Researching Genre - Nu Metal

Nu Metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal. It's a fusion genre which combines elements of metal with other genres, including hip-hop and industrial. It is classed as part of alternative metal.
Here are some examples from the genre:

Korn - Undone

Lostprophets - Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja

Linkin Park - Crawling

Linkin Park - In The End

System Of A Down - Toxicity

Papa Roach - Between Angels And Insects


Limp Bizkit - Rollin'

Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff


Thousand Foot Crutch - Move

Disturbed - Down With The Sickness

Ill Nino - How Can I Live


I've already picked up some reoccurring conventions from these videos that stand out. Many of the videos have use surrealism and 3d imaging behind band members for example in Crawling an Undone as well as in the video for wait and bleed. A lot of songs also use synthesized sounds and scratching as in Rollin' and Wait and Bleed this is a feature which makes Nu metal a unique sub-genre, this also appeals to a possible slightly younger target audience in comparison to other metal genres. Many band members have similar appearance having spiked up or long hair and a style of clothing including oversized shirts, cargo or sweat pants and sports jackets as well as occasionally tattoo's or piercings, all band members normally feature in performance footage. 

Often these videos feature performance footage or concept, however narrative is not often included. Nu metal music is mostly syncopated and based on riffs, Mid-song breakdowns and lack of solos contrasts it with other metal sub-genres. The technique that nu metal guitarists use is detuned strings whose lower pitch creates a thicker, more resonant sound. Strings detuned in this way are often drop-D or lower, sometimes adding a seventh string. The songs often include profanity in their lyrics and sometimes the videos have scenes which would give the video a higher age rating. Nu metal may or may not also include rapping or turntables. 

Although the genre has often been mislabelled as rap metal which was simply just metal with primarily rapping vocals. Nu metal is controversial among the fans of more established metal genres, who often consider the hip hop influence negative, as well as the mainstream popularity of several bands. A very commonly held opinion by traditional metal musicians, like Zakk Wylde, was that nu metal bands did not do solos primarily because of their inabilities to execute complex and intricate scales. This is typical of nu metal bands in that guitar solos are rare in nu metal songs in general. Nu Metal gained popularity in 1998 with the release of Korns album Follow The Leader becoming a platinum hit, this lead to lots of bands adopting a Nu Metal sound of which many where successful. Early Slipknot and Linkin Park found success as well as Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach having popular hits.  

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