10 Perfect Albums Where Metal Went Alternative

Every nu metal band that was coming out around the turn of the century had to be coming from a place of great pain. Whether you were talking about the frat boy anger that came out of Limp Bizkit or the rough childhoods that afflicted people like Aaron Lewis or Jonathan Davis, this was the kind of music that was all about pushing against those that put you down and being able to come out on the other side. That's all well and good...but what happens when the person standing in your way is yourself?

As Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel got to work on the next a Perfect Circle record, the underlying theme of Thirteenth Step became centered around addiction and what drives someone to be totally dependent on a vice. Drafting in James Iha to add different electronic extensions, the songs on here almost seem removed from nu metal entirely, keeping the same heaviness on songs the Outsider and then stripping it away to get open and honest about yourself on songs like Weak and Powerless and Blue.

Although the songs may have gotten a little prettier and slowed down a bit, you still feel that sense of dread, almost like these songs are taking place on the other side of consciousness as you're watching yourself wither away at the hands of drugs. Anyone can find themselves turning to something dark to feed their needs, but these are the sounds you hear when you don't have your hand on the wheel anymore.