Image: Korn [Tim Saccenti]
In the late '90s and early 2000s, bands sporting oversized hoodies and baseball caps dominated the global music charts and shaped an entire generation. After the sound quieted down for a while, the genre is currently experiencing a massive resurgence. We take a look at the ultimate pioneers of the scene, look at legends who have evolved, and check out the newcomers from the crossover sector. You definitely need to have these 10 nu metal bands on your radar!
1. Korn
The undisputed forefathers of the genre. When Korn released their self-titled debut album in 1994, they single-handedly laid the foundation for nu metal. With the down-tuned 7-string guitars of Munky and Head, Fieldy's unmistakable slap bass, and the deeply emotional, often dark lyrics of frontman Jonathan Davis, they created a completely new, unsettling sound. Korn brought their sound to the radio and remain one of the most influential metal bands in the world to this day.
2. Slipknot
Brutal, chaotic, and absolutely groundbreaking: Slipknot took nu metal to a whole new level of aggression in the late '90s. With nine masked members, additional percussion madness, and razor-sharp DJ scratches, the crew from Iowa took the music world by storm. Albums like their self-titled debut (1999) and Iowa (2001) are absolute milestones of heavy music. Even though their style shifted towards more melodic directions over the years, the unfiltered power of their early nu metal days remains unmatched.
3. Linkin Park
If there is one band that managed to make nu metal immortal in the global mainstream, it’s Linkin Park. Their debut Hybrid Theory (2000) and its successor Meteora (2003) are among the most successful and influential albums of the millennium. The interplay of Mike Shinoda's precise rap parts, the emotional screams of Chester Bennington, and the electronic beats of DJ Joe Hahn defined the sound of a generation. In later years, the band took significantly more experimental rock and pop paths, but their early milestones remain the ultimate anthems of the genre.
4. Limp Bizkit
Nobody embodies the party and crossover attitude of the genre as perfectly as Limp Bizkit. Led by ultimate showman Fred Durst with his legendary red baseball cap and backed by the brilliant riffs of guitar-chameleon Wes Borland, the band delivered hit after hit. Tracks like "Break Stuff," "Rollin'," or "My Generation" remain the ultimate demolition guarantees at any festival worldwide to this day. Limp Bizkit brought the hip-hop groove into the mosh pit like no other band.
5. System Of A Down
We have to look a bit closer stylistically here: labeling System Of A Down purely as nu metal would hardly do justice to their musical uniqueness. The combo surrounding frontman Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian mixes alternative metal with Armenian folk tones, avant-garde tempo changes, and progressive elements. And yet: since they celebrated their global breakthrough around the turn of the millennium in the wake of the massive nu metal wave, their name is permanently linked to this era. With their politically charged lyrics and unforgettable rhythms on masterpieces like Toxicity (2001), they have firmly etched themselves into the DNA of the alternative music scene.
6. Deftones
Deftones are considered the thinkers and aesthetes of the movement. Their early masterpieces Adrenaline (1995) and Around the Fur (1997) were raw, unpolished nu metal—characterized by heavy riffs and Chino Moreno's unmistakable shift between whispering and screaming. But the band evolved at lightning speed: by White Pony (2000), they completely shattered genre boundaries, combining their heavy foundation with atmospheric shoegaze and post-punk elements. Even though they outgrew classic nu metal early on, their influence on the modern scene remains titanic.
7. Papa Roach
"Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort!"—just about every music fan can probably sing this line in their sleep. With their major-label debut Infest (2000), Papa Roach catapulted themselves right into the spearhead of the movement. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix perfectly combined fast rap vocals with extremely catchy melodies back then. Over the years, the Californians evolved more towards alternative and arena rock, but live, their old-school nu metal bangers still trigger absolute ecstasy.
8. Bring Me The Horizon
The perfect bridge to the modern era: over the course of their career, Bring Me The Horizon have evolved from the deathcore underground into the absolute innovation leaders of the global rock scene. By the time of Sempiternal, Oli Sykes and co. had given nu metal a shiny, modern coat of paint. Even today, their tracks fuse massive walls of guitars with hyper-modern electronic beats, pop hooks, and cyberpunk vibes—a sound rooted in the crossover subgenre "nu-core," proving just how fresh the genre can sound.
9. Loathe
If you love the atmospheric yet tons-heavy vibe of the Deftones, you absolutely cannot skip Loathe. The Liverpool combo is considered one of the most exciting and visionary figureheads of modern alternative metal and nu-core. With their masterpiece I Let It In and It Took Everything (2020), they completely turned the scene upside down, perfectly mastering the balancing act between dreamy shoegaze melodies and brutal breakdowns. It’s no coincidence that Deftones frontman Chino Moreno himself is a major fan.
10. thrown
When talking about the hottest trends in modern crossover, there's no way around thrown. The Swedish combo has developed into an absolute phenomenon in record time. Their sound is the modern definition of nu-core: ultra-short, extremely aggressive tracks, brutal vocals, and an incredibly heavy groove inspired by the rhythms and riffs of classic nu metal. An absolute must-check for anyone who wants to feel the modern, uncompromising evolution of the genre.
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