Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Funk rock1984

Second genre

Nu metal1994

Head to headFunk rock vs Nu metal
Funk rock: heaviness 5, melody 7, speed 6. Nu metal: heaviness 8, melody 7, speed 5.Heaviness5 / 8Melody7 / 7Speed6 / 5
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Nu metal inherits the slapped bass, the rapping and the groove, and down-tunes everything by several semitones.

Nu metal is part sung, part screamed where funk rock is sung cleanly, at much the same pace, around 80 to 130 bpm. To hear the difference, play Red Hot Chili Peppers next to Korn. Funk rock comes from the rock side of the tree and nu metal from the metal side, and funk rock came first, by ten years. California appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Funk rock5
Nu metal8
+3
Speed
Funk rock6
Nu metal5
−1
Melody
Funk rock7
Nu metal7
level

Funk rock

1984 · California, USA · 1 subgenre

Where it sits

Rock › Alternative rock › Funk rock

In short

Slap bass and funk grooves under rock guitars. Rap rock, and through it nu metal, start here.

How it sounds

  • Slap bass or a very prominent bass tone as the lead instrument.
  • Funk-style guitar with ninth chords and wah-wah, alternating with heavy riffs.
  • Syncopated groove and drums full of ghost notes.

Key acts

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Faith No More
  • Living Colour

Start here

The pickFaith No More - Angel Dust. An album that deliberately sabotages its own success.

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Nu metal

1994 · California, USA · 2 subgenres

Where it sits

Heavy metal › Nu metal

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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