Metal has advanced in some ways over time, and through a current chat with SiriusXM Octane host Jesea Lee, Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce professed his love for the nu steel period of music, proclaiming, “I think it was one of the best eras of metal ever because it was so huge.” Bruce is only one of a number of musicians who’ve been debating the deserves of nu steel of late, begging the query, “Was nu metal metal’s best era?”
Bruce made his case for nu steel, additional explaining, “People say now, ‘Oh, what a terrible era.’ I think it was one of the best eras of metal ever because it was so huge … That was the cool thing about nu metal. If you listen to ’80s metal bands, a lot of them sound very similar. But they spawned some incredible bands. Same with the ’60s — same with every generation and era of music. And nu metal was so diverse. I feel like when you say nu metal, an automatic sound goes into your head. But the reality is you’ve got Slipknot on one end of that spectrum, Linkin Park on the other end of the spectrum you’ve got Evanescence somewhere in the middle, you’ve got System of a Down, you’ve got Korn, you’ve got all these great bands that came from nu metal, and they all sound so different; they’re so unique. Slipknot is a nu metal band — they are — but they do not sound anything like Linkin Park, and Linkin Park do not sound anything like System of a Down. So I just think it’s such a great era. I still listen to it.”
The guitarist went on so as to add, “If I’m gonna put on a metal album, chances are — eight, nine times out of 10 — it’s gonna be a nu metal record from that era. Probably [System of a Down’s] Toxicity or something or [Slipknot’s] Iowa, but it’s gonna be from that era. And I still love listening to Metallica and all kinds of other metal bands too, but nu metal — I don’t know — holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it’s my age.”
Asking Alexandria’s Ben Bruce Speaks With SiriusXM’s Jesea Lee
As acknowledged, Bruce is not the one one debating nu steel’s place within the historical past of music, and whereas the Asking Alexandria guitarist was all about nu steel, on Twitter, Trivium bassist Paolo Gregoletto revealed that he was not likely a fan. “Nu metal, as a whole, was a very very bad genre. Once you get past the first layer or two of big bands that survived it gets very grim. Anyone saying otherwise is a sicko.”
He then added, “I think you could take pretty much any other genre of metal down to the local level and still be like, ‘Yea, that’s very good.’ Hell shit in the local scenes of 1999-2001.”
Elsewhere in the identical thread, Gregoletto added in response to 1 fan, “It’s the worst or the worst once you are down below that upper echelon of bands. It really was what pushed me into going to death metal shows before I really even liked screaming.”
Bad Wolves’ Doc Coyle acquired in on the dialogue with Gregoletto, countering, “I think you could say that for any genre. But we are more apt to like those 3rd and 4th tier bands if we really identify with that genre. I know Motley Crue and Def Leppard – I don’t know any Firehouse tunes. But to a glam head, Firehouse is the shit.”
Responding to Coyle, Gregoletto added, “I’d still say thrash and death metal are much stronger top to bottom than hair metal and nu metal. But the top tier of the latter two are great,” to which Coyle responded, “But could that be to you because you favor those genres? I think there could be a semi scientific approach to to figuring this out. But imo Nu metal’s legacy grows with time. Not shrinks.”
The Trivium bassist then added later, “I have very normie nu metal tastes I guess. I liked the big stuff and what I saw on TRL school in the late ’90s.”
What About Nu Metal’s Initial Success?
Bruce’s feedback about Nu Metal having a way of variety definitely ring true, with the style rising within the mid-to-late ’90s pulling from components of exhausting rock and steel in addition to hip-hop, industrial and the beginning to fade period of grunge that preceded it.
1997 gave the impression to be the breakout yr for nu steel, with the style peaking in reputation in 1999 and 2000 with acts comparable to Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Deftones, Disturbed, Slipknot, Kid Rock, Papa Roach, Incubus, Godsmack, P.O.D., Staind and extra coming to the forefront of in style music. As nu steel entered the 2000s, a wealth of successors discovered fame as effectively, together with Evanescence, Three Days Grace. But, by 2003, lots of the style’s greater acts began to evolve or transition away from the nu steel sounds in anticipation of the music world altering.
What About Nu Metal’s Revival?
By the mid-2010s, there began to be indicators of a nu steel revival with a variety of metalcore acts sharing their nu steel affect and dealing it into their sound. Social media additionally performed a job within the nu steel resurgence with many Gen Z followers being made after being launched to it by their dad and mom who had grown up as a part of that technology of music. After a prolonged layoff, Limp Bizkit returned. System of a Down began touring once more and different acts from that period that had continued by means of all this time began seeing a shift of their reputation. Then, earlier this yr, the Sick New World competition sought to capitalize on the resurgence by staging an enormous competition that included System of a Down, Korn, Deftones, Incubus, Evanescence, Chevelle, Papa Roach, Coal Chamber, P.O.D., Sevendust and lots of others from that early period and including extra fashionable acts comparable to Turnstile, Death Grips, 100 Gecs, Spiritbox, Fever 333 and extra to the lineup.
READ MORE: How 15 Nu Metal Artists Felt About Being Called ‘Nu Metal’
Where Do You Stand?
Let us know within the feedback your ideas on the nu steel period of music? Was it among the many greatest eras of steel ever? Was it extra top-heavy as Gregoletto urged, with the second and third tier acts conserving it from being a very nice period for steel? And revisit a few of the prime nu steel albums of all-time beneath.
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