Search results
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) [4] is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal.
- Reference
- System of a Down. 1,633 votes. System of a Down has been a powerful force in the alt-metal scene since their formation in the mid-90s. Known for their highly energetic performances, politically charged lyrics, and distinctive, operatic vocal styles from Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian, the band has carved out a unique and unmistakable sound.
- Tool. 1,627 votes. Tool's impressive and innovative approach to alt-metal is unlike any other band in the genre. With intricate drum patterns, unconventional time signatures, and Maynard James Keenan's thought-provoking lyrics, Tool has pushed the boundaries of alternative metal since its formation in 1990.
- Alice in Chains. 1,324 votes. Alice in Chains is a quintessential alt-metal band that emerged from the Seattle grunge scene in the late 1980s. Their distinct sound is characterized by dark, melancholic melodies, haunting harmonies, and guitarist Jerry Cantrell's signature riffing, which seamlessly blends elements of heavy metal and grunge.
- Soundgarden. 928 votes. Soundgarden, one of the pioneering bands of the 90s grunge movement, has also managed to make a lasting impact on the alt-metal scene.
Alternative metal (or alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. [ 2 ][ 3 ] Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily downtuned, mid-paced guitar riffs, a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and harsh vocals and ...
Alternative Metal and Industrial Metal that incorporates various aspects of electronic music, specifically Electronic Dance Music. Nu Metal Emphasizes bouncy, drop-tuned riffs, alternating vocal styles, and genre-bending, often incorporating Hip Hop and Funk Metal elements.
- Living Colour – “Cult of Personality”
- Ministry – “Burning Inside”
- Fishbone – “Sunless Saturday”
- Soundgarden – “Rusty Cage”
- Alice in Chains – “Them Bones”
- Faith No More – “Midlife Crisis”
- Helmet – “Unsung”
- Nine Inch Nails – “Wish”
- Rollins Band – “Liar”
- Deftones – “My Own Summer (Shove It)”
from Vivid(1988; Epic) Sociologist Max Weber helped codify the phenomenon of the cult of personality, where someone uses any media means necessary to elevate their status to that of hero, ubermensch, or more. Living Colour didn’t just use the concept in order to tear it down (pleas from Kennedy and Malcolm X bouncing off pronouncements like “You ga...
from The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste(1989; Sire) Ministry made a pretty huge transformation in the course of half a decade. Starting out as new wave synth-pop before going a little more goth, and eventually embracing the misanthropic sounds of industrial, their sound at the end of the ’80s scarcely resembled that of their beginnings. And in 1...
from The Reality of My Surroundings (1991; Columbia) How fitting is it that two of alternative metal’s biggest and earliest successes come from Black musicians? Being the Other in a crowd of otherwise white professionals is pretty tough, but when that profession already means being on the fringe of the fringe, it’s poetic justice that Living Colour...
from Badmotorfinger(1991; A&M) Soundgarden’s last two pre-reunion albums, 1994’s Superunknown and 1996’s Down on the Upside, didn’t feature heavy metal elements as prominently as their previous few. But when their style of metallic, riff-heavy grunge sounds as kickass as it did on 1991’s Badmotorfinger, there’s not really any point in trying to out...
from Dirt(1992; Columbia) Alice In Chains started life a little closer to the Sunset Strip spandex metal scene than they did to grunge, so it’s a good thing they discovered some gnarlier, uglier sounds, which achieved perfection on 1992’s Dirt. A bleak album that largely concerns heroin addiction, Dirt is nonetheless stacked with massive singles, f...
from Angel Dust(1992; Slash) Funk metal is sort of a ridiculous concept when you really think about it. So it’s even more ridiculous to think that Faith No More actually made a fusion of metal and funk into operatic high art. Sure, we all saw the fish flopping around in the dramatic video for 1991’s “Epic,” but the following year, the band upped th...
from Meantime(1992; Interscope) For more than a few metal bands, the name of the game is maximalism, but Helmet’s Page Hamilton couldn’t care less. He favors an agenda of simple, clean, drop-D power chord crunch. It’s straightforward. It’s elegant. It gets the job done. Lest anyone find the thought pedestrian, however, “Unsung” should cure anyone o...
from Broken(1992; Nothing-Interscope) Generally speaking, Nine Inch Nails were never really much of a metal band. From their debut album Pretty Hate Machine, Trent Reznor’s industrial rock vehicle has been primarily built around synths, though piercing, distorted guitars definitely played a part of that. However, 1992’s BrokenEP is the sort-of exce...
from Weight(1994; Imago) Let’s face it: In spite of Henry Rollins’ Black Flag pedigree, this song—quite frankly, the whole of Rollins Band’s reputation—is pretty much nothing without that video. But boy, does it ever become something. It raises up Hank’s schizophrenic cool/unhinged delivery from merely unnerving monologue to fantastical parable. Ke...
from Around the Fur(1997; Maverick) Our intention with this list was to keep it free from nu-metal, mostly because it hasn’t aged all that well. There are certainly some notable exceptions, the absolute best being Sacramento’s Deftones, who arrived just as grunge had waned and presented a unique blend of melodic haze and crushing heaviness. And whi...
Alternative metal (or alt-metal), is a style of heavy metal that emerged in the late 1980s, and had popularity in the 1990s alongside grunge, thrash metal, punk and groove metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavy metal guitar riffs, unconventional sounds within other he…
May 9, 2024 · Alternative metal is a multifaceted genre that defies easy categorization, blending the raw power of heavy metal with the diverse influences of alternative rock to create a distinctive and dynamic sound.
