Aug 21 2022
0

21 Best Nu Metal Bands Of All Time

By David Presley
21 Best Nu Metal Bands Of All Time

Best-Nu-Metal-Bands-Of-All-Time-2

In this blog post, we mention some of the best Nu Metal Bands Of All Time. Many of these nu-metal acts, rise above their contemporaries with an aggressive blend of bottom-heavy riffs and creative improvisation borrowed from other musical genres.

What is Nu Metal?

Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Some metal bands made use DJs to provide additional layers of sound like electronic beats or scratching. Nu metal was made popular in the 1990s by bands such as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Deftones and Linkin Park.

1. Linkin Park

Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Since its formation in 1996, the band has sold more than 100 million albums and won two Grammy Awards. Rooted at the crossroads of aggressive metal and beat-driven hip-hop, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the early 21st century by incorporating elements from across genres, injecting hardcore rap, raucous punk, atmospheric electronic, and even polished pop stylings into their music.

  • Band formation: 1996
  • Genres: Alternative rock, Nu metal, Alternative metal, Rap rock, Electronic rock, Pop rock
  • Best album: Hybrid Theory (2000)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 24 million

Stream best Linkin Park songs

Read more:

2. System of a Down

System of a Down is an Armenian American alternative metal band, formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Striking a balance between ’80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-’90s alternative rock, Armenian-American quartet System of a Down effectively pushed their socially conscious, politically charged messages into the mosh pits during the turn of the century’s nu-metal wave. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and their song “B.Y.O.B.” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006.

  • Band formation: 1994
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Nu metal, Heavy metal, Hard rock
    progressive metal
  • Best-selling album: TOXICITY (2001)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 12 million

Stream best System of a Down songs

Read more:

3. Slipknot

Slipknot is an American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. The band was founded in 1995 by vocalist Anders Colsefni, percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. Slipknot’s mix of grinding, post-Korn alternative metal, Marilyn Manson-esque neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the nu-metal explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

  • Band formation: 1995
  • Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal, Groove metal, Heavy metal
  • Best-selling album: SLIPKNOT (1999)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 10 million

Stream best Slipknot songs

Read more:

4. Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal/rap metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Their lineup consists of Fred Durst (lead vocals), Sam Rivers (bass, backing vocals), John Otto (drums, percussion), DJ Lethal (turntables), and Wes Borland (guitars, vocals). A linchpin of the late-’90s nu-metal scene, Limp Bizkit brought rap-metal to the masses with the career-defining albums Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000).

Stream best Limp Bizkit songs

Read more:

5. Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine (RATM/Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Outspoken firebrands and activists Rage Against the Machine educated masses of heavy music fans by injecting their bombastic Molotov cocktail of rap, hardcore punk, funk, and metal with a sobering dose of fiercely polemical, politically charged urgency.

  • Band formation: 1991
  • Genres: Rap metal, Rap rock, Funk metal, Alternative metal
  • Best-selling album: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (1992)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 9 million

Stream best Rage Against the Machine songs

Read more:

6. Disturbed

Disturbed is an American alternative metal/hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1994. A hard-hitting, multi-platinum-selling heavy metal outfit based out of Chicago, Disturbed emerged in the late ’90s with an aggressive blend of hard rock and alternative and nu metal.

  • Band formation:
  • Genres: Heavy metal, Hard rock, Alternative metal, Nu metal 
  • Best album: 1994
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 9 million

Stream best Disturbed songs

Read more:

7. Papa Roach

Papa Roach is an American hard rock band from Vacaville, California. Starting out as a hardcore punk- and rap-influenced outfit, Papa Roach eventually grew into a straight-ahead hard rock ensemble with strong metal leanings and a knack for pairing uncompromising power with pop acumen. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest (2000). The group’s success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy (2002), their platinum album Getting Away with Murder (2004), The Paramour Sessions (2006), and Metamorphosis (2009).

  • Band formation: 1993
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Hard rock, Rap metal, Alternative rock, Nu metal
  • Best album: Infest (2000)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 8.5 million

Stream best Papa Roach songs

Read more:

8. Evanescence

Evanescence is a Grammy-winning band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody (who left in 2003). One of the most popular post-alternative American bands of the 2000s, Evanescence debuted with a hybrid operatic goth-pop sound that paired soul-baring introspection with churning metallic guitars.

  • Band formation: 1995
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Nu metal, Gothic metal, Gothic rock, Hard rock, Symphonic metal
  • Best album: The Open Door (2006)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 8.5 million

Stream best Evanescence songs

Read more:

9. Korn

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Korn’s cathartic sound positioned the group as one of the most popular and provocative acts to emerge during the 1990s. At the forefront of the nu-metal/rap-rock movement of the time, they quickly evolved, developing a trademark style that incorporated downtuned guitars, a groove-heavy rhythm section, haunted atmospheric production, and dark lyrics courtesy of frontman Jonathan Davis, who grappled with common themes such as childhood trauma, destructive behavior, and inner demons. So far, Korn has earned two Grammy Awards out of eight nominations for the songs “Freak on a Leash” and “Here To Stay”.

  • Band formation: 1993
  • Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal
  • Best-selling album: Follow the Leader(1998)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 7 million

Stream best Korn songs

Read more:

10. Incubus

Incubus is an alternative rock band based in Calabasas, California. Incubus became one of the most popular alt-metal bands of the new millennium, setting themselves apart from a crowded field with a tireless touring ethic and a broad musical palette. Employing a versatile blend of heavy metal, funk, jazz, hip-hop, techno, post-grunge, and alternative rock, the band hit the mainstream in 1999 with their multi-platinum third album, Make Yourself, which featured the chart-topping single “Drive.”

  • Band formation: 1991
  • Genres: Alternative rock, Alternative metal, Funk metal, Nu metal
  • Best album: Make Yourself (1999)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 5.5 million

Stream best Incubus songs

Read more:

11. Deftones

Deftones is an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1988, consisting of Chino Moreno (lead vocals and guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Sergio Vega (bass), Frank Delgado (keyboards and turntables), and Abe Cunningham (drums and percussion). As one of the progenitors of the ’90s nu-metal movement, Deftones quickly evolved beyond the scene, embracing their individual influences to create an artistic alternative metal hybrid that balanced beauty and brutality.

  • Band formation: 1988
  • Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal, Art rock, Experimental rock, Shoegaze
  • Best-selling album: White Pony (2000)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 5 million

Stream best Deftones songs

Read more:

12. Breaking Benjamin

Breaking Benjamin is a post-grunge/alternative metal band Formed in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA in 1998 by vocalist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. They debuted with a brand of metal-tinged alternative that came to define the sound of mainstream rock in the early 2000s. Originally indebted to the minor-chord dirges of grunge rockers like Alice in Chains and the menacing darkness of nu-metal acts like Godsmack and Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin became one of the most popular rock groups in the United States, scoring a number one with the single “Breath” in 2007 and topping the Billboard 200 in 2015 with Dark Before Dawn.

  • Band formation: 1999
  • Genres: Hard rock, Post-grunge, Alternative metal
  • Best album: Phobia (2006)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 5 million

Stream best Breaking Benjamin songs

Read more:

13. Godsmack

Godsmack is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States which formed in 1995.The band infuse a sound influenced by Alice in Chains and Metallica with mystical imagery and percussive tribal rhythms. Part of the late-’90s post-grunge/nu-metal wave, the Lawrence, Massachusetts quartet debuted with a dark and menacing self-titled effort that took cues from Alice in Chains, especially frontman Sully Erna’s vocal similarities with Layne Staley. The band has three #1 albums (Faceless, IV, The Oracle) on the Billboard 200, four Grammy nominations, and eight #1 hits on Mainstream Rock Radio.

  • Band formation: 1995
  • Genres: Post-grunge, Hard rock, Nu metal, Alternative metal, Heavy metal
  • Best album: Godsmack (1998)
  • Spotify monthly listeners:  over 3.5 million

Stream best Godsmack songs

Read more:

14. Alien Ant Farm

Alien Ant Farm is a rock band that was formed in 1996 in Riverside, California, United States. Having a sound mixing alternative rock with elements of metal, punk music, and more, the SoCal alt-metal foursome was made up of raging singer/ songwriter Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora, and drummer Mike Cosgrove. Taking their name from the popular sci-fi trope of aliens having created humanity for their own amusement, the band became internationally famous in 2001 for two smash hits: “Movies” and “Smooth Criminal” (a spirited rock cover of the Michael Jackson tune).

  • Band formation: 1996
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Post-grunge, Nu metal, Alternative rock, Punk rock, Pop punk
  • Best album: TruANT (2003)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 3.5 million

Stream best Alien Ant Farm songs

Read more:

15. Staind

Staind is an alternative metal band formed on November 24, 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. After meeting through friends and covering pop hits of the day in smalltime clubs for a year and a half, Staind self-released their debut album, Tormented, in November 1996, citing influences in brutal latin thrash metal.

  • Band formation:1995
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Hard rock, Nu metal, Post-grunge
  • Best album: Break the Cycle (2001)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million

Stream best Staind songs

Read more:

16. Drowning Pool

Drowning Pool is a heavy metal/nu metal band from Dallas, Texas formed in 1997 that rose to prominence while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during Ozzfest. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner, was certified platinum within six months. The Dallas-based heavy metal group was one of the most promising bands upon their debut in the early 2000s. The project represented the vision of drummer Mike Luce and guitarist C.J. Pierce, who formed the band after relocating from New Orleans to Dallas and hooking up with bassist Stevie Benton.

  • Band formation: 1996
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Hard rock, Post-grunge, Heavy metal, Nu metal
  • Best album: Sinner (2001)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million

Stream best Drowning Pool songs

Read more:

17. Crazy Town

Crazy Town (sometimes abbreviated as CXT) is an American rapcore band, formed in 1995 by Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer. The band combined hip-hop’s lyrical attitude and rhythmic sass with the muscle of live rock instrumentation. The combination yielded the group a number one hit in 2001, when “Butterfly” topped the Billboard 100 and helped push the band’s debut effort, The Gift of Game, to platinum status.

  • Band formation: 1995
  • Genres: Rap rock, Rap metal, Nu metal, Alternative rock, Hip hop
  • Best album: The Gift of Game (1999)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.5 million

Stream best Crazy Town songs

Read more:

18. Trapt

Trapt is an alternative band from Los Gatos, California, USA. The band formed in 1995, after meeting in high school. The Californian rock quartet was influenced by grunge, heavy metal, and nu-metal. In 2002, they scored a hit with their single “Headstrong” from their sophomore release, Trapt.  “Headstrong” became the official theme song of WWE Bad Blood for June 2003 and eventually hit platinum.

  • Band formation: 1995
  • Genres: Nu metal, Post-grunge, Alternative metal, Hard rock
  • Best album: Trapt (2002)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 2 million

Stream best Trapt songs

Read more:

19. Mudvayne

Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band from Peoria, Illinois formed in 1996. They are known for their sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint. They recorded their major-label debut, L.D. 50, which was released in August 2000 shortly after the end of their first national tour opening for Slipknot. The album later went gold and earned Mudvayne the first-ever MTV2 Video Award at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

  • Band formation: 1996
  • Genres: Heavy metal, Nu metal, Alternative metal, Progressive metal, Progressive rock, Hard rock
  • Best album: L.D. 50 (2000)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: 1.5 million

Stream best Mudvayne songs

Read more:

20. Flyleaf

Flyleaf is an American rock band, formed in Belton, Texas, United States in 2002. They originated as a band called Listen, and then changed name to Passerby, but due to an existing band owning the rights to that name, their name was changed to Flyleaf after they were signed to their record label. Their music is a mix of hard rock styles. The band cites influences such as Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana.

  • Band formation: 2002
  • Genres: Alternative metal, Hard rock, Alternative rock, Post-grunge, Nu metal
  • Best album: Flyleaf (2005)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 1.5 million

Stream best Flyleaf songs

Read more:

21. Static-X

Static-X was formed in 1994 from the ashes of Wayne Static and Ken Jay’s former band, Deep Blue Dream. The metal crew emerged at the tail end of the ’90s, pushing an aggressive thrash metal blend with industrial overtones and a techno pulse. Their breakthrough debut, 1998’s cult classic Wisconsin Death Trip, rocketed them to stardom in the heavy music world, their image boosted by frontman Wayne Static’s distinctive hair and vocal delivery.

  • Band formation: 1994
  • Genres: Industrial metal, Nu metal, Alternative metal
  • Best album: Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)
  • Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million

Stream best Static-X songs

Read more:

You may also like:

Posted inUncategorized

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *