Alternative metal is an eclectic form of heavy metal music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. Funk rock (also typed as funk-rock) is a music genre that fuses Funk and rock elements Progressive metal (often referred to simply as prog metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music which blends the powerful guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Post-grunge is a subgenre of Alternative rock that emerged in the early 1990s as a derivative of Grunge music. Nu metal (sometimes named new metal or nü metal) is a musical genre that emerged in the mid 1990s which fuses influences from grunge and Alternative This is a list of bands within the Alternative metal genre of Rock music. Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single Paradigm or set of assumptions but instead draws upon multiple theories styles or ideas to It is characterized by some heavy metal trappings (most notably heavy riffs), but usually with a pronounced experimental edge, including unconventional lyrics, odd time signatures, unusual technique, a resistance to conventional approaches to heavy music and an incorporation of a wide range of influences outside of the metal music scene. In Music, a riff is an Ostinato figure a repeated Chord progression, pattern refrain or melodic figure, often played by the Rhythm Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats ^[1]

Overview

The term is used as a very loose categorization, but is usually used to describe artists playing a style of rock music which is considered either a unique approach to heavy music, normally not based in heavy metal, or difficult to define as strictly metal.

Heavy metal is an essential component of the music, but it was very different from the thrash underground of the 1980s. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Initially alternative metal appealed mainly to alternative rock fans since virtually all 80s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American Rock underground scene. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Alt-metal bands commonly emerged from hardcore punk ( Corrosion of Conformity ), post-punk/noise rock such as Big Black and Sonic Youth along with others such as Helmet and White Zombie, grunge (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden), industrial (Ministry, Nine Inch Nails). Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Corrosion of Conformity (also known as COC) is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982 Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Noise rock (also known as noise punk) describes one variety of Post-punk Rock music that became prominent in the 1980s Big Black was a Noise rock band founded in Chicago Illinois, United States that was active between 1982 and 1987. Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 A helmet is a form of Protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries a variation of the hat Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle Washington in Industrial rock is a Musical genre that fuses Industrial music and Punk rock. Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981 These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimenting with the form, usually by way of their eclectic influences and uncommon approaches. For example, Jane's Addiction utilized performance art and a bohemian aesthetic, Corrosion of Conformity, The Melvins and the now defunct grunge band Soundgarden had a fondness for subverting '70s metal, and Faith No More injected funk and rap music into their brand of alternative metal,^[2] while Primus incorporates an obscure Residents-esque touch in their form of the genre. This article is about Performance art For other uses see Performance (disambiguation The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists The Melvins is an American Sludge metal band that usually perform as a Power trio. Faith No More was an American Alternative metal band that formed in San Francisco, California from 1982 to 1998 Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Primus is an American rock band currently composed of singer and bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and The Residents is an American Avant-garde music and Visual arts collective who have created over sixty albums created numerous musical short films

The grunge movement of the early 1990s helped increase the audience for such bands, and these artists were as comfortable playing to alternative rock fans on various Lollapalooza line-ups (itself founded by Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell) as they were opening for metal bands like Metallica. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Not to be confused with Pharrell Williams Perry Farrell (born Peretz Bernstein on March 29, 1959) is an American Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. With the changing of the musical landscape by the popular breakthrough of alternative rock, "alternative metal" became a new phrase used to describe bands in the early 1990s who managed to make relevant era music that was "heavy without necessarily being metal". ^[3] Newer bands emerged in this era with their distinctive takes on metal: Nine Inch Nails and Ministry started the industrial wave, combining punk-influenced electronic music and heavy guitars, Tool immersed itself in progressive rock influences, Rage Against the Machine was as informed by hip hop and post-punk agitprop such as Gang of Four as it was by metal, and Helmet molded a background in jazz and noise-rock/post-hardcore influences into a highly influential strand of intense rock music. Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981 Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Tool is an American rock band that was formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Rage Against the Machine (sometimes shortened to RATM or Rage) is Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Agitprop (агитпроп is a contraction of " agit ation and prop aganda" Gang of Four are an English Post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Helmet is an American Post-hardcore / Alternative metal band formed in New York City by Page Hamilton (vocals/guitar with

As the 90s progressed, alternative metal's sound became more standardized as newer bands drew inspiration for the same collective set of influences that included Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Nine Inch Nails, Chevelle, and Helmet. Rage Against the Machine (sometimes shortened to RATM or Rage) is Korn, occasionally typeset as KoЯn or KoRn, is an American Nu metal band from Bakersfield California, and is often credited with popularizing Chevelle is an American rock / alternative band that formed in 1995 in Grayslake Illinois. Helmet is an American Post-hardcore / Alternative metal band formed in New York City by Page Hamilton (vocals/guitar with Korn in particular, with its downtuned riffs and aggressive dissonance, created the sonic template for this new movement, which became known as nu metal. Nu metal (sometimes named new metal or nü metal) is a musical genre that emerged in the mid 1990s which fuses influences from grunge and Alternative

Subgenres and derivative forms

As the term alternative metal is used to refer to bands with a unifying characteristic despite their tendency towards different sounds, subgenres of alternative metal were assigned to bands who adopted similar styles. These labels were often nearly as vague as the term alternative metal itself, but gained use in common parlance to distinguish between bands having different influences within the broader genre.

Nu metal

Main article: Nu metal

Beginning in the mid-nineties, bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and P.O.D. took influences from the more popular alternative metal artists as well as grunge, groove metal and hip hop and derived a genre known as nu metal. Nu metal (sometimes named new metal or nü metal) is a musical genre that emerged in the mid 1990s which fuses influences from grunge and Alternative Korn, occasionally typeset as KoЯn or KoRn, is an American Nu metal band from Bakersfield California, and is often credited with popularizing Limp Bizkit is an American Nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. POD, initials standing for Payable On Death, is a rock band from San Diego California. Groove metal, often associated with neo-thrash / post-thrash and power groove, is a term sometimes used to describe a derivative of Thrash Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with In the late nineties and early 2000s Nu Metal became extremely popular, with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and Linkin Park becoming especially popular.

See also

• Industrial metal
• Funk metal
• Grunge music
• List of alternative metal artists

Sources

• Christe, Ian (2003). Industrial metal is a Musical genre that draws from Industrial music and heavy metal. Funk rock (also typed as funk-rock) is a music genre that fuses Funk and rock elements This is a list of bands within the Alternative metal genre of Rock music. Ian Christe (born 1970 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland) is an Author and Disc jockey. Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8.

References

External links

• Allmusic.com page for Alternative Metal
• Music.com