Top 10 Nu Metal Bands of the 2000s

WatchMojo

Get ready to headbang like it's 2003! Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest nu metal bands that dominated the 2000s. From aggressive riffs to emotional lyrics, these bands redefined heavy music for a new generation. Our list includes bands that either formed in or saw their greatest commercial success during this explosive decade.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest

00:11new metal groups that either formed in or saw some of their greatest commercial success

00:17during the 2000s. So genre originators like Korn and Deftones will have to be saved for another day.

00:2310. Papa Roach

00:38The heyday of new metal may be associated with the 90s, but many of the genre's most popular artists

00:44continue to deliver throughout the subsequent decade. Chief among them are Papa Roach, who

00:49expanded the 90s new metal sound that brought them initial acclaim.

01:01Make no mistake, the Papa Roach of 2022 isn't just resting upon the laurels of last resort from their

01:082000 breakout, Infest. Instead, the band has become more melodic and diverse, incorporating influences

01:16from metallic hardcore, punk, and pop into their unique and catchy formula.

01:279. Kamara

01:34This Ohio-based band may have formed during the rise of the new metal craze, but they quickly progressed

01:39past early influences to become one of the genre's heaviest prospects. It's actually not unfair to

01:45say that Kamara possessed creative feet in two worlds, as the band were also a noteworthy name

01:51amongst the new wave of American metal bands that flourished in the 2000s and 2010s.

02:03If anything, they have more musically in common with artists like Lamb of God or Unearthed than with

02:09Korn or Deftones. And that is definitely a compliment. Kamara's complex arrangements, heavy riffs,

02:15and dedication to a more old-school way of metallic creativity definitely made them stand out from

02:20the new metal pack.

02:288. Limp Bizkit

02:38Limp Bizkit earned early success in the late 90s, thanks to their novelty cover of George Michael's

02:43faith. But this controversial group definitely earned their stripes as a new metal leader around the

02:49turn of the new millennium. This is thanks largely to the commercial success of their significant other

02:54LP, as well as the naff titled Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. The former, released

03:01at the tail end of 1999, showcased Limp's most popular material to date. Break Stuff, in particular,

03:08would help the band ride a giant wave of success in the 2000s.

03:19The bloom may have fallen off the rose relatively quickly after that, but it's important to remember

03:24how huge this band was around this time.

03:32Number 7. Soulfly

03:41Soulfly was another new metal act that became progressively heavier year after year. It's due

03:46primarily to the band's pedigree as a creative offshoot of Sepultura, specifically from that band's

03:52founder, Max Cavallaro. His death and thrash metal heritage couldn't be denied, with Soulfly's sound

04:03getting harder and more dynamic with albums like Dark Ages, Conker, and Omen. This was the sound of

04:09world music, filtered through the heaviest of grooves and an electric riff assault. Soulfly were the real

04:16deal, and they wanted metal fans all around the globe to hear their creative voice.

04:27Number 6. Evanescence

04:37The worlds of nu metal and goth collided with Evanescence's diamond-selling album,

04:42Fallen. The LP released back in 2003 was a creative collaboration between session guitarist Ben Moody

04:48and singer-songwriter Amy Lee, but it was the latter's vocals that truly led the charge.

04:54This was an emotionally bare and memorable selection of songs,

04:58a break from the aggro vibe that often permeated nu metal at the time.

05:02Evanescence comparatively felt like a breath of fresh air, with singles like Bring Me to Life and My

05:16Immortal sitting nicely alongside deep-cut album tracks like Tourniquet. This one has held up remarkably well.

05:23Crying, trying to get my suicide.

05:28Number 5. Kitty

05:35The aforementioned aggro of nu metal has been blamed for, among other things, the cultural zeitgeist

05:42that allowed tragedies like Woodstock 99 and Big Day Out 2001. To the points, we offer Kitty as a

05:49counterpoint, an example of female-empowered nu metal that has also offered up some of the genre's

05:55strongest songwriting. Kitty leader Morgan Lander has never compromised on her vision of releasing

06:01powerfully driven and heavy music with melodic vocals that hook the listener.

06:11This was done particularly well on the band's second album, Oracle, and was polished on each

06:16subsequent Kitty LP. Some nu metal bands have aged like moldy bread, but Kitty are not one of those bands.

06:32Number 4. Disturbed

06:39If there's been one constant theme running through this list, it's the habit of so many nu metal bands

06:45to expand their formula beyond the genre. Disturbed did do this, but they also had a

06:50secret weapon in David Draymond. The frontman just possesses one of the most powerful and dynamic

06:56voices in nu metal. One that feels indebted to the rich gothic vibes of a Depeche Mode,

07:02while also commanding stadiums the world over.

07:05Disturbed songs are processed and synthesized into an industrial riff army, a balance of anthemic melody

07:19and extended solos that serve as the orchestra for Draymond's soaring vocal conduction. There

07:25simply isn't a note out of place.

07:34Number 3. System of a Down

07:43System of a Down may be the quirkiest and most idiosyncratic band on this list, but this ultimately

07:50serves as one of their greatest strengths. There's a wealth of influences that go into the band's

07:55stew, an amalgam of extreme metal, folk, and prog that shouldn't go together. But somehow, the band

08:02makes it all work. Jazzy licks? Check. Harsh, yet catchy riffs? Double-check. All the while, System of a

08:17Down pepper their songs with fiery political content that makes them stand out from their

08:22contemporaries. Their mesmerized LP might serve as a creative highlight, but truth be told, it's all

08:28just so awesome.

08:36Number 2. Slipknot

08:38In the world of Nu Metal, there's Heavy and then there's Slipknot Heavy. The band probably blew

08:50collective minds back when they appeared on network TV with Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

08:54bringing an all-out assault to the home audience's unsuspecting senses. And it just got more extreme

09:00from there. As each Slipknot album incorporated more and more from the worlds of extreme metal,

09:13this was a band that was determined to challenge their fanbase at every step,

09:17in the hopes that they would come along for the wild journey. And you know what? They succeeded.

09:22Think and try. Put your life into your death now. Let this thing until you die.

09:30Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

09:34Seven Dust. Started in 97, but still going strong today.

09:38What makes us human becomes a ghost.

09:44Static X. Life after the loss of Wayne Static.

09:48You're trying to make me. This is the only. Give me the only thing.

09:55Mudvayne. New with a progressive edge.

09:58I can't bury me. What's the name of the thing that I am?

10:05P.O.D. Spiritual Nu Metal for the masses.

10:08We are, we are. The youth of the nation. We are, we are.

10:15Trapped. Headstrong. And proud of it.

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10:401. Linkin Park

10:53Chester Bennington may be gone, but his legacy with Linkin Park will never be forgotten. Not by the

10:59band's legions of fans, nor the Nu Metal landscape that received a unique jolt with the band's creative

11:04outputs. This was a group unafraid of melody and hip-hop, incorporating heavy doses of both

11:10into an electronically based sound that wasn't your daddy's Nu Metal. Does the term Nu Nu Metal fit?

11:24Linkin Park wrote songs for everyone, not just the mosh pit. There was sensitivity to balance

11:30out the aggression and catchy hooks to offset the heaviest of heavy parts. Linkin Park was very

11:36successful at what they set out to do, and for that, their fans are eternally grateful.

11:41In the end, it doesn't even matter. What's your favorite Nu Metal band?

11:49Let us know in the comments.

11:51I can see through you, see in the real you.

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