What defines Nu-Metal?

[DeKay]

I've been wondering a bit about this for a while because I noticed no matter what riff you play (even if its doom metal oriented or something else) as soon as the drums play a "hiphop" kind of beat with alot of groove behind it people seem to call stuff nu-metal. Same for slap bass and calling music "korn copy".

I think the main perception of nu-metal comes from groove drumming and how it influences the whole sound of a song, what do you guys think?

 

[mb_777]

Down-tuned, simple riffs, angst, hip-hop/rap influence (particularly vocals - e.g. Durst, David, even Taylor, do some of this), 'pop' song structures, groove.

It's a lot of stuff, and different 'nu' bands have very different sounds... but these are a few ideas.

 

[DarkWolfXV]

Slap bass, hip hop beats and dissonant Korn "Blind"-ish chords are parts of nu metal. Though, if someone says you play nu metal just because of these elements then slap him in the face. Full-on nu metal is rap vocals, angsty melodramatic kinda spoken word vocals, down tuned guitar riffs, clanky bass, overall very percussive sound plus the elements I pointed out before like slap bass etc. Overall very groove oriented and little metal riffs. You can have some of these elements and not be nu metal. Its more about sum of the parts. Someone could say your music is nu-metal influenced, though, but slap bass and groove dont necessarily come from nu-metal. It depends on how you use it.

 

[mgh]

nu-metal (noo me-tal) n. crap; rubbish; waste-of-7-strings

 

[canuck brian]

Stuff produced by Ross Robinson.

 

[RV350ALSCYTHE]

Pop fed through an angry teen filter.

 

[Louis Cypher]

I love nu metal. I said it. Not trendy or cool to say that (see the couple of "hilarious" posts above)

In all honesty I'm not sure why your asking what defines Nu Metal, are you trying to avoid the label of being Nu Metal? Are you looking to BE Nu Metal with your writing style? Or you just asking a general question? Coz if its the 1st or second reason then I would say forget it, just do what your doing and make the best music you can, someone wants to call it Nu Metal or Fudge Step Metal or Classical Baroque Renaissance Metal with a funk twist let em, long as you are doing the kind of music you love and enjoy then your doing the right thing

As serious answer to the OP though I would say it depends whether you mean the original bands who got called Nu Metal in the beginning or the bands that made it once the record companies realised there was serious money to be made if they could make the Nu Metal Formula so they could then mass producing it and flood the market....

Deftones and Korn are both original Nu Metal bands but to me they are two totally different sounds and two totally different bands that just happen to be tagged Nu Metal coz there was no other label around at the time they could be pigeon holed in to coz the sound was like nothing any one had heard before.... And love em or hate em, Limp Bizkit sound nothing like Korn or Deftones, but they are Nu Metal too, so it takes all sorts tbh....

If you wanna formula for it, check out Linkin Park/Evanescence/HedPE/Crazy Town and the rest of the band wagon jumpers they are the reason Nu Metal gets such a slating and is such a dirty metal genre to say you like....

 

[Marv Attaxx]

- Rather simple, groove-orientated Metal
- generally down-tuned
- most is written in common time
- guitars and bass usually play unisono
- solos are rather uncommon
- those guys love dissonant chords
- many many Guitar FX, large pedal boards
- open to other influences/genres (especially hip hop and rap but also industrial and electronic music in general)
- lyrics are usually about everyday's problems and political themes
- closer to grunge in mindset than to metal, same structure as most grunge songs (rather quiet verse, loud chorus and a bridge that's working towards a crescendo which usually leads into the chorus again (or a breakdown))
- both clean singing and screaming
- other than that nu metal bands sound quite different. KoRn sounds different than Linkin Park, the Deftones don't sound like Slipknot, Limp Bizkit does not sound like System Of A Down etc.

 

[coffinwisdom]

Corey Taylor definitely used to rap



Step up, fairy
I guess it's time to bury your ass with the chrome
Straight to the dome
You heard that right, bitch, I didn't stutter
If you know what's good - sit, shut up and beg, brother
Backstab - Don't you know who you're dissin'?
Side swipe - we know the ass that you're kissin'!

 

[coffinwisdom]

For what it's worth my brother's band toured with a new band that considers themselves nu-metal

They're actually pretty sick

 

[BrailleDecibel]

I'm with Louis Cypher, why hate on nu-metal? Good and bad music is subjective, what may be an unlistenable din to one person could be what another person is cranking in their car, headbanging along to, and loving every second of it. Also:

nu-metal (noo me-tal) n. crap; rubbish; waste-of-7-strings

They may not have invented the 7-string, or used it to it's "full capacity" or whatever the hell people like to bash on nu-metal guitarists for, but the next time you're out to buy a 7-string, get a load of the selection, color options, brand options, pickup options, and pretty much anything else. None of that would be available without those bands "wasting 7-strings". Just my 0.02.

Edit: Holy shit, My Ticket Home kicks ass! Thanks for posting that, ZMD!

 

[Lifestalker]

My favorite "nu-metal".



Can't forget these guys either. Takes me way back! lol

 

[Rick]

nu-metal (noo me-tal) n. crap; rubbish; waste-of-7-strings

So because maybe most "nu-metal" bands don't use all 7 strings, that makes it a waste? Good attitude to have.

 

[mgh]

So because maybe most "nu-metal" bands don't use all 7 strings, that makes it a waste? Good attitude to have.

no sense of humour? that's very nu-metal too...

 

[Fat-Elf]

Can't forget these guys either. Takes me way back! lol

Wow, Pulse Ultra. I never really thought they were that nu-metal but great band anyway. Kept listening Build Your Cages all the time in Need For Speed Hot Pursuit II back in the day.

 

[metaljohn]

I love Nu Metal.

 

[Obsidian Soul]

Nu-metal could also be applied to a certain fashion. Most nu-metal bands I've seen dress like they should be a hip-hop artist or they'll have baggy clothes and/or dreads. Actually, that could be a stereotype...

 

[Unjustly-Labeled]

Nu metal is the single most nebulous musical label I know about. It's what the TRVE METULZ crowd called every band that wasn't metal enough during the 90s. For example, Slipknot is closer to deathmetal than most of the deathcore genre has ever been, but Slipknot was still labeled as nu metal by a lot of people.

The problem seems to be that no two people can seem to agree about just what nu metal actually is. Some say Limp Bizkit, some say Korn, some say Linkin Park or whatever but none of those bands are actually similar.

So nu metal is essentially anything released with distorted guitars between 1993-2005 that wasn't TRVE METAL.

 

[no_dice]

Don't forget the standard nu-metal stage movements, such as:

- hunching over at the waist, bobbing up and down like a drinky bird
- holding your guitar with the headstock pointing straight up, while making a confused face (especially during quiet/clean parts)
- spinning around and bringing your leg back until your heel touches your butt
- the Fred Durst (leaning forward, hands on your knees, bouncing up and down)

(just to be clear, I like nu-metal )

 

[Fat-Elf]

Don't forget the standard nu-metal stage movements, such as:

- hunching over at the waist, bobbing up and down like a drinky bird
- holding your guitar with the headstock pointing straight up, while making a confused face (especially during quiet/clean parts)
- spinning around and bringing your leg back until your heel touches your butt
- the Fred Durst (leaning forward, hands on your knees, bouncing up and down)

Djent stage moves:
-stand completely still while trying to play your complicated guitar parts (don't forget the concentrated/bored face)
-leave the stage in shame when your MacBook crashes