a 4-string bass guitar.
Many nu metal bands feature a DJ for additional rhythmic instrumentation (such as music sampling, scratching and electronic backgrounds). Examples of nu metal DJs include Sid Wilson of Slipknot, Mr. Hahn of Linkin Park and DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit.
See also
References
- ^ allmusic
- ^ Iannini, Tommaso (2003). Nu Metal. Giunti. ISBN 8809030516.
- ^ Christie, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0380811278.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKsGpl6lgbk&feature=PlayList&p=5C01582172FDF350&index=0&playnext=1
- ^ Biography on Fred Durst's website
