Although the original nü-metal movement that took place from the mid-to-late 90s into the early 2000s marked perhaps the last time metal held mainstream prominence, many of the key artists who shaped the scene resisted being associated with the genre label.
While Linkin Park and Evanescence became the most commercially successful artists to emerge from the scene—each earning diamond certifications in the U.S.—System Of A Down was another prominent and influential act that found breakout success during this time. In addition to their success within the genre, SOAD also brought politically charged lyrics and social commentary messaging within the nu metal movement the way that Rage Against The Machine did for the previous generations of artists.
Serj Tankian, the vocalist of the multi-platinum Armenian-American band, recently shared that he felt his band existed somewhat outside the nü-metal genre, as he mentioned in an interview with Revolver several weeks ago.
Now, his bandmate, bassist Shavo Odadjian, has also shared his thoughts on the genre, which has seen a resurgence in recent years. In a conversation with Metal Hammer, Odadjian admitted that he, too, initially resisted the nü-metal label. He said: “I never liked being compared to anyone. When they put us in a group, I would always be like, ‘We’re not nu metal, we’re our own thing!’ Now I’m older and wiser. Those are my bros, man. I made great friends in that community. Touring with these guys and hanging out with them every night, it created some special bonds and I’m proud of that. We’re still in that group and that era. You can’t compare System or Korn to Static-X. It was an era of doing metal a different way. It was bringing in other elements to metal as a whole and not giving a fuck. That’s what the kids of today are attracted to and bonding with in that genre. Our era was like that in a different way: we didn’t care we were mixing Arabic and Armenian elements with death metal, Korn didn’t care that they were mixing in hip-hop, Deftones didn’t care they sang like Sade! Static-X added disco… There was such a cool melting pot. You can’t deny that it was cool and special, right?”
Korn, often seen as pioneers of the genre, were among those who distanced themselves from it, especially as the scene became flooded with imitators and obvious cash-grabs from artists who fell out of favor due to nü-metal’s rapid rise.
Their vocalist, Jonathan Davis, has previously remarked that by 2002, the genre “had become a parody of itself.” He wasn’t the only one—other important artists who contributed to the genre's rise also made efforts to break free from the nü-metal label. Incubus and Deftones are notable for later albums that strayed from what was considered the typical nü-metal sound.
With a resurgence of popularity in both nostalgia for legacy acts and influence on a vast majority of modern metal acts, time will tell if some of the O.G. nu metal heads will have a change of heart for the genre the way that Odadjian has. In the meantime, tune your guitar extra low, hold your bass vertical, rock the fuck out, and while you're at it take sometime to think back on just how innovative and creative the rise of the nu metal movement was from the start.
