{{Short description|Music genre}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Use American English|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Alternative metal | stylistic_origins = * [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]] * [[alternative rock]] | cultural_origins = Mid-1980s, United States | derivatives = [[Soft grunge (music)|Soft grunge]] ([[grungegaze]])<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Ethan |title=Why Grungegaze Dominates 2026's Music Underground » PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/why-grungegaze-dominates-2026 |website=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=13 March 2026 |date=10 March 2026}}</ref> | fusiongenres = * [[Neue Deutsche Härte]]<ref name="weltdergothics">{{cite book |last1= Schmidt |first1= Axel |last2= Neumann-Braun |first2= Klaus |title= Die Welt der Gothics: Spielräume düster konnotierter Transzendenz |trans-title=The World of the Gothics: Leeways of Darkly Connoted Transcendency |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0ykjKReN-ygC |access-date= 2009-12-29 |edition= 2nd |year= 2008 |orig-year= First published 2004 |publisher= VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften / GWV Fachverlage GmbH |location= Wiesbaden |language= de |isbn= 978-3-531-15880-8 |pages= 269–270 }}</ref> | subgenres = * [[Funk metal]] * [[nu metal]] * [[rap metal]] | subgenrelist = | regional_scenes = [[Music of California#Nu metal and alternative metal|California]] | local_scenes = [[Music of Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Grow |first=Kory |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/03/tool-opiate-reissue-limited-edition-adam-jones/ |title=Not a Downer: Tool's Adam Jones Talks 'Opiate' Reissue, New Material | SPIN | Q & A |publisher=SPIN |date=March 20, 2013 |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/coal-chamber-mn0000791734/biography|title=Coal Chamber - Biography & History - AllMusic|work=allmusic.com|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> | other_topics = }}
'''Alternative metal''' (also known as '''alt-metal'''<ref name=aboutdotcom>{{cite web|last=Grierson|first=Tim|url=http://rock.about.com/od/rockmusic101/a/AlternativeMetal.htm|title=Alternative Metal - What Is Alternative Metal - Alt-Metal History|work=[[About.com]]|access-date=July 7, 2010|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528212742/http://rock.about.com/od/rockmusic101/a/AlternativeMetal.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and '''grunge metal'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=alt-metal Betekenis - Vertaling |url=https://goong.com/nl/word/altmetal-betekenis--vertaling/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |website=Goong.com}}</ref>) is a genre of [[heavy metal music]] that combines heavy metal with influences from [[alternative rock]] and other genres not normally associated with metal.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name="Will to mangle">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/will-to-mangle-mw0000230390|title=Sourvein Will to Mangle|work=[[AllMusic]]|last=Henderson|first=Alex|access-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref> Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily [[Downtuned guitar|downtuned]], mid-paced guitar [[riff]]s, a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and [[Screaming (music)|harsh vocals]] and sometimes sounds that are unconventional within other heavy metal styles.<ref name="allmusic alt metal">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=style|id=alternative-metal-ma0000012328|pure_url=yes}}|title=Alternative Metal|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 15, 2012}}</ref> The term has been in use since the 1980s,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QhhXAAAAIBAJ&pg=5766,270821&dq=alternative-metal+alice-in-chains&hl=en|title='Alice' will rattle some chains|first=Patricia|last=Crean|newspaper=Spokane Chronicle|access-date=2013-02-03}}</ref> although it came into prominence in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jesters of Destiny|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jesters-of-destiny-mn0000344125|work=Allmusic|access-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref>
Other genres considered part of the alternative metal movement included [[rap metal]]<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name=rap-metal1>{{cite web|title=Rap-Metal|work=[[Allmusic]]|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/rap-metal-ma0000002817|access-date=November 21, 2012|quote=Rap-Metal seeks to fuse the most aggressive elements of hardcore rap and heavy metal, and became an extremely popular variation of alternative metal during the late '90s...In spite of projects like 1993's much-hyped Judgment Night soundtrack -- which featured all-star teamings of artists from the rap and rock worlds -- crossover collaborations faded as the '90s wore on. At the same time, rap-metal began to draw influences from alternative metal -- specifically, bands like Helmet, White Zombie, and Tool, who relied on crushingly heavy sonic textures more than catchy songwriting or immediately memorable riffs. The thick sound and the lack of melodic emphasis fit rap-metal's concerns perfectly. With the exception of Rage Against the Machine's angry left-wing politics, most rap-metal bands during the mid- to late '90s blended an ultra-aggressive, testosterone-heavy theatricality with either juvenile humor or an introspective angst learned through alternative metal...}}</ref> and [[funk metal]], both of which influenced another prominent subgenre, [[nu metal]]. Nu metal expands the alternative metal sound, combining its vocal stylings and downtuned riffs with elements of other genres, such as [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[funk]], [[thrash metal]], [[hardcore punk]] and [[industrial metal]].
Alternative metal began in the 1980s with bands like [[Faith No More]], [[Living Colour]], [[Soundgarden]], and [[Jane's Addiction]]. The genre achieved success in the 1990s with the popularity of bands like [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]], [[Tool (band)|Tool]], and [[Alice in Chains]]. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal achieved mainstream popularity with the mainstream success of bands like [[Korn]], [[Limp Bizkit]], [[P.O.D.]], [[Papa Roach]], [[Disturbed (band)|Disturbed]], [[System of a Down]], [[Linkin Park]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], [[Deftones]] and [[Staind]]. After the mid-2000s, nu metal's popularity began to decline, with many nu metal bands moving on to other genres.
==Characteristics== {{Listen | filename = | title = "Ironhead" (1992) | description = 30 second sample of the 1992 [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]] song "Ironhead". Helmet's riffing style proved highly influential to various metal groups }}
One of the main characteristics of alternative metal and its subgenres are heavily downtuned, mid-paced "chug"-like guitar riffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-mw0000826905|title=I - Xerath - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/system-of-a-down-mw0000040168 |title=System of a Down - System of a Down |website=[[Allmusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blood-mw0000815869|title=Blood - O.S.I. - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 7, 2017}}</ref> However, [[funk metal]] bands often use a more conventional riffing style influenced by 1980s thrash metal.<ref name="primusbook">{{cite book|last1=Prato|first1=Greg|title=Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool|date=16 September 2014|publisher=Akashic Books|isbn=978-1-61775-322-0}}</ref> Alternative metal features clean and melodic vocals,<ref name="aboutdotcom" /> influenced by those of alternative rock, in contrast to other heavy metal subgenres. Later bands frequently incorporated vocal styles that alternated between clean singing, [[death growls|growls]] and [[screaming (music)|screaming]].<ref name="Will to mangle" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/deftones-mw0000227382 |title=Deftones - Deftones : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-02-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beginning-of-all-things-to-end-mw0000016113 |title=The Beginning of All Things to End - Mudvayne |website=[[Allmusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/violence-mw0000619131 |title=Violence - Nothingface |website=[[Allmusic]]}}</ref> Examples include alternative metal bands associated with the nu metal movement, such as [[Korn]] and [[Deftones]], who have been described as having "[[bipolar disorder|bipolar]] vocals".<!-- Staff Review--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/62962/Deftones-Around-the-Fur/|title=Deftones - Around the Fur (album review 2) - Sputnikmusic|website=www.sputnikmusic.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xsnoize.com/album-review-korn-the-serenity-of-suffering/|title=Album Review: Korn - The Serenity of Suffering - After 3 years the illustrious Korn return with their 12th studio album The Serenity of Suffering. The band has always been well received and in spite of ch|date=November 1, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Adam & Maynard Coachella 2006 (546341525).jpg|thumb|220px|[[Tool (band)|Tool]] (''pictured'') is one of the most influential alternative metal bands|left]]
Jonathan Gold of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote in 1990 "Just as rock has an alternative, [left] wing-bands like [[The Replacements (band)|the Replacements]] and [[Dinosaur Jr.]]-so does metal. Alternative metal is alternative music that rocks. And alternative metal these days can reach 10 times the audience of other alternative rock. [[Jane's Addiction]] plays an intense brand of '70s-influenced arty metal; so does [[Soundgarden]]. In fact, the arty meanderings of [[Black Sabbath|Sabbath]] and [[Led Zeppelin|Zeppelin]] themselves would be considered alternative metal."<ref name="goldman">{{cite web |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60060917.html?dids=60060917:60060917&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+26%2C+1990&author=JONATHAN+GOLD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Alternative+Metal+Bands+Follow+Zeppelin+Lead+Records%3A+New+releases+by+Mind+Over+Four%2C+Warrior+Soul%2C+Prong+and+Flotsam+and+Jetsam.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104101024/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/281082511.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May%2026,%201990&author=JONATHAN%20GOLD&pub=Los%20Angeles%20Times%20(pre-1997%20Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=&desc=Alternative%20Metal%20Bands%20Follow%20Zeppelin%20Lead%20Records:%20New%20releases%20by%20Mind%20Over%20Four,%20Warrior%20Soul,%20Prong%20and%20Flotsam%20and%20Jetsam. |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2013 |title=Los Angeles Times: Archives - Alternative Metal Bands Follow Zeppelin Lead Records: New releases by Mind Over Four, Warrior Soul, Prong and Flotsam and Jetsam |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=May 26, 1990 |access-date=2013-02-02 }}</ref> ''[[Houston Press]]'' has described the genre as being a "compromise for people for whom [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] was not heavy enough but [[Metallica]] was too heavy."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2014/04/six_bands_you_didnt_know_were.php|title=Six Bands You Didn't Know Were Still Around|author=Corey Deiterman|work=Houston Press|date=April 9, 2014|access-date=April 19, 2014|archive-date=April 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419033549/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2014/04/six_bands_you_didnt_know_were.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The first wave of alternative metal bands emerged from many backgrounds, including [[hardcore punk]] ([[Bad Brains]], [[Rollins Band]], [[Life of Agony]], [[Corrosion of Conformity]]), [[noise rock]] ([[Helmet (band)|Helmet]], [[the Jesus Lizard]], [[Today Is the Day]]), [[Seattle]]'s [[grunge]] scene ([[Alice in Chains]], [[Soundgarden]]), [[stoner rock]] ([[Clutch (band)|Clutch]], [[Kyuss]]), [[sludge metal]] ([[Fudge Tunnel]], [[Melvins]]), [[gothic metal]] ([[Type O Negative]]), [[groove metal]] ([[Pantera]], [[White Zombie (band)|White Zombie]]) and [[industrial music|industrial]] ([[Godflesh]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Ministry (band)|Ministry]]).<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /><ref name="stoner">{{cite web|author=Stoner Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/stoner-metal-ma0000011961 |title=Stoner Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Begrand |first=Adrien |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/clutch-robot |title=Clutch: Robot Hive / Exodus |magazine=PopMatters |access-date=2013-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/monster-magnet-mn0000495455 |title=Monster Magnet - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-01-28}}</ref><ref name="fudge">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fudge-tunnel-mn0000662652|title=Fudge Tunnel - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Eduardo|last=Rivadavia|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alice-in-chains-mn0000007920|title=Quicksand - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Greg|last=Prato|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 18, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Goth Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/goth-metal-ma0000011855 |title=Goth Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-02-14}}</ref> These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimentation.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /> [[Jane's Addiction]] borrowed from [[art rock]]<ref name="goldman" /> and [[progressive rock]], [[Quicksand (American band)|Quicksand]] blended [[post-hardcore]] and [[Living Colour]] injected [[funk]] into their sound, for example,<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2013 |title=Night Life |url=https://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2013/02/04/130204goni_GOAT_nightlife |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707230920/https://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2013/02/04/130204goni_GOAT_nightlife |archive-date=July 7, 2014 |website=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref> while [[Primus (band)|Primus]] were influenced by progressive rock,<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[thrash metal]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mCEyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6991,2564797&dq=thrash-funk&hl=en|title=Roll Over Manilow: Thrash funk is here|first=Elisabeth|last=Dunham|newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World|access-date=2013-01-28}}</ref> and funk<ref name="New Rage">{{cite web|last=Gore|first=Joe|date=August 1991|url=http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/funky.html|title=New Rage: The Funky|work=Guitar Player via ram.org|access-date=April 11, 2012}}</ref> and [[Faith No More]] mixed progressive rock, [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], funk and [[hip hop music|hip hop]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=faith-no-more-mn0000134729|pure_url=yes}}|title=((( Faith No More > Overview )))|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 15, 2012}}</ref> [[Fudge Tunnel]]'s style of alternative metal included influences from both sludge metal and noise rock.<ref name="fudge"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/01/blame-nirvana-40-weirdest-post-nevermind-major-label-albums/130103-fudge-tunnel/ |title=Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums | SPIN | Discover | SPIN Lists |publisher=SPIN |date=January 8, 2013 |access-date=2013-02-26}}</ref>
==History== ===Origins (1980s)=== {{See also|Faith No More}}[[File:Faith No More 2009.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Faith No More performing in 2009]] The origins of the genre can be traced back to [[funk rock]] music of the early to mid-1980s, when [[alternative rock|alternative]] bands like [[Fishbone]], [[Faith No More]] and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] started mixing [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] with [[funk]], creating a genre called [[funk metal]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Funk Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/funk-metal-ma0000012114 |title=Funk Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref>, now often recognized as an early form of alternative metal. Other early bands in the genre also came from [[hardcore punk]] backgrounds.<ref>{{cite web|author=Punk Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/punk-metal-ma0000012022 |title=Punk Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> Bands such as Faith No More, [[Jane's Addiction]] and [[Soundgarden]] are recognized as some of the earliest alternative metal acts, with all three of these bands emerging around the same time, and setting the template for the genre by mixing heavy metal music with a variety of different genres in the mid to late 1980s.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /><ref>Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007). ''Metal: The Definitive Guide''. London, England: Jawbone Press. p. 482. {{ISBN|1-906002-01-0}}.</ref><ref name="fnm">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/faith-no-more-mn0000134729|title=Faith No More - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref><ref name="about.com soundgarden">{{cite web|url=http://rock.about.com/od/soundgarde1/p/Soundgarden.htm|title=Soundgarden Biography|first=Tim|last=Grierson|work=[[About.com]]|access-date=October 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111172604/http://rock.about.com/od/soundgarde1/p/Soundgarden.htm|archive-date=November 11, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Prato |first=Greg |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/nothings-shocking-mw0000196037 |title=Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref> During the 1980s, alternative metal appealed mainly to [[alternative rock]] fans, since virtually all 1980s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American [[Alternative rock|independent rock]] scene.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /> [[Living Colour]] was another alternative metal band that combined the genre with funk metal.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" />
===Expansion and breakthrough (1990–1997)=== {{See also|Groove metal}} [[File:Page Hamilton Frankfurt.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|201x201px|Founder of [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]] [[Page Hamilton]] signing autographs in [[Frankfurt]], Germany in 2019]] The emergence of [[grunge]] as a popular style of [[rock music]] in the early 1990s helped make alternative metal more acceptable to a mainstream audience, with alternative metal soon becoming the most popular [[Heavy metal music|metal]] style of the 1990s.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /> Several bands associated with the genre denied their status as metal bands.<ref name="toolbook" /><ref name="beast">Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. Chapter 13: Transforming the 1990s: The Black Album & Beyond.</ref> [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]] drummer [[John Stanier (drummer)|John Stanier]] said "We fell into the whole metal thing by accident, we always hated it when people mentioned metal in conjunction with us."<ref name="beast" /> Helmet's ''[[Meantime (album)|Meantime]]'' (1992) album became one of the most influential heavy metal albums of the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/meantime-mw0000077643 |title=Meantime - Helmet |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |last=Franck |first=John |accessdate=September 16, 2021}}</ref> Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'' stated "bands like Faith No More, Soundgarden, [[Primus (band)|Primus]], Helmet, the [[Rollins Band]], and dozens more were initially marketed as quasi-metal acts. This was only possible in a climate where record labels, journalists, and college radio DJs understood that the metal audience could embrace new, albeit arty variations on the form."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/749-the-misunderstanding-of-faith-no-more/|title=The Misunderstanding of Faith No More - Pitchfork|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=April 23, 2015|access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> [[File:PerryFarrell.jpg|thumb|230x230px|The founding of the [[Lollapalooza]] festival by [[Jane's Addiction]] frontman [[Perry Farrell]] helped alternative bands like [[Tool (band)|Tool]] and [[Nine Inch Nails]] gain exposure]] The alternative music festival [[Lollapalooza]] conceived by Jane's Addiction singer [[Perry Farrell]], helped bands associated with the movement such as [[Tool (band)|Tool]], [[Rage Against the Machine]], [[Primus (band)|Primus]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Soundgarden]], and [[Alice in Chains]] gain exposure.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /> The [[progressive rock]]-influenced band Tool became a leading band in the alternative metal genre with the release of their 1993 debut album ''[[Undertow (Tool album)|Undertow]]''; Tool's popularity in the mid-'90s helped kick off an era of bands with alt-metal tendencies also classified in other genres like [[Industrial music|industrial]] (Nine Inch Nails) and [[rap rock]] (Rage Against the Machine).<ref name="aboutdotcom" /> ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' stated in August 1998 that "It was Helmet that spawned the idea of alternative metal with the [[punk rock|punk]] crutch of 1992's ''Meantime'' [and] bands such as Rage Against the Machine took the concept a crucial step further, integrating [[hip hop music|hip hop]] to connect with skate rat kids raised on [[Metallica]] and [[Run D.M.C.]]"<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Spin|date=Aug 1998|pages=90}}</ref> Many established 1980s metal bands released albums in the 1990s that were described as alternative metal, including [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]],<ref>{{cite news|author=Christopher R. Weingarten |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-09-14/music/anthrax-and-joey-belladonna-keep-it-in-the-family/ |title=Anthrax and Joey Belladonna Keep It In the Family - Page 1 - Music - New York |newspaper=Village Voice |date=September 14, 2011 |access-date=2015-12-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219174506/http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-09-14/music/anthrax-and-joey-belladonna-keep-it-in-the-family/ |archive-date=December 19, 2014 }}</ref> [[Metallica]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Relative|first=Saul|date=August 21, 2008|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/new-metallica-day-never-comes-has-arrived-1841224.html|title=New Metallica -- 'The Day that Never Comes' Has Arrived|work=[[Associated Content|Yahoo! Voices]]|access-date=July 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005191108/http://voices.yahoo.com/new-metallica-day-never-comes-has-arrived-1841224.html?cat=33|archive-date=October 5, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Scott|first1=Niall|title=Heavy Metal, Gender and Sexuality: Interdisciplinary Approaches|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317122982|page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I-kDAAAQBAJ&q=%22known+as+alternative+metal%22&pg=PA18 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> and [[Mötley Crüe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalhammer.teamrock.com/news/2015-01-04/corabi-revisits-1994-motley-crue-album|title=Corabi revisits 1994 Motley Crue album|work=Metal Hammer|access-date=December 3, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304220954/http://metalhammer.teamrock.com/news/2015-01-04/corabi-revisits-1994-motley-crue-album|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bands like [[Life of Agony]] combined alternative metal with [[hardcore punk]] influences.<ref name="allmusic alt metal" /> Life of Agony's debut album ''[[River Runs Red]]'' combined alternative metal with influences of hardcore punk, with lyrics about depression and suicide.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title=The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-113614/life-of-agony-river-runs-red-1993-120163/ |date=June 21, 2017 |accessdate=September 16, 2021}}</ref> Other artists like [[Pantera]], [[Machine Head (band)|Machine Head]], [[Sepultura]], and [[White Zombie (band)|White Zombie]] popularized the [[groove metal]] sound.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martins |first1=Jorge |title=10 Essential Bands to Get Into Groove Metal |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/10_essential_bands_to_get_into_groove_metal-161797 |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>
In the latter part of the 1990s, a second, more aggressive wave of alternative metal emerged; dubbed [[nu metal]], it often relied on [[hardcore punk]],<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[groove metal|groove]]/[[thrash metal]],<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name="horror">{{cite journal |title=What's the Deal with Soundtrack Albums? Metal Music and the Customized Aesthetics of Contemporary Horror |last=Tompkins |first=Joseph |journal=Cinema Journal |year=2009 |volume=49 |number=1 |pages=65–81 |doi=10.1353/cj.0.0155 |s2cid=191468077 |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/cinema_journal/v049/49.1.tompkins.html|url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[industrial metal|industrial]]<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> influences, as opposed to the influences of the first wave of alternative metal bands, with this style subsequently becoming more popular than regular alternative metal.<ref name=aboutdotcom/><ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name="stoner"/> It resulted in a more standardized sound among alternative metal bands, in contrast to the more eccentric and unclassifiable early alternative metal bands.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[Korn]], a band formed in 1993, released their [[Korn (album)|self-titled debut]] the following year, which is widely considered to be the first nu metal release.<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=McIver|author-link=Joel McIver|title=Nu Metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk|year=2002|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-7119-9209-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grWO5XKtbCoC|pages=10, 12}}</ref> [[MTV]] stated that Korn "arrived in 1993 into the burgeoning alternative metal scene, which would morph into nü-metal the way [[college rock]] became alternative rock."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2945625/vintage-korn-life-is-peachy-at-20/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021123649/http://www.mtv.com/news/2945625/vintage-korn-life-is-peachy-at-20/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2016|title=Vintage Korn: Life Is Peachy At 20|website=[[MTV]]|access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> ''[[Stereogum]]'' similarly claimed that nu metal was a "weird outgrowth of the Lollapalooza-era alt-metal scene".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1834903/adrenaline-turns-20/franchises/the-anniversary/|title=Adrenaline Turns 20|date=October 2, 2015|access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref>
=== Nu metal's commercial peak (1997–2004) === {{Main|Nu metal}} During the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal became prevalent in the mainstream, with bands such as [[Korn]], [[Limp Bizkit]], [[P.O.D.]], [[Papa Roach]], [[Disturbed (band)|Disturbed]], [[System of a Down]], [[Linkin Park]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], [[Deftones]] and [[Staind]] all attaining success. AllMusic has compared nu and alternative metal's commercial success during this period to the rise of the [[glam metal]] phenomenon in the 1980s, stating that it is "ironic, given alternative metal's vehement rejection of hair metal's attitude."<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> Some nu metal bands managed to push musical boundaries while still remaining commercially viable, such as [[Mudvayne]] (who combined [[progressive rock|progressive]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.revolvermag.com/news/10-nu-metal-albums-you-need-to-own.html|title=10 Nu-Metal Albums You Need to Own|date=2014-09-09|newspaper=Revolvermag|access-date=2017-01-21}}</ref> elements) and [[Deftones]], who have incorporated [[post-hardcore]] and [[dream pop]] influences.<ref name=meltdown>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/ |title=Nu Metal Meltdown |publisher=[[MTV]] |last=D'Angelo |first=Joe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221121551/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/ |archive-date=December 21, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index2.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030201093855/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index2.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2003 |title=Nu Metal Meltdown (Part 2) |publisher=[[MTV]] |last=D'Angelo |first=Joe}}</ref>
[[File:Kornmaa2006.jpg|thumb|right|Korn in 2006]] Korn's 1998 album ''[[Follow the Leader (Korn album)|Follow the Leader]]'' and 1999 album ''[[Issues (Korn album)|Issues]]'' sold 3.6 million and 3.2 million copies in the United States, respectively, and the band's 2002 album ''[[Untouchables (album)|Untouchables]]'' sold 1.4 million. Korn's [[Korn (album)|eponymous debut]] (1994) and second album ''[[Life is Peachy]]'' (1996) sold 2.1 million and 1.8 million copies, respectively.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68255/korns-new-look |title=Korn's New 'Look' |magazine=Billboard |date=December 24, 2003 |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}</ref> Limp Bizkit's ''[[Significant Other (album)|Significant Other]]'' (1999) and ''[[Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water]]'' (2000) sold over seven million and six million, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/metal-hard-rock-album-sales-in-the-us-as-reported-by-soundscan/ |title= Metal/Hard Rock Album Sales In The US As Reported By SoundScan |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date=April 26, 2002 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref> Korn and Limp Bizkit were frequently featured on [[MTV]], often hitting number 1 and having multiple retired videos on the popular MTV show ''[[Total Request Live]]'', competing on the show with [[boy band]]s like [[N'Sync]] and [[Backstreet Boys]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/mtv-total-request-live-history.html |title=MTV Total Request Live, A History |work=Vulture |date=November 8, 2017 |accessdate=September 23, 2021 |last=Marks |first=Craig}}</ref> [[Papa Roach]]'s album ''[[Infest (album)|Infest]]'' (2000) went triple platinum and was supported by the hit single "[[Last Resort (song)|Last Resort]]".<ref name=meltdown/> Bands like [[P.O.D.]] and Linkin Park also had widespread popularity.<ref name=meltdown/>
Joel McIver believes that the band Tool is important to the development of this genre; he wrote in his book ''Unleashed: The Story of Tool'', "By 1996 and '97 the wave of alternative metal spearheaded by Tool in the wake of grunge was beginning to evolve into nu-metal". However, Tool's vocalist [[Maynard James Keenan]] was quick to separate himself from this movement saying "I'm sick of that whole attitude. The one that puts Tool in with [nu] metal bands. The press... can't seem to distinguish between alternative and metal."<ref name="toolbook">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dA_V2mbPiecC&q=%22alternative+metal%22+%22tool%22&pg=PT108 |title=Unleashed: The Story of Tool - Joel McIver - Google Books |access-date=2013-02-14|isbn=9780857120403 |last1=McIver |first1=Joel |year=2012 |publisher=Omnibus }}</ref> Other alternative metal bands considered influential to the nu metal genre such as Helmet have also tried to distance themselves from the movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/helmet_were_better_than_999_of_the_other_bands_out_there.html |title=Helmet: We're Better Than 99.9% Of The Other Bands Out There | News @ |publisher=Ultimate-guitar.com |access-date=2013-02-14}}</ref><ref name="Weatherford">{{Cite news| last = Weatherford | first = Mike | title = Mr. Bungle serving up pop music from Mars | newspaper =[[The Las Vegas Review-Journal]]| pages =32J | date =October 15, 1999}}</ref>
=== Decline in nu metal and continuity in popularity of alternative metal (2004–2009) === In 2004, nu metal's popularity was declining, with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and P.O.D. having a decline in album sales. Instead, [[post-grunge]] bands like [[Nickelback]] were selling the most records and being promoted the most on radio.<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040218235442/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/165032p-144558c.html |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/165032p-144558c.html |title=Metal bands rocked by slump |work=[[New York Daily News]] |last=Farber |first=Jim |date=February 17, 2004 |archivedate=February 18, 2004 |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}</ref> Additionally, many nu metal bands began to move away from the nu metal genre and moved on to other genres.<ref name=meltdown/>
=== Mainstream decline (2010s) === In 2016, Jason Heller of ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' wrote "The term alternative metal still pops up from time to time, but it’s no more relevant or meaningful today than alternative rock. Instead, it’s a relic. But the brief, nebulous era of alternative metal in the late 80s and early 90s remains a snapshot of a vibrant time when a brash new generation of heavy-leaning bands threw everything against the wall to see what stuck."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/soundgarden-alternative-metal/|title=Loud Love: Soundgarden and the Heyday of Alternative Metal - Noisey|date=August 26, 2016 |publisher=|access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref>
==See also== * [[List of alternative metal bands]]
==Citations== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== * {{cite book|author-link=Ian Christe|last=Christe|first=Ian|year=2003|title=Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=0-380-81127-8|title-link=Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121118101556/http://www.treblezine.com/columns/229.html 10 Essential Alternative metal singles] * [https://www.vh1.com/news/rjhh9u/alt-metal-a-to-z Alt-Metal A To Z: 26 Bands That Define The Genre - VH1] * [http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/rp/genres/alternative-metal.html Alternative metal - Nuclear Blast] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120204055718/http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/alternative_metal.htm Silver Dragon Records: Alternative Metal]}}
{{Alternative metal}} {{Alternative rock}} {{Heavy metal music}}
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