Alternative metal
Alternative Metal is a branch of Heavy Metal, characterized by not having an immediately classifiable sound.Heavy metal is at the core of the music, but it was very different from the Thrash underground of the 80's. The Grunge movement of the early 90's helped make this sub-genre a little more palatable to mainstream audience, and after that, Alternative Metal bands began taking different paths: Jane's Addiction had a more progressive sound, NC's Corrosion Of Conformity and the now defunct Grunge band Soundgarden had a fondness of 70's blues rock, Incubus incorporate Funk into their brand of Alternative Metal, Nine Inch Nails and Fear Factory started the industrial wave, combining Techno-like beats and heavy guitars, and Pantera used thrash like intensity and bleak lyrics to further mold the Alternative Metal sound.
The release of KoRn's first self-titled album in 1994 helped create a new sub-genre of Alternative Metal, known as nu metal. Nu metal combines simple riffs, down-tuned and (for the most part) seven-string guitars, stop-start dynamics (heavy verse, silent chorus, or viceversa), use of samplers and/or DJs and Hip-Hop and Rap influenced beats and vocals. Key artists of this genre include KoRn, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit.
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