Alternative metal

Alternative metal is a subgenre of alternative rock that has several characteristics of alternative rock and its subgenres. It reached popularity in the 1990s. The categorization of this genre is not very clear, but it is generally used in bands that play heavy metal fused with other rhythms and tendencies.

Development

The genre has been described as part of alternative rock and heavy metal. Many bands tend to employ clean singing, influenced by alternative rock vocals, in contrast with other subgenres of heavy metal. However, more recent bands have also incorporated vocal styles such as gutturals and screaming.

Due to the large number of subgenres existing from metal and rock, it is difficult to classify a particular group in question as metal alternative. While the classification is apt for groups that do not fit into any particular subgenre, discussions about the classification are ongoing.

The first hints of this genre are found in Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More, as they were the first to fuse a bit of alternative rock with heavy metal.

A great trigger for the creation of the subgenre is the change of scenery of many grunge bands in the late 1990s, turning darker and using heavier riffs, as well as even harder-sounding drums. The grunge movement of the early nineties was the trigger that brought this subgenre to a larger audience, causing the groups that practiced it to find their own paths: Jane's Addiction and Tool took a sound closer to progressive rock; Corrosion of Conformity and the grunge group Soundgarden, had an influence of the blues rock of the 1970s, while Alice in Chains, took a bit of the darkness and density from Black Sabbath.

Faith No More, Primus, Rage Against the Machine and Incubus, incorporated elements of funk to their way of seeing alternative metal; while White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails and Fear Factory, started what is now called industrial metal, combining industrial music with heavy metal guitars.

Sepultura mixed Brazilian rhythms into their music on their album Roots, while bands like Dog Fashion Disco and Vicious Hairy Mary mixed circus and carnival music, jazz and Surfer rock in their music, a style described as circus metal.

Some time later, this musical trend saw influences from thrash metal, death metal and groove metal.