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1%%
2%% Please add context to Administrivia/ZeroContextExamples before uncommenting them.
3%% Saying that "this is X" is not context. Examples must explain how they fit a trope.
4%%
5
6[floatboxright:
7Primary Stylistic Influences :
8+ AlternativeRock, PostPunk, HeavyMetal
9]
10[floatboxright:
11Secondary Stylistic Influences :
12+ {{Grunge}}, HardRock, ThrashMetal, various subgenres of AlternativeRock and HeavyMetal
13]
14
15'''Alternative metal''' is... what the hell is it, anyway?
16
17OK, let's try this... you know AlternativeRock? Stuff like Music/{{REM}}, Music/{{Radiohead}} and Music/TheyMightBeGiants? Well, imagine alternative rock. Imagine all its weirdness, all its... "[[ShapedLikeItself alternativeness]]". Now, imagine that with the sonic amplitude of [[HeavyMetal metal]], and you've basically got alt-metal.
18
19Alt-metal started off in the mid-to-late-eighties as a response to HairMetal, which was the commercial darling of MTV and had in many people's eyes reduced (non-underground) metal to a watered-down pop movement; consequently, alt-metal bands sought to bring back metal's original fire. There was no specific "scene" for alt-metal bands, and not even a specific sound, but they were all united by experimental flourishes and influences from other genres.
20
21The genre became popular in the late eighties/early nineties (around the same time that alt-rock got its big break) thanks to a few bands that are considered the founding members of the genre; these bands included Music/FaithNoMore and Music/{{Primus}}. A couple of years later, Music/{{Tool}} took alt-metal [[DarkerAndEdgier and made it considerably darker]].
22
23The genre is wide enough that bands will often have totally different sounds to each-other (compare Primus and Korn - do they sound the same?), which causes a fair bit of annoyance with people who like to categorise their bands. At the end of the day, though, alt-metal is a handy catch-all term for bands that are both ''arguably'' metal and hard to classify.
24
25Today it is, alongside {{Metalcore}}, the most commercially profitable form of metal, and certainly the type that gets the most airplay on rock radio.
26
27Depending on the band, alternative metal can either lean more towards alternative (Chevelle, Incubus, Primus, Three Days Grace, most of Seether, etc.), or more towards metal (Sevendust, Alice in Chains, latter-day Alter Bridge, Godsmack, etc.). Because of this, much like NuMetal, it's better to discuss the "metalness" of alt-metal on a case-by-case basis.
28----
29
30Bands typically classed as alt-metal include:
31
32[[index]]
33* Music/TwentyDeadFlowerChildren
34* Music/{{Adema}}
35* Music/{{Alcest}}
36* Music/AliceInChains (Nominally {{Grunge}} / HeavyMetal. Definitely the most metal-influenced grunge band, to the point where numerous metalheads hate them being associated with grunge.)
37** 1992 - ''Music/{{Dirt|Album}}''
38** Music/JerryCantrell (Only a few songs on his first album, but the Degradation Trip albums mixed this with DoomMetal, GrooveMetal, and BluesRock)
39* Music/AlienAntFarm (Their first album was definitely in this territory, but their later work shifted towards a more general AlternativeRock sound while still drawing from the genre. Also falls under AlternativeRock, NuMetal, PostGrunge and PopPunk)
40* Music/AlterBridge (Overlaps with PostGrunge and ProgressiveMetal, the latter moreso later)
41* Music/{{Anathema|Band}} (Played this from ''Eternity'' to ''Judgement'' before abandoning metal altogether with ''A Fine Day to Exit'')
42* Music/AnimalAlpha
43* Music/ArtOfDying
44* Music/{{Audioslave}} (Also FunkMetal)
45* Music/AvengedSevenfold (Started as [[{{Metalcore}} melodic metalcore]] before shifting into this)
46* Music/{{Biohazard}} (Fused with RapMetal, HardcorePunk, and ThrashMetal)
47* Music/BlueStahli
48* Music/BreakingBenjamin (Also PostGrunge)
49* Music/{{Breed 77}} (Uniquely overlaps with Spanish flamenco music)
50* Music/BringMeTheHorizon (''That's the Spirit'' onward. Overlaps with NuMetal, Electronic Rock, PopPunk, and EmoMusic. This saw them ditching their signature {{Metalcore}} sound)
51* Music/{{Buckethead}}
52* Music/ButcherBabies (More of a ThrashMetal and GrooveMetal band, but their later material veers in this direction)
53* Music/{{Candiria}}
54* Music/{{Chevelle}}
55* Music/{{CKY}}
56* Music/{{Clutch}} (Mixed with [[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]], HardRock, FunkMetal, and far too many other genres to list)
57* Creator/CoreyTaylor (solo work normally gravitates towards this and HardRock. Best known as the frontman of Music/{{Slipknot}} and Music/StoneSour.)
58* Music/{{Coldrain}} (mixed with PostHardcore and {{Metalcore}})
59* Music/{{Creed|Band}}
60* Music/{{Cryoshell}} (With Symphonic Metal and Nu-Metal elements)
61* Music/{{Deftones}}
62* Music/DemonHunter (also GrooveMetal and {{Metalcore}})
63* Music/{{Dharmata}} (GrooveMetal and {{Metalcore}} inspired guitars with AlternativeMetal / NuMetal styled vocals)
64* Music/{{Diaura}} (also {{Metalcore}} and HardRock)
65* Music/DirEnGrey (A rather extreme example)
66* Music/{{Disturbed}} (although the first album was more on the NuMetal side of things)
67** 2000 - ''Music/TheSickness''
68** 2002 - ''Music/{{Believe|Album}}''
69** 2005 - ''Music/TenThousandFists''
70** 2008 - ''Music/{{Indestructible}}''
71** 2010 - ''Music/{{Asylum|DisturbedAlbum}}''
72** 2015 - ''Music/{{Immortalized}}''
73* Music/{{Djerv}} (With strong BlackMetal influences)
74* Music/DogFashionDisco
75* Music/DrowningPool
76* Music/{{Elysion}} (overlaps with GothicMetal)
77* Music/{{ETHS}} (mixed with GrooveMetal and DeathMetal)
78* Music/{{Evanescence}} (also GothicMetal, NuMetal, and AlternativeRock)
79** ''Music/{{Fallen}}'' (2003)
80* Music/ExistTrace
81* Music/FairToMidland (overlaps with FolkMetal and ProgressiveMetal)
82* Music/FaithNoMore (one of the few alt metal bands commonly enjoyed by metal purists, along with Primus, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden; also count as FunkMetal)
83* Music/{{Fantomas}}
84* Music/FearFactory (mainly IndustrialMetal and GrooveMetal, but you can hear alt-metal elements like the melodies they use)
85* Music/{{Fightstar}} (overlapps with PostHardcore, AlternativeRock and ProgressiveRock)
86* Music/{{Filter}}
87* Music/FiveFingerDeathPunch (featuring a significant overlap with GrooveMetal)
88* Music/{{Flyleaf}}
89* Music/{{Fozzy}} (they also have strong traditional HeavyMetal influences)
90* Music/FromAshesToNew (overlaps with NuMetal and RapMetal, a rather rare 2010s example those genres)
91* Music/FuManchu (also [[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]])
92* Music/TheGazette (also AlternativeRock, NuMetal and IndustrialMetal)
93* Music/{{Godsmack}} (early work was also NuMetal; later work is also HardRock)
94* Music/GreenJelly (overlapping with Punk and Comedy)
95* Music/GuanoApes (overlaps with NuMetal and a [[GenreBusting slew of other genres]]. Fourth album was more HardRock, fifth album however was pop rock)
96* Music/{{Halestorm}}
97* Music/{{Helmet}} (overlapping with PostHardcore and NoiseRock)
98* Music/{{Hoobastank}} (early material, later transitioned to the {{post grunge}}[=/=]pop rock sound they became known for)
99* Music/{{Hurt}}
100* Music/{{Incubus}} (mainly their early material)
101* Music/IllNino (fused with Latin and NuMetal music)
102* Music/InFlames (later material fuses this with MelodicDeathMetal; music from 2011 onwards is largely straight alt-metal, albeit with their signature melodic lead guitars still intact)
103* Music/InThisMoment (combined with {{Metalcore}}, GothicMetal, ElectronicMusic, IndustrialMetal, and NuMetal)
104* Music/JackOffJill (also associated with IndustrialMetal due to their involvement with and production help from Music/MarilynManson and [[Music/NineInchNails Chris Vrenna]])
105* Music/JanesAddiction (one of the earliest bands in the genre)
106* Music/{{Katatonia}} (''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' onward, fused with DoomMetal and GothicMetal)
107* Music/{{Kerbera}}
108* Music/KingsX (Also falls under HardRock and ProgressiveMetal)
109* Music/{{Kittie}} (especially their earlier material)
110* Music/{{Korn}} (Invented NuMetal with their interpretation of alternative metal)
111** ''Music/KornAlbum'' (1994)
112** ''Music/FollowTheLeader'' (1998)
113* Music/{{Kutless}}
114* Music/{{Kyuss}} (also [[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]])
115* Music/{{L7}} (also {{Grunge}} and RiotGrrrl)
116* Music/LacunaCoil (later; also GothicMetal)
117* Music/LifeOfAgony
118* Music/LinguaIgnota (experimental noise metal with classical and spiritual elements)
119* Music/LinkinPark (mainly their first two albums, overlapping with NuMetal and RapMetal, though this shows up occasionally in their later material, with ''The Hunting Party'' being a full-fledged example of the genre)
120** 2000 - ''Music/HybridTheory''
121** 2003 - ''Music/{{Meteora}}''
122** 2007 - ''Music/MinutesToMidnight''
123** 2014 - ''Music/{{The Hunting Party|2014}}''
124* Music/LivingColour (also FunkMetal)
125* Music/{{Lostprophets}}
126* Music/{{Lynch}}
127* Music/MachinaeSupremacy (also PowerMetal)
128* Music/MadeOutOfBabies (also NoiseRock, DoomMetal, {{Shoegaze}} and generally GenreBusting)
129* Music/ManWithAMission
130* Music/MarilynManson -- also IndustrialMetal and GothRock
131** 1994 - ''Music/PortraitOfAnAmericanFamily''
132** 1996 - ''Music/AntichristSuperstar''
133* Music/{{Mastodon}} (recent material. mainly ProgressiveMetal and [[DoomMetal Sludge Metal]])
134* Music/MaximumTheHormone
135* Music/{{Megadeth}} (''Risk'' only, mixed with HardRock)
136* Music/{{Melvins}} (also {{Grunge}} and [[DoomMetal Sludge Metal]])
137* Music/{{Metallica}} (experimented with this style on their ''Load'' and ''Reload'' albums, mixing it with HardRock, BluesRock, and {{Grunge}})
138* Music/MotionlessInWhite
139* Music/MrBungle
140* Music/MonsterMagnet {also [[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]])
141* Music/{{Mushroomhead}} (also IndustrialMetal)
142* Music/NineInchNails (mainly IndustrialMetal)
143* Music/{{Nonpoint}}
144* Music/NothingMore (mixed with ProgressiveMetal)
145* Music/OfMiceAndMen (Later material, overlapping with {{Metalcore}} and NuMetal)
146* Music/{{Onesidezero}} (mixed with PostGrunge and ProgressiveMetal)
147* Music/OzzyOsbourne has dipped into the genre since Zakk Wylde joined his band, due to his guitar sound carrying more modern, prog-like elements found in many bands in the 90s. More prominent in ''Ozzmosis'', ''Down to Earth'' and ''Black Rain''.
148* Music/{{Otep}}
149* Music/{{POD}}
150* Music/PapaRoach (''Infest'' and ''Lovehatetragedy'' overlaps this with NuMetal and RapMetal. ''Getting Away with Murder'' onward overlaps this with HardRock, though later material re-introduced those old elements)
151* Music/MikePatton
152* Music/APerfectCircle
153* Music/{{Powerman 5000}}
154* Music/ThePrettyReckless
155* Music/{{Primus}} (overlaps with FunkMetal and ProgressiveRock)
156** 1990 - ''Music/FrizzleFry''
157* Music/{{Prong}} (Also IndustrialMetal and ThrashMetal early on)
158* Music/{{Psychostick}}
159* Music/PuddleOfMudd
160* Music/QueensOfTheStoneAge (also HardRock and [[DoomMetal Stoner Rock]] in places)
161** 2002 - ''Music/SongsForTheDeaf''
162* Music/{{Quicksand}} (Example of AlternativeMetal[=/=]PostHardcore fusion)
163* Music/TheRasmus
164* Music/{{Red|Band}} (mixed with PostGrunge and SymphonicMetal)
165* Music/RageAgainstTheMachine (also RapMetal and FunkMetal)
166* Music/RobZombie as White Zombie (also IndustrialMetal)
167** Rob Zombie's solo work counts as well.
168* Music/RollinsBand (A band that never really had a clear genre. Also falls under HardRock, FunkMetal, {{Jazz}} and PostHardcore)
169* Music/SaintAsonia (Overlaps with NuMetal and PostGrunge; best known as [[Music/ThreeDaysGrace Adam Gontier]]'s current band)
170* Music/{{Saliva}}
171* Music/ScarsOnBroadway
172* Music/{{Seether}} (also PostGrunge)
173* Music/{{Sepultura}} (later, fused with GrooveMetal)
174* Music/{{Sevendust}}
175* Music/{{Shinedown}} (overlapping with PostGrunge and a bit of SouthernRock)
176* Music/SickPuppies
177* Music/{{Skillet}} (overlapping with ChristianMetal and HardRock)
178* Music/{{Skindred}} (arguably the only band to fuse reggae with metal)
179* Music/SkunkAnansie (overlapping with FunkMetal and [[GenreBusting a slew other genres]])
180* Music/{{Slipknot}} (third album onward, mixed with GrooveMetal)
181** 2004 - ''Music/Vol3TheSubliminalVerses''
182** 2008 - ''Music/AllHopeIsGone''
183** 2014 - ''Music/PointFiveTheGrayChapter''
184* Music/{{Silverchair}} (Mostly on their first two albums, along with {{Grunge}}. Largely dropped by the third album, though songs like Spawn Again still very much fall into the genre)
185* Music/SmileEmptySoul
186* Music/{{Soilwork}} (also MelodicDeathMetal; first three albums are straight melodic death)
187* Music/{{Soulfly}} (early material, fused with NuMetal / GrooveMetal; later became ThrashMetal / DeathMetal)
188* Music/{{Soundgarden}} (nominally {{Grunge}}, but heavy enough to fit here as well, like Alice in Chains, [[DoomMetal being the Stoner Metal to their Sludge Metal]])
189** Music/ChrisCornell
190* Music/{{Sponge}} (Mostly {{Grunge}} when they started recording, started branching into this trope with ''Wax Ecstatic'')
191* Music/{{Staind}} (combined with PostGrunge, also NuMetal on their earlier albums; though they later returned to that style on their seventh album)
192* Music/{{Starset}} (overlapping with a [[GenreBusting slew of other genres]], namely [[ElectronicMusic Electronic Rock]], SymphonicMetal, and ProgressiveMetal)
193* Music/StoneSour (features Creator/CoreyTaylor and (formerly) Jim Root of Slipknot; fused with PostGrunge)
194** 2012/13 - ''Music/HouseOfGoldAndBones''
195* Music/StoneTemplePilots (Mainly on their first album ''Core'', but songs in this style show up sporadically later)
196* Music/Sum41 (mostly on ''Chuck'', ''13 Voices'' and ''Order in Decline'', but shows up sometimes on other albums, mixed with PopPunk.)
197* Music/SumoCyco
198* Music/SystemOfADown (Perhaps the most commercially successful and popular alternative metal band, or even one of the most successful metal bands period.)
199** 1998 - ''Music/{{System of a Down|Album}}''
200** 2001 - ''Music/{{Toxicity}}''
201*** "Music/ChopSuey"
202** 2002 - ''Music/StealThisAlbum''
203** 2005 - ''Music/MezmerizeHypnotize''
204* Music/{{Tad}} (another {{Grunge}} band that also fits here. Sounds somewhere between Alice in Chains and Helmet)
205* Music/{{Taproot}} (Started as a NuMetal band, later became this)
206* {{Music/Tomahawk}} (mainly on their second album.)
207* [[Music/{{Therapy}} Therapy?]]
208* Music/ThousandFootKrutch (also NuMetal, and RapMetal on the first album)
209* Music/ThreeDaysGrace (Also counts as PostGrunge, though they later downplayed that aspect in favor of HardRock)
210* Music/{{Tool}} (Also ProgressiveMetal)
211* Music/DevinTownsend
212* Music/{{Trapt}} (Started as a mix of NuMetal and PostGrunge, eventually combined the latter with this)
213* Music/{{Tremonti}} (Mixed with PostGrunge and ThrashMetal of all things)
214* Music/{{Trivium}} (later material features elements of this. They became a full-fledged example with ''Silence in the Snow'')
215* Music/TypeONegative (also GothicMetal and DoomMetal)
216* Music/UnlockingTheTruth (Overlapping with NuMetal and trad styles)
217* Music/{{Voivod}} (sometimes, mostly on ''Angel Rat'' and ''The Outer Limits'', occasionally on their 2000s albums; generally ProgressiveMetal and ThrashMetal)
218* Music/TheWordAlive
219[[/index]]
220
221!!Tropes that apply to the alternative metal genre:
222
223* GatewaySeries: If you're a metalhead, and you're close to graduating college, you either got into metal through this or NuMetal. More likely the latter, but the trope still applies to alt-metal.
224* {{Hatedom}}: It's not as polarizing as its [[NuMetal offshoot]], but it's still often rejected by metal purists. For example, you won't find most of the bands listed above on the Metal Archives.
225%%* HeavyMetal: It's this mixed with AlternativeRock.
226%%* MorePopularSpinoff: Nu-metal was this to the original alt-metal movement for a period.
227* NuMetal: Numerous bands fall under both genres (at least at some point in their careers), such as Korn, Deftones, Slipknot, Disturbed, Sevendust, Linkin Park, Godsmack, and Evanescence. Not surprising, since nu metal spawned from this genre.
228* PostGrunge: Many bands were influenced by this genre in the '00s, such as Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Seether, Trapt, Godsmack, Stone Sour, Three Days Grace, 10 Years, and Red. It was to the point where it seemed like at least half of all alt. metal bands played post-grunge.
229%%* TropeMakers: Generally considered to be Music/FaithNoMore.
230%%* UrExample: Possibly Mother's Finest.
231
232!!Alternative metal songs:
233
234* Alice In Chains - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzrVtioigo Angry Chair]]
235* Alter Bridge - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S9D5RRwQ8g Isolation]]
236* Breaking Benjamin - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yHuuBZgif0 Blow Me Away]]
237* Bring Me The Horizon - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBRAnuT48qo Happy Song]]
238* Jerry Cantrell - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGuJ3tvKgo8 Anger Rising]]
239* Clutch - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tIzP3Te05E A Shogun Named Marcus]]
240* Deftones - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLa0-sQg1YM Minerva]]
241* Disturbed - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3moLkjvhEu0 Stricken]]
242* Evanescence - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdhqVtpR2ts Going Under]]
243* Faith No More - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoQIuDEHVng Midlife Crisis]]
244* Helmet - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBfygUiS50g Unsung]]
245* Korn - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr3x7tS__dE Here to Stay]]
246* Kyuss - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MSfd2S7lo Green Machine]]
247* Lacuna Coil - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USXHxgWoS9g End of Time]]
248* Linkin Park - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYU-8IFcDPw Faint]]
249* Living Colour - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0 Cult of Personality]]
250* Nonpoint - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOO4VZeH4-g Bullet with a Name]]
251* Nothing More - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CCcTClgYE Go To War]]
252* Of Mice & Men - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW6TxK5HNNg Would You Still Be There]]
253* Primus - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDfwUJzYQg Wynona's Big Brown Beaver]]
254* Rage Against the Machine - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4 Bulls On Parade]]
255* Seether - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLILV18ut8 Remedy]]
256* Skindred - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsQhuxPsSjE Nobody]]
257* Slipknot - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw2LU1yS7aw Before I Forget]]
258* Soundgarden - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBZs_Py-1_0 Rusty Cage]]

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