idiotican
George Browne
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Last Active 03-23-22 1:14 pm
Joined 04-02-19

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Nu Metal Retrospective
1Linkin Park
Meteora

Showing slightly more focus overall on appealing to pop charts in the hooks and high quality scratches. Chose this over Hybrid because of the lack of radio songs with the exception of "Numb". Their last truly Numetal album. Score: 7
2Staind
Tormented

Independently released when they were still Numetal, long before Outside and It's Been While
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 9
3Snot
Get Some

Tragic what happened to this band but it's probably the most funk inspired album of the whole genre
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 7
4Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber

One of the genre's creators along with Soad, Korn, Deftones and Sugar Ray. Not an all-time great, but still an example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 6
5Incubus (USA-CA)
S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Extremely important. Score: 7
6Korn
Korn

The first album in the whole genre with great tracks start to finish. All killer no filler. Score: 9
7Drowning Pool
Sinner

Truly one of a kind
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 6
8Deftones
Adrenaline

Not their best in my opinion but certainly the most important and genre-defining. Score: 7
9Primer 55
Introduction to Mayhem

Underrated. Incredible harsh vocalist and rapper combo. Just check out "The Big Fuck You"
Score: 10
10Disturbed
The Sickness

Yeah this didn't age very well, but it was a personal favorite getting into this stuff. Tracks like Stupify, Numb and their Tears for Fears cover of Shout are alright though. Score: 5
11Gryp
Gryp

Christian lyrics from someone perfectly mixing Post-Grunge adjacent vocals and tortured screams with a few Mudvayne L.D. 50 style dark ambient tracks paying homage to their influences
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 9
12Mudvayne
L.D. 50

Not exactly consistent but you can't deny the talent in singles like Nothing to Gein, Death Blooms and Dig. Also some hard to forget songs like Everything and Nothing and Internal Primates Forever. Score: 7
13Otep
Sevas Tra

underrated. Score: 7
14Trustfall
Bright

underrated. Score: 7
15Static-X
Wisconsin Death Trip

Wayne Static's singing is really annoying but this album's a classic. Score: 6
16Papa Roach
Infest

One of the worst albums/bands here easily but you have to give these guys credit, they were making albums since 1994 and became an accomplished metal band with only one guitarist similar to SOAD and Limpbizkit.
The tracklist is mostly worthwhile that doesn't waste a second of it's 45 minute length, but overly bloated with underwhelming hooks. The singer's rapping and songwriting ability paired with the guitarist steal the show. Also, a lot of the lyrical content appears more clever after finding out the singer is Christian. Score: 6
17Sevendust
Home

Of all Sevendust's songs that got released, these ones really hold up, with the hit "Waffle", catchy title track, and Chino from Deftone's closing feature.
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 6
18Sepultura
Roots

Like Machine Head later chose to do, Sepultura proved that Groove metal isn't too dissimilar to Nu metal with Roots. Despite it's runtime, it's one of their best albums and another example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts.
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 7
19P.O.D.
Snuff the Punk

Never given credit as technically being the first Nu Metal album released, however as much as i love these songs, it's understandable due to the lack of variety in the riffs the vocalist's straight up caveman stupid screams and dollar store RATM rapping style. But the christian lyrics are amazing on songs like Abortion is Murder, Draw the Line and the title track. Score: 7
20Taproot
Gift

Another one of a kind album. Score: 7
21Nonpoint
Statement

2000 was a hell of a year. Score: 7
22Thousand Foot Krutch
Phenomenon

Pleasant listen with some christian lyrics too. Score: 7
23System of a Down
Toxicity

Before you write off this pick, this case is about the riffs, which sound identical to the other bands on this list. Not every song though, like "Toxicity" and "Aeriels". But anyways this can be swapped out with Steal this Album or their debut, this is also history associated on account this band was part of active Nu Metal scenes in L.A. since 1994. Score: 10
24Helio
...Until I Wake Up Bleeding...

Felt desperate to find some more Nu Metal the other day, and this one had some personality going for it considering they're an Avant-Garde band, and while the electronic/noise elements applied here wear out their welcome really fast and come off as self-serving and gimmicky than a sincere compositional engagement, the singer is the driving force of keeping your attention with a passionate delivery complimented by heavy lo-fi riffs that aren't bad. Score: 6
25 Wolf Eyes
Fortune Dove

Andrew W.K. doing Nu Metal. Score: 7
26Trapt
Amalgamation

Before they became "sell outs". Not much better than what they'd do on a major label but Trapt is a good band. Score: 6
27Cold
Cold

the missing link between grunge and nu metal
An example of Nu Metal without electronic/hip hop/industrial parts. Score: 10
28Limp Bizkit
Three Dollar Bill Y'all

If you don't like this band, give this album's opening song "Pollution" a shot. Score: 10
29Hollywood Undead
Swan Songs

Score: 7
30Wargasm (UK)
Venom

one of the only decent metal acts out right now. Score: 7
31One Minute Silence
Buy Now...Saved Later

Some honorable mentions and recommendations:
32Neurotica
Neurotica
33Pitchshifter
Infotainment?
34Cradle of Thorns
Download This!
35Flapjack
Juicy Planet Earth
36Chimaira
Pass Out of Existence
37Still Breathing
September

Recommended by @Emim - As a non-metalcore fan I'd frequently listen close to this album's instrumentation because it's Nu Metal parts are quite nuanced. Aside from guitar tracks with a general sense of melody/pedal usage and secondary female vocalist contributing mild alternative sensibilities, I would only call that an influence than primarily what Still Breathing was going for, due to how intense their vocalist mic clips. Some great christian lyrics. Any band signed by tooth and nail is very good
38Stutterfly
Broken In Pieces

Recommended by @SomeCallMeTim - This goes back and forth between Phc and Numetal, the former comes from their clean vocalist's verses, and the latter from his harsh accompaniment. I try not to compare artists often but there's moments similar to early Chevelle and Thursday with well structured breakdowns
39Sunk Loto
Between Birth and Death

Recommended by @SomeCallMeTim - Highly melodic aussie rock with a guitarist who knows whats up. Their singer sounds out of place, not in a bad way he just seems like he'd be in a Phc band. Often times he hits some perfect notes and occasionally has harsh inflections. Overlong even for 41 minutes but your time is well spent
40Five Pointe O
Untitled

Recommended by @tyman128 - 11 tracks and a little under an hour, a decent recommendation, there's just not much I like about Nu Metal here. Sure the singer blends an emotive alt style with a wide range of screams. He's good at providing tracks with an urban personality, which is uncommon for Roadrunner signed groups. They have a rhythm and lead guitarist and the chords are admirably arranged on songs like the title track and "Sympathetic Climate Control" Their lead uses all all the tricks of the trade at his disposal (pinch harmonics, Metalcore-esque picking and plenty of breakdowns and expected collection of pedals). Despite not being my cup of tea, mostly due to the vocalist not packing a punch that lasts more than the notes themselves, Five Pointe O is fresh and doing something new. What i can say is that "The Infinity" is one of the better songs from Resident Evil's movie soundtrack. You also gotta love the classic 10 minute closing track that makes many Nu Metal albums so unique
41Pulse Ultra
Headspace

Recommended by @Scoot - Not gonna say much about this on account Pulse Ultra is not Nu Metal, but an alright Alt Metal four-piece with a creative guitarist who uses experimention with reverb clearly taking from Post-Rock much like Wes Borland. Really hate the singer, with an unnecessarily regal pronounciation on each recording,
42Edgewater
South Of Sideways

Recommended by @Scoot - Another non-Nu Metal record but has similarities. I guess if you're tired of Scott Stapp or Gavin Rossdale this is an option, not as good as those bands though. Would listen to this before Hemorrhage or Hinder or Saving Abel or some shit like that, but Throwing Copper is a much better album than this.
43Atomship
The Crash of `47

Recommended by @Scoot - Sounds like some average alt rock band whose guitarist is on mescaline. Saw someone compare this to Tool, who I'm not a fan of besides a few songs. The acoustic guitar on "Withered" was sometimes like a Jar of Flies outtake. The singer is slightly more tolerable than most of the Wind-Up Records roster. "Agent Orange" has a relatively interesting middle section using negative space to it's advantage, almost giving listeners a break from the previous mundanity. Hilarious how of all these here to go on The Punisher movie soundtrack they chose "Time For People" which doesn't have any payoff in the course of it's 4 minutes. It's not any more pop-leaning or heavy than the others.
44Stuck Mojo
Snappin' Necks

Recommended by @Butkuiss - Didn't say a specific album so I chose their debut, Snappin' Necks. This isn't Nu Metal, for it's Rap Metal not with just another Zack de la Rocha or Fred Durst, an authentic black person is rapping. In all seriousness, I would recommend New Kingdom - "Paradise Don't Come Cheap" before this record. This is the very first idea you would imagine rap metal to be like, chugging drop d riffs lacking variation, barely any solos, designed to draw your attention to the rapper before the band who are usually mediocre. As for this band's rapper, he goes from macho party lyrics to vague political commentary that isn't saying anything new.
45IKD-SJ
World's End Fruit Basket

Just dropping some other honorable mentions because there's not much nu metal that exists:
Machine Head - The Burning Red
Slipknot - S/T, MFKR
Orgy - Candyass
Hed PE - blackout
spineshank - The Height of Callousness
soulfly - s/t
sugar ray - lemonade

Similar:
Vein.fm - Errorzone
Metallica - St. Anger
Mindless Self Indulgence - Tighter, Frankenstein, You'll Rebel
Chevelle - Wonder Whats Next
Dir en Grey - Withering to Death
Godsmack - Faceless
Emmure - The Respect Issue
King crimson - The Power to Believe
evanescence - fallen
glassjaw - everything you ever wanted
MTH
Kid Rock - Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp
Skillet - Alien Youth

Really bad nu metal acts: (Caution they're boring)
Mushroomhead - S/T
Nothingface
40 below summer
flaw
saliva
kittie
psychostick
powerman 5000
dope
lostprophets
union underground
slayer - diabolus in musica
Videodrone
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