(ThyBlackMan.com) Nu metal was a wave in rock and metal that a lot of Black kids got in on during the late 90s and early 00s. I know many classmates and friends who were introduced to rock through alternative rock and nu metal. Throughout the 2000s, nu metal was included in soundtracks, video games, sports events—it’s highly likely that you’ve heard a nu metal song at some time.
What Exactly Is Nu Metal?
You could easily identify it among other modern rock of the period in that it was often louder and more aggressive than alternative rock around the same. Lyrics were more grounded in emotions (often negative), life, relationships, and—depending on the band—darker themes.
Musically, it’s in that space between hard rock and heavy metal and adds in influences from hip hop, funk, and so on. Bands that are usually included in this are Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Staind, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, and Papa Roach to name some of the heavy hitters under the label.
So, what is nu metal? It’s everything and anything. In the 1980s, glam metal blew up. Glam was mostly hard rock but there were some heavy metal bands in there and some of the heavier ones were lumped in there such as W.A.S.P, Lizzy Borden, and Skid Row.
Glam metal was a market term. Roughly anything could’ve been glam metal if it fit the image and the sound was close enough. Nu metal is similar. It’s a market term and any band with a metal-inspired sound, dark imagery, or dark/aggressive appearance was lumped in as nu metal.
And just like glam metal, nu metal ended up being derided because the worse parts of the fanbase was amplified. But we’re not getting into that. Plus few nu metal bands call themselves “nu metal.”
Nu Metal Appealed to Black Kids
It’s one thing for a song to catch your ear. That doesn’t mean you’re going to follow up and dive into an artist’s catalog of tunes. Nu metal was everywhere in the early 00s and a lot of Black metalheads today came in via nu metal. It was accessible metal that had hits that popped big during the twilight years of MTV being music-oriented.
While a lot of us heard Marilyn Manson and knew the hits, saw him interviews, and on Celebrity Deathmatch, he wasn’t for everyone. In nu metal there’s a cluster of bands who lean more towards the rap rock side of the wave and others who are more hard rock. There was a choice and many I’ve talked with and grew up rocked with the rap rock side.
Bands like Linkin Park, Limp BIzkit, P.O.D, and Rage Against the Machine appealed in part because they came off as more grounded as opposed to say Manson and Slipknot—which were more my speed. Also, there is the whole hip hop element.
Seeing a rock singer spit about oppression, injustice, society, and politics will hit harder if you’re already into hip hop than a guy screaming, wailing, and growling about the same stuff. There’s a level of familiarity but it’s in a new form and from an unlikely act.
As for the other end of nu metal, either you grew up around rock, you were open to new things and new sounds, or it was just always around in media. The thing is, it’s a trek from nu metal to heavy metal and there’s a ton of nu metal in between. Some of it is solid, most of it can be bad, and a little of it is good.
If you missed the nu metal boat, don’t fret! A lot of it was specific to the time. While thrash metal is a genre that could appeal to angry teenagers, nu metal was a wave specifically catered to the generation of teenagers who were just angry at most things—even of most of us weren’t.
I want to hear from you. If you were a kid of the 90s and early 00s or a metalhead in their 30s: did you have a nu metal period? If you’re not a metalhead or rock fan: did any of these bands ring a bell? Let us know in the comments!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.