Top 10 albums that defined nu metal

18/08/2026

7 min. read

Monika Lužová

At the turn of the millennium the world was taken over by a genre that mixed heavy riffs from seven-string guitars, hip-hop rap, funky bass and DJ scratches. Nu metal was loud, honest and angry, and it defined a whole generation. We picked 10 albums without which the genre would not be what it is, and we tell the story of each one.

1. Korn – Korn (1994)

The debut of Korn from Bakersfield, California is the zero hour of nu metal. Producer Ross Robinson, still called the godfather of the genre, pulled a raw emotion out of the band that metal had not known, and singer Jonathan Davis poured his own trauma into the lyrics.

Seven-string guitars, deep down-tuning and Fieldy's slap bass created a sound that everyone later copied. Blind and Shoots and Ladders, in which Davis sings over nursery rhymes, became a blueprint for the whole genre and the album directly inspired Slipknot and Limp Bizkit.

Fun fact: Before the band Davis worked as an assistant in a mortuary, and on the record he also plays the bagpipes, which later became his trademark. The album only went platinum after years of touring, purely on the strength of the fans.

2. Deftones – White Pony (2000)

If most nu metal is about aggression, Deftones on their third album showed its artistic, dreamy side. Chino Moreno fused the heavy sound with shoegaze and atmospheric textures, and the result was an album that transcended the genre.

Elite won the band a Grammy, Change (In the House of Flies) became an unexpected hit and Passenger, featuring Maynard James Keenan of Tool, is one of the era's jewels. The band, however, never liked the nu metal label.

Fun fact: The label later added the more commercial track Back to School to the album, which fans and the band itself still see as an alien element. Critics today consider the album the peak of the genre.

3. Slipknot – Slipknot (1999)

Nine members in masks and boiler suits from Iowa brought the most extreme form of the genre on their debut. Slipknot, under producer Ross Robinson, combined death metal brutality, three percussionists and total chaos.

Wait and Bleed, Spit It Out and Surfacing turned them into a phenomenon and the album went platinum despite its uncompromising heaviness. Each member had a number from zero to eight and his own, hand-made mask.

Fun fact: Part of the percussion on the album was made by banging on beer kegs and scrap metal, and the band's time together in the studio reportedly turned into a fight more than once.

4. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory (2000)

No album brought nu metal to as many people as the debut of Linkin Park. The blend of Mike Shinoda's rap and Chester Bennington's melodic, vulnerable voice with electronics and heavy guitars created a formula that reached millions.

The album became the best-selling debut of its time, passing ten million copies in the US, and the hits One Step Closer, Crawling and In the End still ring out today. Crawling earned the band a Grammy.

Fun fact: The band was originally called Hybrid Theory, like the album, but had to change the name. They took inspiration from Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, which they respelled as Linkin to secure a domain.

5. System of a Down – Toxicity (2001)

System of a Down were a total one-off in the genre. The Armenian-American quartet, led by producer Rick Rubin, mixed heavy riffs with folk melodies, odd time signatures and sharp political lyrics.

The album shot to number one on the US chart and the hits Chop Suey!, Toxicity and Aerials became immortal. The band never copied anyone, and its mix of scream, singing and Armenian melodies sounded like nothing else.

Fun fact: The album came out just a week before the September 11 attacks, and the track Chop Suey! was originally called Suicide, but the name had to be changed before release.

6. Limp Bizkit – Significant Other (1999)

The peak of the rap-metal wave bears the signature of Limp Bizkit. Frontman Fred Durst and guitarist Wes Borland took the number one Billboard spot with their second album and defined the sound of the late 1990s.

The album produced the hits Nookie and Re-Arranged and the collaboration N 2 Gether Now with Method Man. Variety came from guests like Scott Weiland and Les Claypool, while DJ Lethal of House of Pain handled the turntables.

Fun fact: Guitarist Wes Borland performed in masks, costumes and body paint, including black contact lenses, turning the concerts into bizarre theatre.

7. Sepultura – Roots (1996)

Brazil's Sepultura may not be pure nu metal, but their sixth album profoundly influenced the genre. Producer Ross Robinson and the band around Max Cavalera tuned the guitars all the way down and built the sound on a heavy groove and tribal drums.

The album, with Roots Bloody Roots and Ratamahatta, showed the power of a slow, pounding riff joined to an indigenous rhythm. Guests on the record include Mike Patton of Faith No More and DJ Lethal of House of Pain.

Fun fact: The band travelled deep into the jungle and recorded the track Itsári directly with the indigenous Xavante tribe. Max Cavalera left the band shortly after the album's release.

8. Papa Roach – Infest (2000)

The debut of Papa Roach is a textbook example of how one song can change everything. The single Last Resort became an anthem for a whole generation and is still among the best-known songs of the genre.

The album, with Jacoby Shaddix's rap and catchy choruses, went triple platinum in the US and took the band straight from small clubs to big stages. It is a showcase of the accessible, radio-friendly wing of nu metal.

Fun fact: The band's name and logo refer to cockroaches, and Last Resort was based on the real story of a friend who attempted to take his own life.

9. Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

Static-X brought an industrial, danceable energy to the genre that frontman Wayne Static himself called evil disco. Their debut is built on machine rhythm, electronics and sharp, chopped riffs.

The album, with Push It and I'm with Stupid, went platinum and widened the boundaries of what nu metal could be. Wayne Static, with his hair spiked straight up, became an instantly recognisable icon of the era.

Fun fact: The band borrowed the album's title from a book of the same name about grim events in late-19th-century Wisconsin.

10. Coal Chamber – Coal Chamber (1997)

The debut of Coal Chamber brought a dark, gothic angle to the genre that fans called spookycore. Frontman Dez Fafara fused the heavy sound with a gloomy atmosphere and a striking visual.

The song Loco became a hit and the album helped the genre spread into darker, more alternative waters. Dez Fafara later founded the successful metal band DevilDriver.

Fun fact: The band was taken under the wing of Sharon Osbourne, and Coal Chamber later became regular guests at the Ozzfest festival headed by Ozzy Osbourne.

Nu metal is back, become a fan

Nu metal is back. A new generation is discovering its raw energy, bands are returning to the stage and the classic albums are being released again on vinyl and CD. It is a genre that was not afraid to be loud, honest and angry, and that is exactly why it still sounds so fresh today.

If it caught you, become a fan for real. Listen to the legends by Korn, Deftones, Slipknot and Linkin Park the way they are meant to sound, and round out your collection with merch of your favourites. Nu metal is best played loud and with pride.