The Nineties Pt. 2: New | Nu Metal

Heavy Metal was in any case marginalised, cornered by radio music. Only the fact that new and old bands continued to live on Metal as a source of inspiration proved that Heavy Metal was far away from death. Acts like Machine Head or Pantera worked well by fusing grooves and Thrash Metal aggression. Hardcore and Rap influences were embraced as well, leading to a fusion of Hardcore and Metal by 1996. Again Machine Head but also Dog Eat Dog and Biohazard provided amazing examples of this explosive blend.

Special among the newcomers were those bands who accompanied Ozzy Osbourne on his primal Ozzfests. In 1996 the madman organised the first of many minifestivals, sporting his mad majesty himself, famous Slayer as well as emergent bands such as Biohazard and Sepultura. Over the next years Ozzy helped Metal to its feet again by introducing ambitious young musicians to the Metal stages. Korn, Slipknot, Soulfly, Deftones, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit developed a style that was soon called Nu Metal and comprised Heavy Metal rage, funky Rap, electronic devices, Hardcore, Hip Hop and Death Metal elements. This fusion of “raw guitars, emotional singing and sonic trickery” (Ian Christe) with powerful anger and ample volume proved highly successful: Slipknot’s debut album “Slipknot” (1999) overtook Machine Head’s first album “Burn my Eyes” (1994) as Roadrunner Record’s best-selling debut ever.

Particular to Nu Metal bands was their at times exaggerated use of Heavy Metal stereotypes and youthful rebellion, inlcuding piercings, tattoes and dreadlocks. Older, supposedly ‘true’ Metal musicians more than once made the mistake to judge these bands for their Metal adolescence, which – due to Slipknot and Co. being born later – included influences quite different from those of their predecessors. Sceptical Metal veterans also criticised a similar sound of all new bands (quite disputable, if you ask me). Ian Christe claims that there seemed to be rebellion in the new, political lyrics, but Metal did not appear to be outsider music anymore. I’m not sure at all whether this is true. I certainly don’t feel like a mainstream listener of mainstream music, and my preference renders me an outsider in many groups of people.

Watch Papa Roach perform their greatest anthem live: “Last Resort” (from “Infest”, 2000)

One Limp Bizkit hit is “Take a look around”, but actually the album “Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water” (2000) contains nothing but hits:

The 1998 and 1999 Ozzfests saw Limp Bizkit (with their DJ Lethal), System of a Down, Papa Roach and Godsmack emerge. The era of computers and internet helped Nu Metal bands along even more. American band Limp Bizkit is especially famous for their anthem-like songs which saw the light of day in rapid succession. Virtually everyone knows Papa Roach’s song “Last Resort”. System of a Down were out of the ordinary due to their strong, political lyrics. Yet no band was as special as the Iowa phenomenon Slipknot.

The Nine: Slipknot

The nine-headed hydra from Des Moines came into existence in 1995, after having released a demotape titled “Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.” under the name Painface. The band name is derived from a special hangman’s knot. Even more sensation and mystique caused the members’ appearance in similar overalls, all numbered, and different masks. Their terrific first album was succeeded by the brutal “Iowa” (2001), providing extremely raw sounds and the notorious “Heretic Anthem”: If you’re 555 then I’m 666. The last two albums, “Vol.3: (The Subliminal Verses)” (2004) and “All Hope Is Gone” (2008) brought differences in style, yet not much softening. I love every single Slipknot record and I have seen them live. It was a great experience which I hope to share with you at some later time. Sadly enough, the Nine are not complete anymore: bass player Paul Grey perished in 2010, having overdosed on painkillers. Joey Jordison, in my opinion one of the most skilled drummers in the whole Metal world, decided to part with Slipknot in 2013. A new album is currently recorded all the same.

The first single of Slipknot’s self-titled album starts with the famous sentence “Here comes the pain…”

Listen to the classic! (from “Iowa”) Eight, seven, six, six, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero:

Rage, beautiful noise and confusion? “The Nameless” (from “Vol.3: (The Subliminal Verses)” ):

Amazingly, Slipknot can indeed play midtempo: “Wherein Lies Continues” (from “All Hope Is Gone”)

 

You definitely can’t kill the Metal!

God Hates Us All

When so many Metallic substyles were breaking free from Heavy Metal during the eighties, it was inevitable that the raw tones and blunt force that had already shimmered through some songs would surface entirely. They did so when Black Metal emerged. In the mid-eighties the fascination for leather, inverted crosses, pentagrams, goat’s heads and Satanism turned into an obsession with many musicians. Venom’s 1984 album “At War with Satan” unleashed the beast and triggered numerous epigones. Bathory, Slayer, Destruction and Sodom plunged headfirst into neckbreaking speed and commercial blasphemy. Especially American band Slayer, today one of the Big Four of Thrash Metal, started their career in the realms of Black Metal. In particular “Show no Mercy” (1983) was committed to a hectic rush and devilish screams.

From Black to Thrash: Slayer at The Fields of Rock (Netherlands), 2007

These first Black Metal bands formed a subculture of anti-religious sentiment and produced music without any sociocritical message of special benefit. An aura created mainly from shock effects seems to have been more decisive than the songs’ quality. Bands depended on mystical elements and the imagination of their fans. With Black Metal, musicians established a counterpole to clean and professional Metal.

In the end of the 1980s, Norwegian Black Metal came into existence. This Metal was distinguished by a simple yet intensive style and the inclusion of choir samples, orchestra and techno. A veil of myths was woven around bands such as Burzum, Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved, Mayhem and Bathory. Unfortunately, some of these highly successful combos also stained the image of Metal throughout the world by frank attacks on religion (which has indeed been done by many of their fellows before), as well as obvious connections to various church burnings and manslaughter. I might turn to these terrifying deeds and serious reputational damage of Heavy Metal in a later post.

Always a little too much: Mayhem, 2011

 

It was Black Metal band Possessed (all teenagers) who, by releasing their album “Seven Churches” (1985), laid the foundation for Death Metal. Their music was more than just Satanic or fast – technical finesse, traditional Heavy Metal structures and double-bass drums created the ultimate Death Metal basis. Death Metal still worshipped the Satanic madness, occultism and blasphemy, but developed into something more sophisticated than brute noise. The first bands to arise were Cannical Corpse, Morbid Angel, Sepultura, Deicide, Carcass and Death.

Possessed, 2008 – Jeff Becerra is paralyzed from the the waist down since a shooting in 1990, but still performing

 

To be honest, I do not find much pleasure in both Black and Death Metal, which is why I won’t be able to provide any suitable examples for you. However, I noticed that many bands from these extreme realms of Metal have later developed into playing quite different music. Slayer, for instance, have grown into Thrash Metal, which in my opinion suits them much better. This post’s headline is actually the title of Slayers 2001 record. Interestingly, singer Tom Araya was born and raised a catholic and stated in “Heavy Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” that he actually didn’t believe that God hated us all. He rather claimed that this statement just made great lyrics… If you watch this, you might agree:

Ian Christe, author of “Sound of the Beast: The complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal”, concluded that “like most youth ideologies, mock devil worship merely expressed the desire to smash societal restraints and carve a space for unfettered fun.” I wholeheartedly agree.

The Resurrection of Thrash Metal

It is hard to believe that Grunge of all Rock music styles should conquer Metal for a paralyzing amount of time, as both are entirely different from each other. Perhaps it were just these simple tones, easy rhythms and melancholic lyrics some people were craving for after a long period of complex guitar solos. Rock music in general experienced an upswing at the end of the eighties, culminating in the nineties’ Grunge successes headed by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Grunge put its stamp on the entire Alternative scene and threatened Metal with its popularity until in 1994 Curt Kobain chose to end his life – and thereby killed the Grunge hype as well.

---

The beginning of the nineties also brought an exciting renaissance: yet unknown American Metal musicians created a rough, catchy Metal style with reference to the thrashy past but not at all to mainstream radio music. By returning to the roots of Heavy and Thrash Metal and simultaneously including new elements such as rap voices or hoarse ranting, Neo-Thrash Metal was made. A special case is American Metal Band Pantera.

Pantera, 2000, from left to right: Phil Anselmo, Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, Rex Brown

Due to their musical development, the band is hard to place into one area of Metal. Their first attempts might be called Power Metal or Neo Thrash, but soon their style developed into something frontman Phil Anselmo titled “Groove Metal”. And indeed, Pantera has created many mid-tempo songs with amazingly heavy grooves. Pantera achieved special fame through their guitarist’s intriguing style. Dimebag Abbott (also Dimebag Darrell, Diamond Darrell) has brought incredible riffs and undying solos into the Heavy Metal world. After Pantera’s breakup in 2004, the Abbott brothers founded a new band: Damageplan. The band’s progress was radically brought to an end with Dimebag Abbott’s tragic demise: The musician was shot on stage by a demented fan during a gig in Ohio in December 2004. Perhaps it is especially this finality that has made Pantera immortal in the hearts and ears of their fans.

Phil Anselmo, 2009

I particularly love their 1990 album “Cowboys from Hell” (with Anselmo screeching and singing high-pitched and the band rocking with all the coolness cowboys can muster), and “Vulgar Display of Power” (1992, including the famous track “Fucking Hostile”) as well as the 1996 “The Great Southern Trendkill” (Anselmo now ranting and everyone launching into low-pitched, ice-cool grooves). In his live performances, Anselmo is pure energy.

You can have a taste: Watch “The Art of Shredding” (from the 1990s “Cowboys from Hell”).

 

---

The San Francisco Bay Area proved once again to be a treasure chamber and let loose Machine Head. Founded in 1991, the Thrashers exploded so successfully that their first album “Burn my Eyes” instantly became Roadrunner Records’ best-selling debut yet. Especially the opener “Davidian” developed into an all-time blast that shakes the stages up to today. Curious? Open up your ears:

Machine Head’s fame could but grow during the next years, yet excessive touring as well as lineup difficulties wore out the band. After the critical reception of their fourth record “Supercharger” (2001, a great, and in my humble opinion, undervalued record), the musicians nearly gave up, only to resurrect two years later with a new guitarist and their famous album “Through the Ashes of Empires”, that has been made Album of the Month by German Metalhammer magazine. Today, Machine Head still create music under the banner of Neo-Thrash (though their technique is strongly refined), but Robert Flynn remains the only original band member. Machine Head – who by the way are not named according to the Deep Purple album of 1972 – were the first Metal band I ever came across. I was fifteen, and I fell in love immediately. To me “Supercharger” will always stay something special, no matter what uproar the album has caused among other fans, because it is the first Machine Head record I ever listened to, and it contains nearly more energy than anyone can bear.

Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel playing each other’s guitar in 2012

 

---

Metal had ascended the throne again! Exodus, Destruction and Kreator returned after pausing and experimenting. In 1996 the first Ozzfest took place in Phoenix/ Arizona, and 1997 witnessed the reunion of Black Sabbath’s original lineup in Birmingham. Obstacles had been overcome, Metal was played and heads were banged around the world. Parental Advisory labels marred countless covers, marking these albums highly interesting for youngsters of every nation and age. How did this come about? Find out next week.

 

We’ll Kill ‘em All

During the 1980s the Heavy Metal scene grew incessantly. 1980 saw the first Heavy Metal festival in Castle Donington, starring Judas Priest, Saxon, The Scorpions, Rainbow and countless others. The Leicestershire village hosted the “Monsters of Rock” festival until the nineties and is currently home of the annual Download festival.

Village Castle Donington, rural host to the “Monsters of Rock”

In the 1980s bands and fans longed for more energy, more speed, more noise. The emergence of new genres was inevitable. The first to rise was Power Metal. The Metalheads on stage aimed to give Heavy Metal even more vigour and decided to perform twice as fast, twice as loud and adorned with the double amount of rivets as well as guitars. They played according to the old rules, but under the flag of a new fashion. The pioneers of Power Metal were also the precursors of Thrash Metal: Anthrax, Accept, Manowar, Merciful Fate, and the early Metallica. Many of them took part in the later development of Metal into the subgenre Thrash.

The verb “thrash” embodies some of the music’s most significant traits: energy, speed and techniques were adopted from the NWoBHM and Hardcore Punk added its preference for noise and sound volume. Thrash Metal is characterised by fast and precise riffing and emphasis on texts rather than extravagant shows. People usually argue about whether Exciter’s “Heavy Metal Maniac” or Metallica’s “Kill ‘em All” was the first Thrash Metal album ever. The only objective truth to find is that Thrash was born in 1983. The San Francisco Bay Area produced legendary bands such as the brute Exodus, Slayer and Testament and the melodious and adventurous Megadeth, Death Angel and Metallica. By the way: among the suggestions for Metallica’s band name was also ‘Thunderfuck’. From New York and New Yersey bands with a strong Hardcore Punk influence thrashed their way into the fans’ hearts: Overkill, Anthrax and Nuclear Assault attacked the ears and quickened the pulse. In Germany the so-called ‘Dreigestirn’ (triumvirate) of Thrash ruled: Sodom, Kreator and Destruction.

Hetfield in concert, 1989

It’s too hard to decide, since all songs on this album are well-known and celebrated. Thus I show you the way to the full album “Kill ‘em All”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48-NYJl5PVI

Since then Metallica has changed much in style, but in my humble opinion they have always become only better. I especially enjoy their later albums “Metallica” (1991), “St. Anger” (2003) and “Death Magnetic” (2008).

Hetfield at Sonisphere Festival, 2009

In 1985 Speed Metal joined the scene. Although the term is at times used as a synonym to Thrash Metal, there are some differences between both genres: Speed Metal’s style is cleaner, more sophisticated, precise and built on classical Metal melodies. Voices are characteristically high-pitched. Especially German bands played Speed Metal, among them Helloween, Celtic Frost, Destruction, Kreator and Sodom.

While the years 1986 to 1988 saw the climax of Thrash Metal, the so-called Thrash Metal depression started in 1989. A subsiding enthusiasm for Thrash coupled with the emergence of new trends such as Grunge and Death Metal resulted in the persevering of only those bands, who attempted to develop, learn more and increase complexity. Among these were the German triumvirate as well as the American ‘Big Four’: Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica. This strategy worked until the early nineties. Grunge and Alternative Rock grew ever more popular. After the eighties’ exeperiments, simple Rock had a boost. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins created a new scene and sound. The crisis hit Thrash Metal hard. Joey Belladonna left Anthrax, Exodus and Death Angel split up, Metallica and Megadeth were frowned upon for being ‘soft’.

But, to quote Tenacious D’s legendary words: You can’t kill the Metal! Why? You will find out all about this in the next post. Watch Tenacious D performing their classic (from “The Pick of Destiny”, 2006) at Rock am Ring 2012:

Wanna decipher the text? It’s all about Metal history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyp0ltAUF_M