STARTER PACK: Nu Metal Songs To Protest To

In this age of the Women's March and No Kings, in a post-Roe v. Wade America, boots on the ground have never been more numerous. It is a damn shame that the songs of our nu metal forefathers are ringing truer than ever, and while we like to have a bit of fun here at our fair Agenda, we would like to submit a handful of songs that would be perfect for marching, demonstrating, and protesting.

Protest songs are not a new invention, but here are a few time-tested classics to play over loudspeakers to rally the crowds against this fascist beat we have seen rise in this current administration. We cannot stand idly by while people who are coming to this country for a better life, those who are naturalized American citizens, or god forbid those who have a larger concentration of melanin in their skin than those in the highest offices in the land are being snatched off the streets by people claiming to be doing their job. That bullshit excuse didn't stand in Nuremburg, and it cannot stand now.

As such, here are some anthems to keep the fight going. Fuck ICE, fuck fascism, and most of all, fuck the people who voted for this.

Rage Against the Machine - "Freedom"

I personally think Rage's Most underrated song (at least I don't hear people talking about it) is Freedom. In this song the band tackles the subject matter fighting for what you believe in at any means necessary (I.e. arming yourself), never falling for propaganda, and the Imprisonment of Leonard Peltier. First, While probably not a trained vocalist, Zach De La Rocha does have a powerful voice and poetic lyricism, the latter of which not something you always see from nu metal bands.

The song really helps the listener understand one thing: no one is nor should be illegal on stolen land. It's sad that this needs to be said but its important, specifically in a time where we see this happening more and more, The illegal ICE raids that the current administration wants us all to forget about and the lasting affects which, among others, the Native American and indigenous population have to deal with.

Some lyrics that stand out from the track:

"Environment, the environment exceeding / On the level of our unconsciousness
For example, what does the billboard say? / "Come and play, come and play / Forget about the movement"

And lastly, the haunting refrain: "Anger is a gift."

-rosiegothicc

System of a Down - "B.Y.O.B."

It won them a Grammy, it got them banned from Saturday Night Live, and it drove their Mezmerize album to the band's biggest debut week in its history. As the latest in a long line of songs protesting the Iraq War, this blistering song is among the band's best-known, with Daron Malakian's scream of "Why do they always send the poor?" ringing all too true some two decades later. Frenetic with a sing-along chorus to boot, this is System firing on all cylinders, and as far as an in-person protest goes, this is a song perfect for keeping energy and spirits high.

-Lucia Z. Liner

Evanescence - "Use My Voice"

Released the fall of 2020, “Use My Voice,” was the first openly political song of Evanescence’s career according to lead singer Amy Lee. The third single from the band’s comeback record, The Bitter Truth, Amy Lee was inspired by the survivor that spoke at the Brock Turner sexual assault criminal case. The survivor stated that the “only thing her abuser could not take away was her voice.” Lee reflected that it felt hypocritical of her to not use her platform any longer to speak on politics and things that affect the world.

Vocals that were added to “Use My Voice,” to have solidarity within the music community concerning its message came from frequent collaborators and friends Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, Lindsey Sterling, and The Pretty Reckless’s Taylor Momsen along with Lee’s family and friends. To put it directly , Lee stated concerning the song, “This is an era of awakening, and full of powerful beauty. I hope to inspire others to seek truth, find their own voices and use them as I step up to use mine. Don't let anybody speak for you. Only you can do that.” The band also worked alongside non profit Headcount with the song to get people registered to vote for the 2020 presidential election. 

While registering people to vote can understandably make people cynical concerning a “rebellious” song, there’s no question that the angst, defiance, and telling those in power that they will never take the voice of the people is a universally powerful message. But if this is Evanescence’s first stab at a political track, they nailed it, and we can only hope it won’t be their last. 

-Brandon Durden

Prophets of Rage - "Unfuck the World"

A supergroup which formed just before the 2016 U.S. general election and featuring members of Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, and Rage Against The Machine which is about to be confrontational as all hell, and frankly any of their limited catalog as a supergroup could go on this list. Considering terms such as "clusterfuck" and "shitshow" are used to describe the current administration, something with a little profane pizzazz should do the trick, and so we arrive at "Unfuck the World," the first single from their only studio LP.

Among the most important of the song's lyrics is in its first verse, as B-Real urges listeners to get involved, get pissed, and fight back:

"What the fuck are you waiting for?
Stand up and rise like the tide
And move your ass with the quickness
You may live on the hit list"

By now we've all seen that "first they came for so-and-so" poem a hundred times in as many different fonts, but those who aren't concerned about the rights of immigrants and transgender people coming under attack may very well be next. Often times, these intersections of identity are the canaries in the civil rights coal mine, and time is of the essence in responding to these affronts.

-Lucia Z. Liner

Disturbed - "Liberate"

Yes, Disturbed have earned a less-than-savory reputation for their recent actions, such as frontman David Draiman signing missiles that were used in strikes on Gaza, but once upon a time, they practiced what they preached, with a message of coexistence. The original lineup consisted of all four members practicing different faiths, hence the logo which adorned their sophomore album Prayer, which boasts the last vestiges of their nu metal roots, "Liberate."

Plus, it has many uses of Kamala Harris' favorite swear word, so there's that.

The chorus is especially relevant today, encapsulating the cult-like fervor of the MAGA mentality:

"Waiting, for your modern messiah
To take away all the hatred
That darkens the light in your eye
Still awaiting I"

-Lucia Z. Liner

2X - "La fuerza policial"

There’s a time for subtlety and a time to get in the street, and Chilean aggrometal pioneers 2X understand the distinction implicitly. Birthed in the uneasy decade after the official end of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship, the band’s anger is steeped in a sudden explosion of new possibility breaking against the all-too-persistent walls of What Still Is. Their 2000 anti-cop anthem “La fuerza policial” mixes rap-rock with street-ready slogans laser-targeted at the contradictions of Chile’s Carabineros, a militarized police force created during the dictatorship, and which persists to this day decades after the nominal end of that government. “Abuse of power, abuse of power,” chants frontman Alex de la Fuente during the chorus, “Blow by blow, imposing the law.”

Most of the grievances expressed in the song aren’t explicitly political—the first verse is a story of getting picked up for drinking in public, then getting taken back to the precinct to get roughed up all night before being released. But the music video, notably, splices footage of the band with images of the Carabineros beating and turning water cannons on political protestors. When de la Fuente drops lines like “What’s happening with my people that makes them hit my people / And why don’t my people defend themselves,” he’s keenly aware of that context.

A quick glance through the YouTube comments on the music video reveals your typical smattering of support from far-flung places, but comments from Chileans about how relevant the song remains, years and even decades later. Friends of mine have told me stories that rhyme with de la Fuente’s, about long nights at the police station and the liberties cops have taken. And as policing continues to militarize in our northern end of the Americas, and as federal immigration raids continue in earnest in our communities, “La fuerza policial” is getting increasingly relevant here, too. May its relevancy in both countries be short-lived.

-Gabi Brown

Body Count - "Cop Killer"

If the theme of timeliness hasn't showed itself by now, then good for you, my sweet summer child. In the case of Body Count's "Cop Killer," the catalyst were the L.A. riots and the resulting murder of Rodney King. The song's reputation is earned through infamy, as the song was removed by the band from all but the initial pressing of their 1992 self-titled album. That didn't stop the song from being played at just about every live show the band has ever done, with bands including Soundgarden getting in on it at their Lollapalooza performance in the name of standing against censorship. With their roots in crossover thrash and hardcore punk, the song is vitriolic and intense, with Ice-T calling it like he sees it, and how he sees it is uniquely bleak.

Korn - "Politics"

Sensitive topics aren't anything new to Bakersfield's best export, but they have gone most of their careers without getting explicitly political in their music. That said, in discussing the song, frontman Jonathan Davis has called himself "political to a point where it affects human life, from global warming to abortion issues to my gun rights, stuff like that." He goes on to stress that this isn't necessarily about government, but the politics found in everything ("You wanna sleep with him to get to where you need to go") in daily life, stressing that trying to remain neutral and turn a blind eye is not the way to go.

As far as the song itself, it is the final single that the band released with original drummer David Silveria on the track, and comes from the criminally-underrated See You On The Other Side. It's got plenty of groove, but there is a sense of urgency throughout the track, even the half-time bridge and the electronic-tinged intro.

-Lucia Z. Liner

Otep - "To the Gallows"

Well, this song was almost dated.

Almost.

The caustic first single from her KULT45 album, "To The Gallows" is an indictment of the Trump administration, calling for a clearing of the house not seen since the Publishers kind from those ads you say on daytime television as a child. Kicking off with a snarled "sic semper tyrannis," the song is a jolt of energy, with a bouncy main riff to drive forth the aggression and the urgency of her call to action. Add to this the live performances during this era, which featured a severed head resembling the "morally corrupt demagogue," and you have a recipe for a modern protest song full of fervor and fresh out of fucks to give.

-Lucia Z. Liner