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10 Bands From the Nu-Metal/Post-Grunge Era That Didn't Suck.

The late 90's and early 00's were a dark time for modern rock. The Strokes were still a few years away from ushering shaggy haircuts, skinny ties and tight pants back into style. Alternative rock became a haven for dudes in footbal jersey yelling things over muddy, thudding guitar riffs.
However, things weren't all bad. As with any musical trend, a few good acts do emerge from the crud. So, here's a list of 10 bands who came to prominence during the nu-metal era who actually didn't suck. I'm also including a little update about the current status of these bands.

10. Orgy

Orgy earned their nu-metal tag by touring with bands like Korn. However, they really had more in common with Nine Inch Nails and Marylin Manson. Their debut album "Candyass" had plenty of crunchy riffs with vocals that were more groaned and shouted than sung. But Orgy had a distinct pop sensibility that would come out in their far superior second album "Vapor Transmission". For a while it seemed Orgy was going to take over the world. But the bubble burst when they released their third album "Punk Statick Paranoia". Feeling pressure to compete with the multi-platinum success of bands like Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock, Orgy tooled around with rapped vocals and other nu-metal trappings. It wasn't a good fit for the band, and they subsequently went on a seemingly permanent hiatus.

Where are they now?:
Guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Dekah formed Julien-K, who released their debut album, "Death to Analog" in 2009. It's more or less a continuation of Orgy's "death-pop" sound, but with even more emphasis on electronics and pop hooks. Singer Jay Gordon has been largely absent from the music world, although he briefly surfaced to perform Orgy's cover of "Blue Monday" with Shuck and Dekah at a Julien-K show. There have been rumblings about a reunion of the band, but nothing has been announced.

9. A Perfect Circle

Formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan, APC was a more melodic and dynamic alternative to the sometimes dirge-like sound of Tool. The band's debut "Mer De Noms" was highly praised and sold like hotcakes. Unfortunately, several member shakeups and Maynard's much-talked-about distaste for fame and recognition may have held the band back from the powerhouse they could have been. The band went on hiatus in 2004.

Where are they now?:
A new album is in the works as we speak. Tool has been on a long hiatus and Keenan's Puscifer project seems to be on the back burner, so another great album may be coming soon.

8. Papa Roach

Papa Roach pulled off something very few bands ever succeed at: A stylistic 180. In 2000 Papa Roach debuted as rap-metal thugs with a pop sensibility. They began to pull away from their parent genre on "loveHateTragedy", their second album, but it wasn't until 2003's "Getting Away With Murder" that the band truly transformed. Adopting the look of the burgeoning goth-pop-punk scene, Papa Roach was reborn as a pop-metal band.

Where are they now?
The band is still making albums and touring. They've retained their popularity despite their dramatic makeover. And their music continues to be catchy and FUN, which is almost never something you'd associate with nu-metal bands.

7. Korn


Korn more or less invented nu-metal. And in their early years, they were one of the more innovative and strange groups in the genre. Much of their strangeness came from frontman Jonathan Davis, who while not really a great singer, was able to do some bizarre things with his voice that made his singing instantly recognizable. The band enjoyed commercial success for many years, but eventually, changing tastes pushed them out of favor and an increasingly dangerous amount of drug consumption nearly destroyed the band.

Where are they now?
Still making music for some reason, despite dismal sales and the loss of bassist Brian "Head" Welsh to Christianity.

6. Powerman 5000

PM5K was one of the earliest nu-metal bands and one of several influenced by industrial rock. Helmed by Spider One, also known as Rob Zombie's little brother, Powerman 5000 made big, dumb electro-metal that was always more silly than sinister. This wasn't a problem for the band, who never took themselves very seriously, as evidenced by their space-suit costumes and goofy B-movie inspired videos. The band's popularity waned, and they eventually dialed back the electronics in favor of a more radio-rock sound. Sadly, rock radio had moved on.

Where are they now?
The band is still making new music and touring. They've gone back to their electro-rock roots and seem due for a comeback.

5. Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie had been pretty famous for a while when nu-metal first reared it's head. His band, White Zombie is often sited as one of the founding fathers of the genre. Still, when Zombie struck out on his own in 1998 With "Hellbilly Deluxe", few could have predicted the blockbuster success it would become. Rob Zombie became the music of choice for angry jocks and alienated goth-metal kids alike. With a mix of southern rock swagger, industrial beats and pure, concentrated evil, Zombie was everywhere for a while.

Where is he now?
Zombie has had a fairly successful foray into film-making with "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devils Rejects". Less successful? His recent albums. Still, there are many devoted fans awaiting his next release, and many new fans awaiting his next film.

4. System of a Down

SOAD never really fit in with the nu-metal scene. They had far more progressive structures, they were political, they were Armenian. Nevertheless, they were embraced by nu-metal mooks with open arms, and sales of their landmark album "ToxiCity" pushed them into rock-stardom and allowed them to do whatever they wanted. The band matured and grew into a truly unique act that transcended it's origins as mosh-pit fodder. Fusing elements of Goth, Punk, Thrash, Prog and traditional Armenian music the band created a sound that has yet to be duplicated.


Where are they now?
After releasing the critically lauded double album "Mesmerize/Hypnotize" in 2006, the band went on indefinite hiatus. Singer Serge Tankian released a solo album in 2007.

3. Marilyn Manson


Although technically a forerunner to nu-metal, Manson CD's were prominently featured in most mooks' collections. A protege of NIN's Trent Reznor, Manson became a huge success with a shocking image and songs that sounded like they were written by Satan's scrawny kid brother. His landmark album, "Antichrist Superstar" is a bona-fide post-grunge classic.


Where is he now?
Manson continues to release albums, most of which perform reasonably well. However, these days he has become a caricature of himself, and his increasingly desperate attempts at remaining relevant have been embarrassing. Fans still hold out hope for another "Superstar", but I wouldn't hold my breath.

2. Rage Against The Machine

Another forerunner of rap-metal, Rage was one of the few groups to truly pull off the combination. It helped that frontman Zach De la Rocha was a gifted wordsmith and a talented MC. Also helpful was guitarist Tom Morello, who's inimitable guitar work provided Rage Against the Machine with a slew of memorably off-kilter guitar riffs. The band released hit album after hit album, gaining a huge following and making boatloads of cash, all while railing against capitalism and corporations. Their politics may have been questionable, but none doubted their ability to ROCK!


Where are they now?
The band reformed to play a protest show during the Republican National Convention in 2007 after a 7 year hiatus. However, no plans have been made for a new album or tour. Morello and De La Rochaha both have side projects putting out material.

1. Deftones

If there is a more artistically credible and long-lived band to emerge from the nu-metal movement than the Deftones, I've never heard of them. The band struck a chord with Chino Moreno's strange lyrics and dreamy singing, which stood in stark contrast to the heavy yet melodic music created by the band. The band survived the nu-metal scene and quickly found acceptance among punk and metalcore bands and fans alike. "White Pony", the band's third album is still seen as one of the most artful and innovative albums of the 00 decade.

Where are they now?
Bassist Chi-Cheng was injured in a car accident in 2007, that has left him in a minimally conscious state for the last 3 years, with possible permanent damage to his brain. The band has continued on without him, recently releasing "Diamond Eyes", which I highly recommend picking up a copy of. Seriosuly, get on iTunes right now.

When the Legends Die: Speakeasy Tiger

Today, I want to talk to you about my all-time Favorite band from Colorado, Speakeasy Tiger. The band rose to prominence in the local scene about a year ago, and quickly gained a massive following with their energetic, dance-able pop-rock. Most praised was the emotive and unique voice of Kyle Simmons, the groups original vocalist. However, the band also had the appeal of Pete Schmidt's keytar and it's retro-modern synth lines, Lucas Gordon's tight, dance-able beats, Tavis Alley's dynamic guitar playing and Lauren Gale's aggressive bass thump.
This group of 20-something musicians became bona-fide local legends. They played Monolith festival, they were critically lauded by Westword, our local culture and news magazine, which often can make or break new acts around Denver.

But disaster struck the band earlier this year when Simmons exited the band at the height of their ascension, and right before a crucial stint on the 2010 Warped Tour. Both sides tell a slightly different story, but the heart of the matter is that Speakeasy Tiger was no longer a band Kyle Simmons wanted to be a part of. Nasty things have been said by former fans and die-hards alike, but for the most part, the band and Simmons seem to be on amicable, if not friendly, terms.

Kyle was replaced by singer Katrina Stone, who filled the lead vocal slot for the band on it's Warped Tour dates. The band was in the middle of recording new demos when Stone and Schmidt abruptly left the band. This came as a shock to many fans (myslef included) and the band has made no decisions as far as how they will go forward.

I'm very depressed by all this, because Speakeasy was a shining beacon for Denver as a scene that produced music with style AND substance. Speakeasy Tiger was more lively and exciting than the Fray, and deeper and smarter than 3Oh!3. They might have been the band to really put this cow-town on the map. Now, I'm not sure. Sometimes you capture lightning in a bottle and if it escapes, your best option is to let it go and move on to trying to catch different lightning in a different bottle. If Speakeasy Tiger continues, I hope it will live up to it's promising debut, but it's possible that without all of the elements that made it great, the band will eventually fade out.
That makes me very sad to write, because I really wanted to see these guys (and girls) succeed.
Nevertheless, what they accomplished in such a short time is incredible and a testament to the skill and appeal of everyone involved. I'm looking forward to Kyle Simmon's new group, Boys, and seeing what the other ex-members of the group do on their own. I also hope that Lauren, Tavis and Lucas will land on their feet with a new, even better Speakeasy Tiger or a completely new band that will be even bigger.

No matter what happens, this band has made a huge impact on me and many other people in Colorado and the rest of the world. And no one can ever take that from them.

Go check out their music now!

I'm Back Baby!

So after a long hiatus, I've decided to revive Skullcast for the five people actually reading it.

So let's get right to it shall we?

Today I want to talk about Eminem.
I recently read this interview he did for Spin.
In the interview Em discusses his long struggle with a prescription pill addiction, his recent (and hopefully lasting)sobriety and the pressures of growing old gracefully in the rap game.>>>

I first encountered Eminem as an angry, mal-adjusted middle schooler. Eminem appealed to me because he was angry and outrageous. Also he was kind of associated with the nu-metal scene(which I was deep into at this stage) as well as gangsta rap. The shocking lyrics now seem a bit transparent, but the cleverness of Em's wordplay is still enticing.
Eminem's music came under fire in the post-columbine era, earning him a place alongside provocateurs like Marylin Manson as a contributing cause of the increase in youth violence. He was hated by fundamentalist Christian groups and the gay rights movement alike. Saying you were a fan of his music was risky, yet he continued to sell millions of units week after week month after month.
Of course, with that kind of meteoric rise to success comes a lot of pitfalls. Eminem faced criticism for being a shallow shock artist, as well as accusations of ripping off fellow white "horrorcore" rapper Cage. At this time Em was raging on booze, pills, club drugs, weed and pretty much anything he could get his hands on. But very few people saw the cracks developing in his "Slim Shady" persona.
The first cracks apparent to the public appeared on his third album, "The Eminem Show" in which he revealed his desire to escape his persona and just be himself. It was the first time he showed emotional honesty and vulnerability in songs like "Cleaning out my Closet" and "Sing for the Moment". It was a decided step towards maturity and artistic credibility.
Unfortunately, Eminem's previous selling strength was waning, and the ever-fickle rap scene was threatening to leave him behind. At this point in time, Em was moving into producing, in the footsteps of his mentor Dr. Dre. This gave birth to D12, a sort of rap legion of doom fronted by the man himself. D12 didn't stray too far from the Slim Shady formula, but the addition of other voices gave their first album a bit of a different flavor.
It was also around this time that Eminem introduced the world to 50 Cent, who would go on to multi-platinum status himself. Things still seemed bright for Eminem, but his private life was in shambles. He'd been in and out of a volatile relationship with his ex-wife and mother of his daughter. He had a nasty legal fight against his mother, and was on a downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse.
By the release of "Encore", his fourth full-length, Eminem was losing it. While his more emotional songs still had the grit and vulnerability he'd been flirting with on his previous albums, the more "fun" songs were silly and embarrassing. Many began to think that Em lost his edge.
After Encore's less than stellar (though passable) sales, he retreated from the limelight, with many people speculating that he would retire from rapping and focus on producing and mentoring younger acts. Instead, Eminem spiraled further into his addiction. He became reclusive and wouldn't leave his home for days at a time, gorging on fast food and sliding into paranoia and depression.
But eventually, Em decided it was time to get clean. Not only to resuscitate his quickly languishing career, but also for the sake of his children. He resurfaced in 2009 with "Relapse" which wasn't quite the return to form people were expecting. The album sold well, but still had hints of the goofy hijinks of "Encore". Em seemed like a man rehashing his old tricks, but uncomfortable with doing so. Perhaps rehab had changed him, or perhaps he was just realizing that he was nearing 40 and that psycho murder anthems weren't really dignified anymore.
Either way, Em scrapped a planned "sequel" to relapse and came out swinging with "Recovery", which may actually be his strongest and most emotional album yet. Listening to these new songs makes me realize how much I missed the guy and what I liked about him in the first place. His talent for clever wordplay has remained intact, as have his pop sensibilities. I recommend you pick it up if you are now or ever have been a fan, and if you aren't there are worse places you could start.