JAM's Shashank takes a close look at this new genre that has become all the rage with the rockers all over, Nu metal.

Aggressive lyrics with rhythmic syncopated riffs played on distorted electric guitars tuned to the lowest pitches are all the major components of rocks strangest and most popular genre, Nu metal.

Emerging in the mid 1990s, the Nu metal style of music has emphasized mainly on attracting the young teenage generation of the rock world. With its influences ranging from the grunge and alternative rock style to the introduction of rap and hip-hop kind of lyrics in the thrash and heavy metal scene. Korn, Deftones, Human Waste Project all from southern California are considered as some of the earliest Nu metal bands who managed to hit the big stage. To many the godfather of Nu metal is producer Ross Robinson who has worked with some of the most notable Nu metal bands, take Korn for example, who are by far the most respected and popular band in the genre.

Korn have emerged as one the creepiest heavy metal bands after Black Sabbath, but where lyrics of Black Sabbath involved singing about witches and devils, Korn emphasized more on singing about dark social issues. Their music involves a heavy mix of the funk and hip-hop rhythms, with aggressive distorted guitar riffs and after tuning their already low-tuned 7-string guitar even lower, Korn were something of a nightmare to many radio studios who never could understand this new style of play. However, the...

band's unique sound, with strong impactful lyrics was enough to have a fan following that was unimaginable.

Limp Bizkit helped further increase the Nu metal popularity with the release of their multi-platinum selling album Significant Other that included the hit singles 'Nookie' and 'Re-arranged'. Ironically, it was Korn that played a major role in getting them so far. Limp Bizkit went further on to have one of the largest fan- followings in America; their other hit singles included 'Rolling' and 'My Way'. The X factor of this band has got be their live shows where they managed to draw in a mixed crowd of heavy rockers and the ones who follow the rap style, not to miss out the huge female following.

The release of the Hybrid Theory album of Linkin Park, which sold over 10 million, was another example of the increasing popularity of this genre. Bands such as Papa Roach and System Of A Down also managed to achieve top-selling albums. The Nu metal scene had clearly a large hold over the American market, but it had to be seen whether people around the world accepted this style, though over the past decade Nu metal bands have clearly caught the attention of many and started a revolution that was needed to keep rock alive. The bass used in Nu metal is considered to be the driving force behind the music; the bass riffs are such that they are able to compliment the rap-like lyrics which are used extensively. Bassists...

like Fieldy of Korn and Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit use five sting basses.

Apart from the regular instruments that are used, the addition of turntables that is used for sampling and scratching add up to the rhythmic sound and play a key role in most of the Nu metal songs. Slipknot for example, plays with two samplers. DJ Lethal and MR. Hahn are other famous names. Clearly for all those who are fed up with the death and thrash metal, Nu metal is the alternate choice.

-- Shashank