10 Greatest Nu Metal Albums Of All Time
6. White Pony - Deftones
Most of the nu metal genre is primarily concerned with the heaviness that you bring across.
While other metal genres are interested in delivering a thousand notes per second and higher screams than most humans can hit, the real magic of this genre all came from the low end of the groove. Then again, Deftones proved that heaviness could mean many different things on White Pony.
Coming right as the nu metal movement started to pick up steam, this record is much more concerned with soundscapes to put you on edge, with Chino Moreno belting his lungs out across every other track. From one song to the next, these songs almost set you up in little sonic landscapes, whether it's the chilling turntable musings on Digital Bash or the sullen quality that comes with Change (In the House of Flies).
Given that these guys were also going through drug problems at the time, these songs also have a more destructive character, threatening to fly off the hinges at any second.
Though Back to School ended up being the embarrassing promotional single for this album, the rest of the record stands on its own as one of the most cerebral experiences you will ever hear under the nu metal tag. It's not necessarily the most comfortable of sonic spaces, but it's one that you'll certainly want to revisit time and time again.