Contraddiction, Mass Hysteria [2000]
The deeper I get into DJing the more keen I am on discovering the dancier sides of nu-metal. I actually was recommended this when I first got into the French neo-metal scene but it didn’t click with me for some reason but maybe because I was too into Pleymo’s hook happy songwriting to notice this album’s more methodical grooves. So check it out or don’t because I’m already enjoying deploying some of these songs as secret weapons in my sets and I wouldn’t mind them staying secret either.
From One, Ra [2002, Universal]
I feel like this is good but everytime I put it on I’m satisfied by the muscly “Do You Call My Name” and the melodic “Rectifier” and then stopped by the silly “Fallen Rock Zone.” Sahaj has a strong, sensuous voice and I can click around the rest of the songs and find something to enjoy (“On My Side” is on right now and is a nice acoustically driven power ballad) but it hasn’t clicked as a full length yet.
No One, No One [2001, Immortal]
I’m unfortunately close to making my mind up on this one and it isn’t great. Not bad either but I definitely understand why it flopped hard upon release. The band wrote most of this in the studio and it sounds like it, mostly just a series of nu-metal cliches executed with an above average pedigree that might have flew in 98 but by 01 the market was dry. And fucking yet. Opener “Down On Me” and lone single “Chemical” have been on constant repeat, both crammed with the kind of simple adrenalizing bounce riffs and screams that I’m constantly looking for from nu-metal. Worth price of admission for those two alone if you ask me.
Герой поколения бархат, Psiheya [2001]
Russian nu-metal seems to have a higher point of entry than other foreign imports. It’s just all over the place, piles of scrap welded together into janky pop songs [“Он не придёт (For Girls)”] and spacy ballads (“Холодное железное длинное”). However, “W.W.W. (Wой Wаленький Wир)”s digital hardcore and nu-metal nuclear meltdown is so good it’s worthy of its own sub-sub-genre. A new band could come out tomorrow with 10 variations on that one song and they’d find an audience almost right away.
Thank You, Come Again, Flagman [2022]
This one just hit my desk but I’m already intrigued enough to give it a recommendation. If you’ve been wondering when someone would try and re-fuse Faith No More and Primus again like Korn never happened run don’t walk to your nearest Bandcamp.
"Do You Call My Name" is one of those songs that I'm surprised wasn't bigger. I guess it sounds a lot like "Headstrong" and that niche was filled by that point, but that chorus is hugely satisfying. It also sounds designed to soundtrack a wrestling promo clip.