Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s.^[1] Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.^[2] The music festival Lollapalooza helped the genre and the bands associated with the movement gain ground early on.^[2]

Origins[link]

Initially alternative metal appealed mainly to alternative rock fans since virtually all 1980s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American rock underground scene.^[2] Alt-metal bands commonly emerged from hardcore punk (Biohazard, Corrosion of Conformity), noise rock (Helmet, The Jesus Lizard), grunge (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden), and industrial (Ministry, Nine Inch Nails).^[2] These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimenting with the form.^[2] Jane's Addiction borrowed from progressive rock and Living Colour injected funk into their sound, for example,^[2] while Primus includes influence from both progressive rock^[2] and funk,^[3] and Faith No More mixed progressive rock, funk and hip hop.^[4]

A new wave of alternative metal, that uses intense aggression and adolescent machismo, emerged around 1993 and 1994.^[2] This new sound, called nu metal, was influenced by Rage Against the Machine, Tool, White Zombie, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails^[2] and Faith No More.^[5] Nu metal combines the aggressive riffs of Korn, the acoustic ballads of Staind and the rap rock of Limp Bizkit.^[1] Korn's demo Neidermeyer's Mind, released in 1993, is considered the first nu metal album.^[6] By the latter 1990s, nu metal bands were playing a combination of thrash metal, hip hop, industrial, hardcore punk and grunge.^[2] Newer bands like Linkin Park drew inspiration from the same influences that include Helmet, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, Korn and Deftones.^[7]

Many established 1980s metal bands released albums in the 1990s that were described as alternative metal, including Metallica^[8] and Anthrax.^[9]

See also[link]

• List of alternative metal artists
• Industrial metal
• Post-grunge
• Post-hardcore

Sources[link]

• Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Music.com: Alternative Metal
• Silver Dragon Records: Alternative Metal

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