The difference, by ear
Both are rhythm-first with samples. Industrial metal's pulse is a machine and is meant to feel inhuman; nu metal's is a hip-hop groove and is meant to feel physical.
Both are part sung, part screamed, but nu metal is a little slower: 80 to 120 bpm against 100 to 140. To hear the difference, play Ministry next to Korn. Both grew out of heavy metal, industrial metal first and nu metal six years after.
In figures
Industrial metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Industrial metal
In short
Metal riffs over programmed drums, samples and synths. Mechanical by design.
How it sounds
- Programmed or heavily processed drums with samples of mechanical sounds.
- Repetitive, staccato riffing, with the guitar treated as a rhythmic element.
- Distorted vocals, declaimed or shouted through effects.
Key acts
- Ministry
- Fear Factory
- Rammstein
- Godflesh
Start here
The pickGodflesh - Streetcleaner. It sounds like an industrial city collapsing, which is the subject.
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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