nu metal metalcore
[Photos by: Cane Hill/Spotify, Issues/Kyle Bertrand, Sylar/Ashley Osborn, Code Orange]

11 essential nü-metal metalcore bands to have on your playlist

As metalcore took over as the most prominent subgenre within metal, the new wave of bands became increasingly younger, and now nü metal is the new nostalgia. Instead of bands looking to the ’80s and early ’90s for influence, late ’90s and early 2000s rap metal has become the old-school influence for metalcore bands as an increasing amount are incorporating elements from bands such as Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park.

Take a look below for 11 of the best nü-metalcore bands around right now. 

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Sylar 

Sylar sound equal parts Atreyu and Bring Me The Horizon as they do Slipknot and Deftones through their deep groove riffs and modern melodies. The Queens band mix the two styles seamlessly, capturing bass-heavy tones while introducing a spoken-rap vocal style among harsh screaming. 

Earthshatter

Toronto’s Earthshatter are bred from deathcore act Brand Of Sacrifice and now defunct prog-metalcore band the Afterimage, but they’re far from being a throwaway side project. The band’s deep, crushing grooves lean into all the elements of nü metal with a hefty touch into deathcore territory through brutal vocals evened out by some solid clean singing. 

Cane Hill

Cane Hill lean into the industrial side of nü metal with a thick metallic tone to bring out their bass-heavy midtempo jams. Their sound is a little bit Slipknot, a little bit Marilyn Manson and overall a whole lot of heavy riffs. 

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My Ticket Home

Few nü-metal bands thought their sound would one day be mixed with hardcore punk, but that’s exactly what My Ticket Home have done. Their sound would feel right at home with the likes of Stick To Your Guns or Stray From The Path, but there’s a distinct rap-metal presence in every riff and vocal, brought out to its best levels on their 2013 album Strangers Only

Dangerkids

The world may have lost Linkin Park, but Dangerkids are trying to fill that gap with their synth-infused alt-rock-meets-metalcore sound. The band’s vocalist sounds eerily like Chester Bennington, so if you’ve ever missed that Meteora or Hybrid Theory sound, make sure to check them out. 

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Sworn In 

People caught on to Sworn In quickly as their debut record, The Death Card, broke out infectious nihilism through their groove-heavy metalcore sound. Similar to bands such as Emmure or Attila, they pack in rap-styled screams with squealing mosh riffs, drawing influence from such acts as Limp Bizkit or Deftones. 

Vein 

Vein had a quick rise to success with their debut album, errorzone, and for good reason. The band manage to appeal to the hardcore scene while capturing something new through their industrial-sounding Slipknot-meets-hardcore approach to writing. 

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Code Orange 

Code Orange made a massive shift to their sound when they dropped “Kids” from their name, and their industrial-tinged metalcore has taken over the mainstream. Their jarring sound clips mixed with ultra-heavy breakdowns and grooves is a match made in heaven that no one expected to become as big as it has. 

Issues

Held up as one of the best metalcore acts to embrace nü metal in all its glory, Issues take everything people claim to hate about the rap-metal movement and do it in an accessible, respectable way. Mixing modern metalcore verses with record-scratch DJ samples and bouncy riffs, the band throw it back to their predecessors in a way that the scene latched on to quickly. 

The Gloom In The Corner

The Gloom In The Corner deliver some gnarly metalcore with off-kilter squealing riffs tossed throughout their breakdowns in place of the record scratches so common in nü metal. Their sound is still distinctly metalcore with plenty of melodic choruses. But their sense of groove in their riffs is pulled straight from the rap-metal scene, as if Limp Bizkit wanted to make a truly heavy record. 

Void Of Vision

Void Of Vision bring out some nasty breakdowns in their music. Their sense of mixing nü metal subtly helps them stick hard to the metalcore label. You won’t be hearing any record scratches or corny rapping in their music. However, the presence of grooves and vocal delivery is distinctly nü metal and built to make a room move.