SalmonCubes

I see that alot of people here despise certain genres of metal particuarly nu metal, rap metal, occasionally black metal, etc.

Is there any particular reason for this? I don't really see what is so bad about bands such as Korn or Slipknot, or the like. In fact, they're some of my favorite bands.

It may not be traditional metal, but is there any particular reason people look down on it so much?

Whiskey

I see nothing wrong with Nu metal except that most Nu metal artists are pretty bad in my opinion. The only ones I like are exactly the ones you mentioned. Korn and Slipknot. And perhaps Limp Bizkit too. All others are just pathetic in my opinion. They dont play music well, and their songs often have weird and stupid subjects. I guess thats the case with korn and slipknot as well, but at least they have some good albums.

joy_circumcision

I think it's weird to throw black metal in with those, but to answer your question, nu-metal is a synthesis that seems driven largely by adolescent and adolescent-acting bands, combining two genres of music that are 1. angsty and 2. easily commercial. The resulting music is usually a lot more proud of itself than it really deserves to be (lower technical skill than a lot of other metal genres, less lyrical depth and compositional profundity, etc. etc.) and unfortunately, due perhaps to the strong backlash against its founders, or perhaps to the transience of its demographic target, there's been very little exploration of it in the underground by more talented rappers and metal musicians.

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Unknown Soldier

It's only because we normally get somebody on here that goes on about how brilliant Nu-metal is and how much better it is than other metal genres. Most people on here know their metal sub-genres really well and recognize Nu-metal as a limited sub-genre with a whole load of mediocre and poor bands, that's not to say that they're aren't some good Nu-metal albums though.

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Insane Guest

With a bit of ignorance and generalization, it's easy to take your dislike and put it out as hate. I don't think it's all bad, definitly commercialized for easy listening, but with any genre you have those who love it, those who hate it, and those who don't give a fuck. I will defend my love for bands like Disturbed, SOAD, and Rage Against the Machine, hell, even some Linkin Park.
It's just the negative outweighs the positive, and the name is stupid, why Nu? Is new really too long?

Forward To Death

I can think of a few albums sometimes considered nu metal that I enjoy.

System Of A Down's S/T, even though it really doesn't sound very nu metal at all. More like just some hardcore influenced alternative metal.

Fear Factory's Soul Of A New Machine and Demanufacture are both excellent, but they're closer to death metal with industrial elements.

Sepultura's Roots has all the elements of nu metal, and it's a classic. However, it has a lot more depth than the average nu metal album, the world music influences and emphasis on the instrumental aspect is very refreshing for the genre.

jackhammer

Well yet again we have a Nu Metal themed thread so here is my two penneth worth.

Although there are many, many sub genres of Metal, the most recent sub genre that has gained commercial appeal is Nu Metal which is fine in that heavier forms of music have become more acceptable but the problem is that a large percentage of people who listen to Nu Metal ONLY listen to that genre and therefore are convinced that this is how all Metal should sound and become over protective of the genre.

This is of course true with most fans who only listen to one particular genre of Metal and it is this narrow minded attitude that irks Metal fans who listen to lots of different Metal and know what they are talking about and can find fault with not just Nu Metal but all genres of Metal but because the demograph of Nu Metal is primarily the under 21's they get bitchy when you criticise it because that's all they listen to.

I personally find any music fan who listens to Metal and Metal only a complete twat on the whole, narrow minded and lacking a fundamental understanding of music on the whole. I am embarrassed to be a Metal fan sometimes due to the narrow minded attitude of the listeners but wearing band T shirts and having a leather jacket is the dress I wear but it certainly doesn't paint the whole picture of me.

Going back to Nu Metal, the genre (like every sub genre in Metal before and since) got so oversaturated with copycat bands that enjoyed commercial success, it is much easier to pick the bones out of the genre because even if we don't like the genre, you couldn't help be exposed to more bands through the media and realise that the genre ended up being Pop music with guitars. 3 min songs with traditional song structures and that is not how I like my Metal.

Some Nu Metal was really good or interesting enough for me to appreciate it. (If you forgive the generalisation and are they Nu Metal or not crap) System Of A Down don't sound like any other band out there, Korn (who I hate with a vengeance) at least created a different sound especially in the rhythm section and vocal delivery, Rage Against The Machine utilised the guitar as a dual instrument to provide riffs and soundscapes not heard before and bands like Mordred and Senser used turntables in their music as homage and respect to Hip Hop and not a mere gimmick.

There is a lot of crap in every single of genre of metal and for me there is more bad than good unfortunately but due to success of Nu Metal it is one of the genres that will be talked about more.

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TheBig3

Controversy might be the wrong word.

Nu Metal to me uses way to much of the "brain, pain, insane" theme. Simple rhymes, woe-is-me lyrics, pretty straight forward music. Its a genre that seems to lack a lot of song-writing skills, and to improve your ability to play an instrument, or song writing has the whiff of "selling out."

Its a genre that doesn't seem to want to improve, and in some ways it unintentionally minimalist by way of ignorance. The one exception had been System of a Down, but then they let their meathead guitarist write songs and he was more of the numetal same.

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Musicfanatic

I don't think that there is much controversy surrounding the genre. It's more of an ambitiousness that I see. Korn, I don't see any metal in that band at all. Though I do admit that I haven't heard all of their songs. Slipknot seem rather straight forward in their metal from the two albums I listened to. But I suppose that if having some rap in the end product makes it Nu-Metal, than I suppose.

And like others, I don't like the "Nu" word. It's just trying too hard to be neat/cool/hip. Maybe it should be called Neo-Metal...? I can hear the Matrix hate coming.

I enjoyed some Korn, like Freak on a Leash. But as I was looking through the metal section at a store when I hit Korn I was shaking my head...

I guess I'm just not all that familiar with the sounds that it's kind of over my head.

SATCHMO

Nu Metal is marketable metal. It's hard enough to capture the angst of a teen demographic and catchy enough to sell records. Really what is the one common denominator of all the bands that fall under the Nu Metal headline? Marketability. Take that and combine it with the fact that, as a generalization, most people who espouse Nu Metal as a sub-genre don't go much deeper into the greater genre of metal, and it becomes an annoying once-upon-a-flavor-of-the-month genre. I don't think there's too much wrong with most of the music itself. There's definitely a lot of garbage, but I don't think that can be put on the style itself, rather, as Big3 got at, it's pretty much what amounts to be a lack of effort and depth in songwriting.