How to make Nu Metal

Summary

This video script is a humorous and satirical exploration of the nu-metal genre, mocking its aesthetic, music style, and cultural impact. It highlights the genre’s rise in the late 90s and early 2000s, focusing on its signature bouncy guitar riffs, rap influences, and angst-filled lyrics. The script humorously critiques iconic nu-metal bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Linkin Park, alongside exaggerated advice on how to look, sound, and act like a nu-metal artist. The narrative playfully engages with the genre’s cultural legacy, ridiculing its lack of musical talent while offering a tongue-in-cheek guide to making nu-metal music.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nu Metal is a genre that blends heavy guitar riffs, rap, and DJ elements, popular in the late 90s and early 2000s.
• 😀 The genre was created by bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Kid Rock, which emerged from the frustration of being criticized by their parents.
• 😀 Nu Metal takes influence from various genres like funk, reggae, industrial, and hip-hop, but lacks the technical skill of those genres.
• 😀 The genre is known for its angsty and rebellious themes, often with lyrics focusing on anger, frustration, and not fitting in.
• 😀 Fashion in Nu Metal includes cargo pants, backward baseball caps, chains, dreads, tracksuits, and edgy t-shirts, with a focus on looking tough but uninspired.
• 😀 Nu Metal songs typically follow one of two styles: the 'bouncy jumpy' style with energetic beats or the 'I'm sad' style with slower, angst-filled music.
• 😀 The key elements of a Nu Metal song include heavy, distorted guitar tones, syncopated rhythms, and a vocal mix of rapping and screaming.
• 😀 Nu Metal became oversaturated by the mid-2000s with bands that couldn't evolve musically, leading to its decline in favor of genres like Metalcore.
• 😀 Some successful bands that came from Nu Metal, like Slipknot, System of a Down, and Rage Against the Machine, eventually distanced themselves from the genre and established their own identity.
• 😀 Despite Nu Metal's decline, some modern bands and subgenres, like Nu-Djent and Nu-Metalcore, still attempt to revive the style, even though it's widely considered to be 'dated.'

Q & A

What is Nu-Metal, and how is it described in the script?

Nu-Metal is described as a genre that emerged in the late 90s and early 2000s, blending heavy bouncy guitar riffs with rap and DJ elements. It's compared to a mix of shrooms, Monster energy, and skateboard stickers. The script humorously critiques its lack of talent, describing it as having aged poorly, like milk.

What bands were central to the rise of Nu-Metal?

Nu-Metal was popularized by bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Kid Rock, all of whom were influenced by a shared origin in Iowa, where they initially came together as the band 'Limpy Korn Kid.' The genre was also fueled by bands like Papa Roach, Staind, Disturbed, and P.O.D.

Why did the Nu-Metal genre eventually decline?

The script mentions that Nu-Metal eventually declined due to oversaturation, with the genre being full of 'wannabe teenagers in their 40s.' It also highlights the genre's reputation for shallow themes and bad music, leading to a merciful end in the mid-2000s. Metalcore took over as the next popular genre.

What are some of the defining fashion trends associated with Nu-Metal?

The fashion associated with Nu-Metal includes cargo pants, backward baseball caps, edgy t-shirts, chains, dreads, tracksuits, chin beards, and piercings. The style is described as aiming to look like a hip-hop artist trying to appeal to the metal crowd but lacking musical skills.

How does the script characterize Nu-Metal lyrics and songwriting?

Nu-Metal lyrics fall into two main categories: the 'Bouncy Jumpy' style, which is angry and rebellious, and the 'I'm Sad' style, which is angsty and slow. The script mocks the straightforwardness of the lyrics, often focusing on anger, personal frustration, and rebellion, without any deep or complex metaphors.

What role do DJs play in Nu-Metal music, according to the script?

DJs in Nu-Metal are portrayed as a necessary element, especially for bands that can't play live music effectively. DJs are responsible for adding samples, scratch tracks, and effects to mask the lack of musical talent and make the live performance more dynamic.

What are some musical techniques recommended for creating a Nu-Metal song?

To create a Nu-Metal song, the script suggests using bouncy and syncopated guitar riffs, offbeat rhythms, power chords, and heavy drop tuning. It emphasizes simple drum beats with occasional complex fills and the use of sampled material, like 80s action movie drum loops. Vocal styles can include rapping and angsty clean singing.

How does the script critique the role of vocals in Nu-Metal music?

Vocals in Nu-Metal are criticized for their lack of depth, with an emphasis on anger and simplistic rapping. The script suggests that vocalists in the genre often rely on expressing frustration and anger rather than showcasing vocal skill or talent. Fred Durst is mentioned as an example of someone who rapped over metal tracks without much regard for technique.

What is the humorous advice given for writing Nu-Metal lyrics?

The script humorously advises writing lyrics that are as straightforward as possible, focusing on themes like anger and rebellion. It also suggests avoiding complex metaphors and simply stating how angry you are, with some occasional references to parties and fun, though the genre is described as 'the opposite of fun.'

What is the overall tone of the script, and how does it present the genre?

The tone of the script is satirical and comedic, using exaggerated language and humor to criticize Nu-Metal. The genre is presented as shallow, talentless, and filled with teenage angst. The script mocks its fashion, music, and cultural impact, offering a humorous, critical take on the rise and fall of Nu-Metal.