10 Best Nu-Metal Albums Of The 90s

The 90’s bought the new wave of American metal movement, with the peak coming in the shape of nu-metal - predominantly starting as a fusion of hip-hop into the ultra-heavy metal DNA we know and love. Over time, more and more influences were added into the mix allowing nu-metal to expand its reach and be as expressive as creatively possible.

Metal purists refuse to believe nu-metal was anything more than snot-nosed brats trying to get attention, but that close-minded approach to music is exactly what nu-metal stood against.

The genre gave a home to the ‘weirdos’, a place for the misunderstood to relate and a sense that the outspoken finally have a home within music. People who disapprove of nu-metal clearly haven’t ever been gripped by its message, and for people that do relate, the nu-metal movement was empowering.

Nu-metal is, and always will be so much more than 3-4 minutes of sonic aggression, the genre is a culture and not just a listening experience. This list will dive into the 10 best nu-metal albums released from its unofficial birth in 1994, right up to the peak of the movement in the very late 90s. For full disclosure, each band only has one entry on the list, as evidently some bands could fill the list on their own.

Around The Fur highlights a Deftones that self admittedly didn’t know where the album was going during the production. A new level of experimentation was used for the record compared to the band’s previous release.

Their unique spin on the genre is evident in the use of the low to high dynamic, the album’s general flow and Chino Moreno’s distinctive and sometimes unusual vocals. The album went a long way into promoting the still young band by giving healthy radio coverage and thus brining them into the mainstream.

Within a matter of seconds the song structures on the album could transform from a brutal riff-assault to a sombre affair and back again within the blink of an eye, finding their signature groove throughout the hour plus experience. Standout song Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) brings the band’s swift evolution from their Adrenaline album into the spotlight, showing a cleaner and sharper finished product.

Deftones always remained ‘themselves’ and did not conform to normality, which gave them a special place in the heart of the nu-metal industry.