This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Celeste MacMurray. Find her on Instagram at @clsmsanchezx. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Rock is a music genre with just as many subgenres and flavors as any other. You’ll find that there is not one singular sound or image within the genre as it experiments like any art form does. The bands that often come to mind at the mention of rock are the likes of the Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin or Metallica, but where did the genre get its start?
Before rock came to be, there were many genres that influenced and led to its creation. Think of each genre as a conversation or dialogue where each is influenced by the next and builds upon each other. Rock and roll emerged from the fusion of bluegrass, blues, R&B, gospel, country and folk music. The genre took inspiration from each of them, and each influence is still clearly present within its stylings and themes.
The figure of the rockstar is one many are familiar with, but there is one you should know who predates any of the ones you’re familiar with.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often considered the Godmother—or Mother, depending on who you ask—of Rock and Roll. She was born in Arkansas in the early 1900s and began to play guitar as a young child. She originally started playing in an Evangelist troupe with her mother and continued to grow from there. She even began to mix her sound with gospel, Delta blues and New Orleans jazz. What made Tharpe stand out the most was her sound and the fact that she played electric guitar in a time where it was uncommon for a woman to. Beyond that, she was extremely talented and amazing at what she did. She played in a way that no one had ever seen before and inspired many, future rockstars included.
The genre of rock music as we know it has been developing since then, from the British Invasion of the 50s and 60s, to 70s psychedelia and 80s hair metal. The genre has been steadily evolving and still is even now, and the creation of nu metal is yet another subgenre that has been created in the process.
Nu metal is a subgenre of rock music that took off in the mid-90s and continued with the same amount of hype even in the 2000s. The nu metal sound was unfamiliar to everyone as its experimental nature was something that had never been heard before. It combined influences from thrash metal, hard rock, grunge, alternative rock, hip hop and even jazz. Some bands that influenced the creation of this genre were 80s bands Faith No More and Anthrax. Nu metal often featured rapping in its songs and utilized turntables within production. Many bands would involve DJ’s to help produce their albums because of the expertise and vision they could add to their songs. One of the releases credited for kick-starting the genre was none other than Korn’s self-titled album in 1994.
The genre was called nu metal due to its newness at the time with the way it combined and experimented with genres. It was shocking and unlike anything that had been heard before, and as the genre continued, it garnered more and more attention. The buzz the genre created began to die down in the 2000s, but many of these bands are still releasing music to this day. That being said, the sound and subgenre have never completely died out since many people still listen, play and draw inspiration from it.
Some artists either hate or love the label “nu metal” as it really depends on the person, but these bands are considered to be the ones at the forefront of the subgenre and its creation. As your intro to the genre, here are some of its top artists whose music has shaped and greatly inspired the genre by producing some of the top nu metal albums.
Korn
As the band whose album is credited for being the kickstarter of the genre, it’s only appropriate we discuss them first. Known for their use of rapping, vocal fry and even scatting in many of their songs, Korn is one of the most unique bands you can find. Their lyrics are often provocative just as often as they can be visceral, with their sound invigorating you from the first eight-count. If you want something like you’ve never heard before, something exciting, then Korn needs to be the first band you listen to.
Linkin Park
One of the most iconic bands of the 2000s yo probably remember hearing on the radio, Linkin Park holds a place in the heart of many Zillennials.
Linkin Park’s music completely subverted expectations and were loved for their open conversations about mental health. Chester Bennington, lead singer of the band, has some of the most show stopping vocal moments throughout his career. His voice was able to convey everything Linkin Park’s music stood for from his impressive range and his ability to portray the band’s emotional lyrics flawlessly.
Limp Bizkit
One of the bands that heavily leans into the nu metal sound, Limp Bizkit confidently presents to you their combination of rap and metal. Often aggressive and bold, any Limp Bizkit song is sure to get your blood pumping. Catchy and unforgettable, their songs manage to get stuck in your head due to their rhythm and flow of Fred Durst’s lyrics. If you want songs that heavily showcase the rap aspect of nu metal, Limp Bizkit might be the band you want to listen to.
Deftones
From their very early releases, Deftones stood out for their aggressive and melodic songs. Many people describe listening to Deftones’ music like a trance, because that’s truly what their sound evokes. The band’s first releases, such as their albums Around the Fur and White Pony, perfectly encapsulate the nu metal sound the most. Every Deftones’ song presents to you a narrative that finds a way into your emotions and manages to sound exactly like the emotions its lyrics convey. If you want something with an emotional and expansive sound, look no further than Deftones.
If you listened to any of the above recs and found your newest favorite song from here, let us know and share with us your own personal recommendations!
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