Ask the Admin #004: Nu metal hatred, what-ifs, bounce riffs, Kid Rock, the ongoing LD 50 saga, and 😳👉👈

frfr no cap?

why do you think nu metal is so hated both in the 90s/00s and today?

The most justifiable reason is that it was the alpha dog, moving millions of units of albums named Butthole and the Taste of Vaginal Fluid. 2003 saw the release of St Anger, Results May Vary, and 14 Shades of Gray which could reasonably called the three worst nu-metal albums of all time in that order. So, ‘94 - ‘03 is a pretty good run if you ask me and it was time for regime change. What is not so justifiable however is the way it was squashed out of existence following. Nu-metal gave way to mall-emo, whose albums sold in fractions of what nu-metal’s biggest bands put up, which gave way to… nothing. Mall-emo was the last time big money and artistic ambition congealed around great guitar music. And because of this, rock critics needed to point the finger and nu-metal was bigger, brasher with a longer run and easier targets. Nu-metal proceeded to become such a dirty word its biggest bands were forced to go on record disavowing the genre speaking of which…

What’s your biggest nu-metal ‘what if’? Like an alternate history scenario, what would be the most interesting or change the most today?

I really wish Linkin Park had been able to put out another proper nu-metal album. Meteora hit right at the very end of it all and by the time Minutes to Midnight came around they already had to take to the press disavowing the whole thing. Since then they’ve had to keep doing it too to the point where people somehow, somehow, have to ask if Linkin Park were ever nu metal. Hybrid Theory impacted and changed, not just nu-metal, but all of rock music forever. After only two albums one of nu-metal’s definitive bands felt like they needed to turn tail and run. Shame.

The other one? Ross Robinson producing Metallica’s St Anger. That shit would have banged off the chain.

Can Kid Rock be redeemed?

Eh. I dunno. I don’t have any connection to his music and what I’ve heard never struck me as particularly essential. I’ve been able to simply not mention him and I don’t think anyone has ever asked why. If he came to senses it would go a long way but when you consider now how financially invested he is in the right wing grift machine, it’s not like I would start attending his concerts, it’s a near total impossibility. As is though, we’re talking about a guy who goes on Tucker Carlson to get asked if he tans his balls. Good riddance.

euro timezones friendly streams when

Oof, good one. I just googled it and apparently in Central European Time (CET) it’s 8PM. So, I guess I should go live right now? Either way I’ll get to work figuring something out stat.

What is a bounce riff, exactly?

I wish I knew music theory so I could really break it down but the best I’ve got now is if you can jump up and down at a reasonable pace and your feet hit the ground on either a bass or a snare hit you’ve got a bounce. And it is 77% drums too, not guitar but I do really like when the guitars carve out their own space to facilitate bounce (see: “SUIT (So Us Is This)” by Blindspott and “Blister” by Simon Says) For some more good examples of bounce riffage check out “No Hope = No Fear” by Soulfly, “No More Faith” by Slaves on Dope, and “Internal Primates Forever” by Mudvayne. Also watch a lot of concert videos. The proof is in the puddin’.

Any beloved nu metal albums that you don’t like

L.D. 50 by Mudvayne. My albatross. My white whale. Because I’m not stupid I made sure to list it at #18 on my greatest albums list but if I put it on and listen to the whole thing it’s only because I’m challenging myself to get into it finally. Hasn’t happened yet. Will never give up.

I have a crush on you

fr fr?? 😳👉👈 no cap ? NGL likes to occasionally throw random questions in your inbox if you haven’t used it a while to keep you on their hook so I’m suspicious as to the veracity of this one but if it is real and you’d like to shoot your shot at a man who looks 40 and 20 at the same time fire away.