the Weekly Playlist Vol 5 : Nu-Metal edition

Breaking away from the trend of artist specific playlists I had going there for a couple of weeks to switch gears into a sub-genre specific playlist. I was going to stick to the artist theme and then make this a top ten list, but this makes more sense since we have a bunch of top ten lists as it as and the end of the year will be here before we know it. While I was no longer teenager when the nu-metal subgenre exploded in the late 90s, I appreciated the first wave of albums that came from it. Once certain artists got too much radio play it began to become watered down. Even after the first wave a few bands included here slipped by to make decent music.

This afternoon I played DJ for the female of most significance in my life and cued up music of this era to invoke a time when life was simpler. The unbridled joy of catharsis this music could still bring was very touching, So here some deeper cuts from some of those same artists and others from that time period. This music carried an undeniable groove and proved easy to get caught up in as the angst it often boiled gave voice to pain otherwise left to feel unheard. I often reach back in time for music that spoke to me at certain place so listen to the voice of my younger days. I time when idealism was the language of dreams and the weight of the adult world was a burden not fully realized.

Music is a time machine. It reminds me when I was not as calloused by beatings life had given me and I could throw caution to the wind and free fall into feelings with abandon. Older and wiser I try to have a more balanced approach, but music helps keep the vibrations balanced until my mind can catch up to my heart. So maybe dear reader, you to might share such a place in time with these songs, perhaps you might discover a song that went under the radar at the time . Either way life is too short to not have a soundtrack to remind us when we lived and loved at 80 mph. Perhaps we now know, more sustainable speed at which to engage this journey, and every journey needs a soundtrack.  

Disturbed - "Believe"

 

 Static X- "Love Dump"


 

 Korn - "Swallow"


 


Orgy- "Fetisha"

 


 System of a Down - "Spiders"


 


 Slipknot- "Vermilion"

 

 Flaw- "What Do I have to Do"

 

 Mudvayne - "Nothing to Gein"



Deftones-"Mx'


 

Will Haven : "Muerte"

This album proves this band was  always more hard core than they were nu-metal, it was that tour with the Deftones that really put them on every ones map. The first song is aggressive as fuck, but the guitar sounds darker and more dissonant on the second song. In the last minute of the song it takes a turn that finds the atmosphere of the song getting sonically heavier. The production on the drums still has a late 90s kind of pop to the snare. "Kinney" finds the ban hammering harder with a dense pulsing. This is continued with an interesting shift in dynamics, despite the vocals staying the course on what in comparison is more of a one dimensional scream. There is a sense of atmosphere that lurks at the edge of the booming distortion. Perhaps it is just in the frequencies of the feedback.  "43" is more punishing. It's obvious these guys were ahead of their time as this stands up against the dark hardcore of today , but is not far removed from what these guys used to do in 1997. Mike Scheidt contributes guest vocals to "No Escape". The song takes a darker turn the last minute.

"Unit K" is yet another turn into something where they find away to hammer at you with building aggression, I guess this song is the closest glance back to the musical tone of 1997. There are moments of groove similar to those of the Deftones heavier moments, like the chug to "Ladwig no. 949". At times it is hard to not bang your head along which is always a good sign. That same balance of oppressive sonic atmosphere and chugged out groove permeates "Bootstraps". The dark hard core bands of today could learn a lot from these guys. Perhaps they already have an Will Haven has yet to get the credit they are due. Not that bands like Bloodlet were not already stomping out this kind of dark angry metal tinged hard core, this just seems more like a testament to their legacy.

There is almost a Starkweather like feel to "Now in Ashes".  They are not as relentless and give the song more room to breathe. Stephen Carpenter plays on the last song which has hints of his signature riffing. The band also has common ground with in the Deftones in the melodic dissonance of the guitars. Overall this is a fine return to form and I'll give this one a 9.