The difference, by ear
Both down-tune and both use electronics. Nu metal grooves and is rhythmically loose; cyber metal is quantised and refuses groove.
Both are part sung, part screamed, but nu metal is slower: 80 to 120 bpm against 120 to 180. To hear the difference, play Fear Factory next to Korn. They share a root in heavy metal, and nu metal came first, by four years.
In figures
Cyber metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Industrial metal › Cyber metal
In short
Mechanised death metal with cold digital production, dual vocals and science-fiction themes.
How it sounds
- Cold digital production with processed guitars and quantised drums.
- Vocal contrast: growls in the verses, clean melodic singing in the chorus.
- Synthesizers and a dystopian science-fiction atmosphere.
Key acts
- Fear Factory
- Sybreed
- Mnemic
Start here
The pickFear Factory - Demanufacture. The kick drum sounds like a pneumatic hammer, deliberately.
Full page →Nu metal
Where it sits
In short
Seven-string guitars tuned very low, hip-hop groove, a DJ or sampler and lyrics about personal trauma. The decade's best-selling and most disputed genre.
How it sounds
- Seven-string guitars tuned very low, with simple syncopated riffs.
- Very prominent bass, often slapped or synth-toned, plus a DJ or sampler in the line-up.
- Vocals moving between rapping, singing and screaming, with lyrics about personal trauma.
Key acts
- Korn
- Slipknot
- Deftones
- Limp Bizkit
Start here
The pickKorn - Korn. The first track opens with bagpipes, which nobody ever remembers.
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