Alternative metal

Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s.^[1] Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.^[2] The music festival Lollapalooza helped the genre and the bands associated with the movement gain ground early on.^[2]

Origins

Initially alternative metal appealed mainly to alternative rock fans since virtually all 1980s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American rock underground scene.^[2] Alt-metal bands commonly emerged from hardcore punk (Biohazard, Corrosion of Conformity), noise rock (Helmet, The Jesus Lizard), grunge (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden), and industrial (Ministry, Nine Inch Nails).^[2] These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimenting with the form.^[2] Jane's Addiction borrowed from progressive rock and Living Colour injected funk into their sound, for example,^[2] while Primus includes influence from both progressive rock^[2] and funk,^[3] and Faith No More mixed progressive rock, funk and hip hop.^[4]

A new wave of alternative metal, that uses intense aggression and adolescent machismo, emerged around 1993 and 1994.^[2] This new sound, called nu metal, was influenced by Rage Against the Machine, Tool, White Zombie, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails^[2] and Faith No More.^[5] Nu metal combines the aggressive riffs of Korn, the acoustic ballads of Staind and the rap rock of Limp Bizkit.^[1] Korn's demo Neidermeyer's Mind, released in 1993, is considered the first nu metal album.^[6] By the latter 1990s, nu metal bands were playing a combination of thrash metal, hip hop, industrial, hardcore punk and grunge.^[2] Newer bands like Linkin Park drew inspiration from the same influences that include Helmet, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, Korn and Deftones.^[7]

Many established 1980s metal bands released albums in the 1990s that were described as alternative metal, including Metallica^[8] and Anthrax.^[9]

See also

• List of alternative metal artists
• Industrial metal
• Post-grunge
• Post-hardcore

Sources

• Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8.

References

External links

• Music.com: Alternative Metal
• Silver Dragon Records: Alternative Metal

v t e Heavy metal Subgenres Alternative metal Black metal Cello rock Celtic metal Christian metal Crossover thrash Crust punk Deathgrind Death metal Death 'n' roll Deathcore Death/doom Djent Doom metal Drone metal Extreme metal Experimental metal Folk metal Funeral doom Funk metal Glam metal Goregrind Gothic metal Grindcore Groove metal Grunge Industrial metal Mathcore Medieval metal Melodic death metal Metalcore Neo-classical metal Nintendocore Nu metal Pagan metal Pornogrind Post-metal Power metal Progressive metal Rap metal Sludge metal Speed metal Stoner metal Symphonic black metal Symphonic metal Technical death metal Thrash metal Traditional heavy metal Unblack metal Viking metal Notable scenes New Wave of British Heavy Metal Mediterranean scene Norwegian black metal Swedish death metal Gothenburg metal Bay Area thrash metal Brazilian thrash metal Teutonic thrash metal Australian heavy metal New Orleans heavy metal New Wave of American Heavy Metal Neue Deutsche Härte Culture Heavy metal subculture Fashion Subgenres Bands Festivals Umlaut Headbanging Sign of the horns Portal