In the context of this website, i feel that "alternative metal" is meant to cover all the genres of metal that were missed by the other thread sections. However as a genre, Alt-metal is impossible to define almost. I consider it to be whatever I personally can't categorize very easily (Deftones, He Is Legend, even old 311).

What defines it? Well to me, if the music that they play is neither all that extreme or all that melodic....but more 'in between', I would say that would suggest that the music is alternative metal (stoner, industrial, nu).

I used to think that Alternative metal is a fusion between Alternative Rock and Heavy Metal riffing. But now it seems to be a umbrella for many metal subgenres like Nu Metal, Avantgarde or Industrial...

Alice in Chains and Soudgarden are the only bands which I consider to be Alternative Metal (talking about the fusion genre here). They are alternative rock bands with metal riffings.

Other acts goes further than this simple categorization: Faith no More is way experimental, Nu metal doesn't have metal riffs most time and are heavily influenced by rap or electronic music than Alternative Rock; System of a Down is more like a hard rock group with progressive rock and Armenian music influences....

I just wanted to add some questions:
-is nu metal a sub genre of alternative metal ?
-what's the relationship of alternative metal with progressive music and avantgarde metal?
I will be glad if sb answer these.

Written by mz on 04.11.2013 at 22:48

I just wanted to add some questions:
-is nu metal a sub genre of alternative metal ?
-what's the relationship of alternative metal with progressive music and avantgarde metal?
I will be glad if sb answer these.

As far as I know, it looks like the label alternative metal dates from very early, when metal was like only guitar, bass, drums, maybe keys and a dude singing, then some bands started to mix non-metal like styles with the traditional metal, like funk, grunge, and so on.. In this sense, every band that doesn't follow the traditional line can be considered alternative, so yeah, nu metal could be a sub genre, because it consist of mixing hip hop and metal.
However in the later years everybody is making something different, and there are a shitload of bands that can be considered alternative metal, I would say that it is something very embracing, like... I agree with the metal storm separation: alternative metal embraces nu metal, avant garde metal, stoner, and so on...

As for avant garde metal, it is more like a recent term imo, and a needed one, because even though a lot more of subgenres appearing there are still a lot of bands that can make something so unusual that can not be classified in something else. And it seems very unfair to make a label just for that specific band (althought there are some bands that do create a new subgenre to classify them), someone above said that avant garde can be referred as a political/artistic movement, but it applies for music as it's definition, like something that ´pushes the boundaries of music' or so... I think of it as an euphemism to et cetera metal, the ones who can't be classified.

Then about a relation with progressive, I wouldn't know what to say. The term progressive came before alternative, so if alternative was trying to label something somewhat different at the moment, I think they would be distinct styles.. But I don't know

I've been wondering about this for quite some time and to anyone that would like to indulge my curiosity regarding genre classification. My band generally labels ourselves as progressive/ alternative metal and has done so since before I joined but I kinda always felt we should just be going with progressive even though some of our songs are far less progressive than others (hell, one song is basically just a thrash song.) Anyone wanna listen and give me an opinion on the genre classification you would stick on us?
http://saxeus.bandcamp.com/
And I know there is a thread for promotion this just isn't really intended as promotion just genuine curiosity, though obviously if you like it then awesome, ha ha.

To me, it's basically any band which has metal as an element within their sound, but can't be pigeonholed into one particular genre.

Written by Angelic Storm on 07.01.2014 at 05:39

To me, it's basically any band which has metal as an element within their sound, but can't be pigeonholed into one particular genre.

Isn't this avant-garde metal?

Written by deadone on 07.01.2014 at 23:40

That's a good definition. I remember people referring to Meshuggah as alternative metal in mid-1990s simply cause at the time, they didn't really fit in anywhere - djent is a much newer definition.

Meshuggah alternative? Here in Europe people referred to Meshuggah as technical thrash, and rightly so, I would say.

Written by deadone on 08.01.2014 at 00:25


...I've heard them referred to as Death Metal at times too which is totally wrong.

I've heard that too but only in the US, though. But then again they also referred to Arise, Beneath The Remains and Schizophrenia era Sepultura as death metal

I can safely say I have never once in the US heard of Meshuggah referred to as alternative metal, and that I've only heard Sepultura referred to as death metal on this site and Wikipedia. I thought it was a European thing to refer early thrash metal bands like Venom and Sepultura as black and death (or proto-black and proto-death), respectively.

Alternative Metal is any band that plays Metal but has a lot more elements from other genres such as Punk, Hardcore, Alternative, Mainstream Rock, Pop Rock, etc.

Written by Angelic Storm on 07.01.2014 at 05:39

To me, it's basically any band which has metal as an element within their sound, but can't be pigeonholed into one particular genre.

Many alternative bands can be placed in genres like nu and industrial

Written by Guest on 09.01.2014 at 18:47

Alternative Metal is any band that plays Metal but has a lot more elements from other genres such as Punk, Hardcore, Alternative, Mainstream Rock, Pop Rock, etc.

I think that is a better definition than Angelic's

Written by Aristarchos on 09.01.2014 at 19:20

Written by Guest on 09.01.2014 at 18:47

Alternative Metal is any band that plays Metal but has a lot more elements from other genres such as Punk, Hardcore, Alternative, Mainstream Rock, Pop Rock, etc.

I think that is a better definition than Angelic's

Emm... any band that plays metal but also elements of lots of other genres can't be pigeonholed into a single genre, which was what I said... :\

I personally wouldn't class industrial or nu metal bands as alternative, unless they had more than one style evident in their sound.

I have heard lots of weird genre classifications in the US. Usually people calling bands death metal that are not even remotely close. See the Judas Priest in the Simpsons clip? I've also heard bands like Lamb of God, Machine Head, and even Rammstein called death metal. Mostly by people who didn't listen to them though.

Written by mbcameron on 10.01.2014 at 05:40
I've also heard bands like Lamb of God, Machine Head, and even Rammstein called death metal.

I've heard people call Slipknot, Disturbed, and Metallica death metal.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 10.01.2014 at 06:12
I've heard people call Slipknot, Disturbed, and Metallica death metal.

Slipknot aren't death metal, but do have elements of death metal in some of their songs (Slipknot are a band I'd label as alternative metal). The other 2 bands though, have nothing to do with death metal at all. People who call Metallica "death metal" are obviously the kind of people who still believe that Bon Jovi are "heavy metal".

I generally think of alternative metal as a sort of cousin to prog metal, although more with a pop leaning. Whereas prog will merge metal with jazz, classical, folk, or other more complex genres, alt metal prefers to mix with alt rock, funk, hip hop, and electronica. That's just how I think of it anyway.

Written by Angelic Storm on 09.01.2014 at 20:50

Written by Aristarchos on 09.01.2014 at 19:20

Written by Guest on 09.01.2014 at 18:47

Alternative Metal is any band that plays Metal but has a lot more elements from other genres such as Punk, Hardcore, Alternative, Mainstream Rock, Pop Rock, etc.

I think that is a better definition than Angelic's

Emm... any band that plays metal but also elements of lots of other genres can't be pigeonholed into a single genre, which was what I said... :\

I personally wouldn't class industrial or nu metal bands as alternative, unless they had more than one style evident in their sound.

So you're saying that nu metal doesn't contain element of other genres?

Written by Aristarchos on 23.01.2014 at 18:34
So you're saying that nu metal doesn't contain element of other genres?

Yep. Not all bands labelled as "nu metal" actually play the same style of music.

It's not an alternative to mainstream metal, aside from classic metal bands it's probably the most mainstream form of metal, it's one of the most popular forms of rock right now in general. The etymology is simply alternative rock + heavy metal, it's basically alternative bands playing metal. Just as alternative rock isn't alternative anymore, neither is alternative metal. However, the source is the same, just as early alternative rock bands experimented more and had unconventional song structures and lyrical themes for rock, alternative metal bands experimented more and had unconventional song structures and lyrics for metal. IMO alternative metal is a cross genre term that really refers to four different things: metal bands that don't exactly fit in any other genre (Disturbed), alternative rock bands that are heavily influenced by heavy metal (Breaking Benjamin), and the modern version of hard rock (Shinedown). There is definitely overlap between the three groups, which is why it's all alternative metal even though it all sounds very different. Sometimes a trend emerged from a group of alternative metal bands, forming a new genre, like nu metal or grunge, and thus it's not alternative metal anymore.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.06.2012 at 15:54

Written by arwestromen on 07.06.2012 at 14:21
I've heard that alt metal bands play in sertain way so it doesn't fit any established metal genre....so any band that doesn't fit in but sounds like metal is an alt. metal band.

What about experimental or avant-garde metal bands? Before djent and blackgaze were being used you wouldn't have lumped those bands into the alt-metal spectrum either.

Usually the difference seems to be if it's heavier than most metal, it's avant-garde metal, if it's lighter, it's alternative metal.

Written by whatsacow on 11.01.2014 at 06:41

I generally think of alternative metal as a sort of cousin to prog metal, although more with a pop leaning. Whereas prog will merge metal with jazz, classical, folk, or other more complex genres, alt metal prefers to mix with alt rock, funk, hip hop, and electronica. That's just how I think of it anyway.

I agree with this sentiment, it's especially true for bands like System of a Down, Deftones and Tool. I'm a big fan of both progressive and alternative metal, and this is why.

IMO, alt-metal would be metal that wouldn't necessarily fit into any of the well known sub-genres.
I.e.: Jane's Addiction... they sound kind of rock, bit of prog, bits of metal riffing but not too hard, etc.
Tool... odd tempos at times, screams here and there. A Perfect Circle, etc.
If you can't figure out how to label a band after listening to their music , then most probably it will fit in in the alternative category.

Written by Zombie94 on 08.06.2012 at 14:40

I would say that alternative metal is defined by not having the conventional metal sound. Most of the big 'alternative' bands are constantly accused of not actually being metal (System Of A Down, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Korn, Trivium, the St.Anger era of Metallica etc.). So I think it is perhaps a genre that is leaning closer towards mainstream rock than metal.

Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium aren't usually considered alternative metal, and I don't see how anyone could claim Trivium isn't metal aside from mindlessly jumping on the fact they're labeled as metalcore. They don't sound anything like mainstream rock. Here the definition of alternative metal seems to be a bit broader than in general, including experimental metal and metalcore, seemly being a catch all for anything that isn't best fit in either the extreme or melodic metal categories.

Written by Chaosjunkie on 21.09.2012 at 23:07

I would say that alt metal is metal the average person would be able to listen to.

A lot of traditional heavy metal is much more accessible than a lot of alternative metal, it's just *some* alternative metal bands are really accessible, and the fact the general taste in rock has gone towards alternative rock (which includes alternative metal) rather than classic rock (which stylistically overlaps with traditional heavy metal). I'd say Iron Maiden is actually more absolutely accessible than Sevendust as Sevendust is actually much heavier with more dissonance and screaming, it's just that long solos and whatnot have fallen out of popular taste.

Written by deadone on 19.03.2015 at 00:46

I never understood the Trivium/A7F isn't metal idiocy. They're metal through and through. If they're not metal well then neither is At The Gates or Dark Tranquillity or old In Flames.

Some A7x songs are better described as hard rock than metal, but that's about it, they're still a metal band.

Written by deadone on 22.03.2015 at 00:32

Written by Ganondox on 22.03.2015 at 00:25


Some A7x songs are better described as hard rock than metal, but that's about it, they're still a metal band.

Yup. If having some rock songs makes one a rock band despite mainly playing metal, then virtually most metal is rock! I do find it hilarious that people assert Motorhead is 100% metal despite obviously playing shitloads of punk, hard rock and even old fashioned rock n roll and then say Trivium or A7X aren't metal. Morons!

Even Lemmy says they're more rock n roll and punk than metal.

I still dont get why we use term alternative metal. alternative from what?

Written by ANGEL REAPER on 23.03.2015 at 11:38

I still dont get why we use term alternative metal. alternative from what?

Metal.

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.03.2015 at 12:11

Written by ANGEL REAPER on 23.03.2015 at 11:38

I still dont get why we use term alternative metal. alternative from what?

Metal.

but isnt the metal already alternative form or rock?

Written by ANGEL REAPER on 23.03.2015 at 13:41

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.03.2015 at 12:11

Written by ANGEL REAPER on 23.03.2015 at 11:38

I still dont get why we use term alternative metal. alternative from what?

Metal.

but isnt the metal already alternative form or rock?

No. You need to go back the 80s, which was when the term alternative rock became a thing. Metal was mainstream, alternative was the rock that WASN'T metal.