How are you?
Following the last week, I am going to
start my 72nd lecture.
The topic for this week is “Nu metal”,
the 11th theme of “The History of Rock”.
This lecture is a summary of the
contents of “72. History of Rock Music: 11. Nu metal” introduced on December 10,
2016.
“Nu metal” is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines heavy metal with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, and grunge. Nu metal is based on guitar riffs instead of guitar solos, and many nu metal guitarists use down-tuned seven-string guitars for a heavier sound. Sometimes DJs are joined in nu metal to add sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music.
Nu Metal is one of the major genres of “New Wave of American Heavy Metal”. In contrast to many heavy metal’s subgenres, female musicians participates in nu metal. The Kittie is one of all female bands and there are also bands in which at least one female member participated, such as Coal Chamber and Otep.
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| Otep |
Some nu metal bands, such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin’ Park, even use rap in their music. Many of the lyrics of Nu Metal are about rage or nihilism, and Drowning Pool's nu metal song "Bodies" is about moshing. Nu metal bands sometimes join hip hop musicians in their songs. The Korn's song "Children of the Korn" was accompanied by rapper Ice Cube, and the Linkin’ Park collaborated with hip hop musician Jay Z in their album “Collision Course” released in 2004.
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| Limp Bizkit |
Korn, who released "Neidermayer's Mind" in 1993, is considered a pioneer of nu metal, and Korn's same title album released in 1994 is considered the first nu metal album. Korn's aggressive riff, Limp Bizkit's rapping and Staind’s melodic ballad created a musical template of nu metal.
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| Korn, Korn (1994) |
The year of 1998 is a period when Korn's
third album “Follow the Leader” topped the Billboard 200 chart and opened the
way for other nu metal bands, and the year is considered the first year when Nu
Metal entered the mainstream.
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| Korn |
Nu Metal's popularity lasted until the
early 2000s with Papa Roach, Staind and P.O.D., and peaked in popularity with
Linkin’ Park's hit album "Hybrid Theory". However, in the mid-2000s,
its popularity declined due to the overflow of the number of bands and the
decrease in performances of popular bands, and many of the bands surviving in this
genre abandoned Nu Metal and turned to other genres.
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| Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park (2000) |
The 2010s were the period, showing the possibility of nu metal’s revival, with the fusion bands that mixed nu metal with other genres, the return of existing bands to nu metal, and the formation of new nu metal bands. Despite the lack of radio broadcasts and popularity, some nu metal bands regained their former popularity by releasing new albums in the style of nu metal.
Nu Metal also influenced Metalcore and Deathcore bands
such as Emmure, Here Comes the Kraken, Suicide Silence, Of Mice & Men, and
Issues.
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| Here Comes the Kraken |
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Thank you.
