New wave of American heavy metal

The new wave of American heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOAHM) was a heavy metal music movement that originated in the United States during the early to mid-1990s and expanded most in the early to mid-2000s. Some of the bands considered part of the movement had formed as early as the late 1980s, but did not become influential or reach popular standing until the following decade. The term itself borrows from the new wave of British heavy metal dating to 1979. NWOAHM includes a wide variety of styles, including alternative metal, groove metal, industrial metal, nu metal and metalcore.

Although the term is used by the media with increasing frequency, the definition has not been finished completely. This is due in part to the growing addition of bands that assimilate to common styles in NWOAHM (as defined below), yet have not differentiated greatly enough as to garner a new genre moniker. One description by longtime metal author Garry Sharpe-Young helps classify the NWOAHM as a "marriage of European-style riffing and throaty vocals" Several of the bands within the NWOAHM are credited with bringing heavy metal back into the mainstream.

History
The new wave of American heavy metal has its origins in a group of post-grunge acts from the 1990s that brought heavy metal "back to its core brutality" and drawing not from the traditional blues formula but from thrash metal and punk. In the book The Next Generation of Rock & Punk, Joel McIver acknowledged Korn as the pioneers of the new wave of American heavy metal, and also credits them as the first band labeled as nu metal. The nu metal genre was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Other roots of NWOAHM are attributed to bands such as Pantera, Biohazard, and Machine Head.

Lamb of God in 2009

The producers behind the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey have written of the NWOAHM: "In essence, NWOAHM can embody the seething aggression of the 'hardcore' hormone, but play a type of acrobatic, precise, technical thrash/death metal synthesis regularly touched by the melody of traditional metal, but often just briefly. Vocally, these bands huddle around Pantera-derived roar, leaning toward a death metal bark, but often with 'clean' or 'sung' vocals as ear candy, sometimes from a member of the band who is not the front man." They also reference Unearth, Shadows Fall, and Lamb of God as "leaders of the pack".

In the book New Wave of American Heavy Metal, when listing the wave's most popular contributors, Garry Sharpe-Young stated: "...the groups that broke the metal scene into new territory after grunge [were] Pantera, Biohazard, and Machine Head. From there it gets really diverse, crossing the spectrum from melodic death metal to progressive metal and everything in between." Sharpe-Young described bands such as Pantera, Biohazard and Machine Head as neo-metal, writing that the band Pantera started a new time period of heavy metal that involved both Biohazard and Machine Head. Sharpe-Young lists the broad range of styles in the new wave of American heavy metal movement as ranging from the Christian metalcore scene, the 1970s-inspired progressive rock of Coheed and Cambria, melodic death metal, and the screamo and "sub-Gothique" emocore of Alkaline Trio and My Chemical Romance. Beyond this, the genre encompasses a number of different styles including alternative metal, groove metal, hardcore punk and metalcore, despite the fact that metalcore and hardcore punk pre-date NWOAHM by almost twenty years.

List of key artists
0-9 A

B

C

D

E F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N O

P Q
 * Quicksand

R


 * Racetraitor


 * Ramallah


 * Razer


 * Royal Thunder

S T U

V

W Y
 * Yakuza
 * Year of Desolation
 * You Me At Six
 * Youth of Today

Z


 * Zack the Rookie
 * Zao
 * Zeke
 * Zero Down
 * Zimmer's Hole
 * Zonk


 * 12FLUIDOUNCES, 21 GUNZ, 25 TA LIFE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, 3 QUARTERS DEAD, 3-HOLE FACE, 36 CRAZYFISTS, 40 GRIT, 5 BILLION DEAD, 60 SECOND CRUSH, 7 ANGELS 7 PLAGUES, 7DAYSUN, 86'ED, 9MM SOLUTION,


 * A DEATH FOR EVERY SIN, A DOZEN FURIES, A LIFE ONCE LOST, A NEW REVOLUTION, A PERFECT MURDER, A STATIC LULLABY, A THOUSAND FALLING SKIES, ABANDON ALL HOPE, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, ABRAKADABRA, ABSOLVE, ACANTHA, ACCURSED, ACEDIA, ACID, ACRID, ADEMA, AFFLITUS, AGENTS OF MAN, AGNOSTIC FRONT, AIDEN, ALKALINE TRIO, ALL FOR FAME, ALL OUT WAR, ALLEGIANCE, ALSTON, AMEN, AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE, AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, AMONG THIEVES, AMORA SAVANT, AMPT, ANAMNESIS, AND CHRIST WEPT, ANDREW W.K., ANGER AS ART, ANIMOSITY, ANNIHILATE THE HERO, ANUBIS RISING, APHASIA, ARMED FOR BATTLE, ARMOR FOR SLEEP, ARSON, ART OF DESTRUCTION, AS CITIES BURN, AS DUSK UNFOLDS, AS HOPE DIES, AS I LAY DYING, ASERAPHYMN, ASESINO, ASH & ELM, ASHES II ASHES, AT ALL COST, AT NO END, AT THE DRIVE IN, ATOMSMASHER, ATREYU, AVEN AURA, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, AZAREA,


 * BEWKENHEIMER, BILLYCLUB SANDWICH, BLACKLISTED, BLEED THE SKY, BLEEDING THROUGH, BLESSED IN BLACK, BLESSED WITH EMBERS, BLOC, BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED, BLOODHAG, BLOODJINN, BLOODLET, BLOODLINED CALLIGRAPHY, BLOODSHOTEYE, BLOODSIMPLE, BOBAFLEX, BOTCH, BOY SETS FIRE, BREADWINNER, BREAKDOWN, BRICK BATH, BUILT UPON FRUSTRATION, BULLET THERAPY, BURIED INSIDE, BURN SEASON, BURN THE PRIEST, BURNT BY THE SUN, BURY YOUR DEAD, BUZZOV.EN, BY A THREAD
 * DARK DISCIPLE, DARK NEW DAY, DARKEST HOUR, DAVE BROCKIE EXPERIENCE, DEAD HEARTS, DEAD TO FALL, DEADLIGHTS, DEADWATER DROWNING, DEATH BY STEREO, DEBRIS INC., DECEIVER, DECEMBER, DECIPHER, DEFORM NATION, DEMON HUNTER, DEPSWA, DESPISED ICON, DETENTE, DEVILDRIVER, DEVILINSIDE, DEVIN TOWNSEND, DEVOLVE, DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, DIE KREUZEN, DIE YOUNG, DIECAST, DISASSOCIATE, DISEMBODIED, DISSIDENCE, DITCHWATER, DNS, DOCTURA, DORMITORY EFFECT, DOWN, DREADED SILENCE, DRIST, DROPKICK MURPHYS, DROWNING POOL, DROWNINGMAN, DRY CELL, DRY FISTED, DRY KILL LOGIC, DYING FETUS,
 * E-TOWN CONCRETE, EIGHTEEN VISIONS, ELIJAH'S TOMB, EMBRACE TODAY, EMERY, ENDICOTT, ENEMY OF GOD, ETHYNOL, EVENTIDE, EVERGREEN TERRACE, EVERY TIME I DIE, EXCEL, EYEHATEGOD, EYES OF FIRE,


 * FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES, FIGHT PARIS, FINCH, FIREBALL MINISTRY, FIVE YEAR STARE, FIVE.BOLT.MAIN, FIVESPEED, FREYA, FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW, FROM ASHES RISE, FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES, FROM HERE ON, FUELED II FIRE, FULL BLOWN CHAOS, FULL CIRCLE,


 * GATE, GENITORTURERS, GHOSTRIDE, GIVE UP THE GHOST, GIZMACHI, GLASS CASKET, GLASS PIPE SUICIDE, GLASSJAW, GNOSTIC, GO IT ALONE, GOATWHORE, GOD AWAKENS PETRIFIED, GOD FORBID, GODSMACK, GRIMLOCK, GRIP INC., GULCH, GWAR, GYPSYCHO,


 * H2O, HADAN, HAJI'S KITCHEN, HALO OF LOCUSTS, HARLEY'S WAR, HASTE THE DAY, HATEBREED, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, HAZEN STREET, HAZY AZURE, HELL WITHIN, HELMET, HEROD, HIGH ON FIRE, HIMSA, HINGE, HOOKERS, HURTLOCKER, HYBRIDE,


 * I AM THE ENEMY, IF HOPE DIES, IGNITE, ILL NINO, IN AETERNUM, INHUMAN, INNER SURGE, INSTRUCTION, INTO THE MOAT, INVOCATION OF NEHEK, ION DISSONANCE, IRONBOUND NYC, IT DIES TODAY,


 * JACKNIFE, JENOAH, JONES'S LOUNGE, JUGULUR, JUST CAUSE,


 * KAYO DOT, KICKED IN THE HEAD, KILLING TIME, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, KINGDOM OF SNAKES, KINGDOM OF SORROW, KITTIE, KRAUT, KYLESA,


 * LAHAR, LAMB OF GOD, LAPPDOG, LAST DAY DYING, LAW OF THE PLAGUE, LEECHMILK, LEEWAY, LESSERKNOWNGOD, LET IT DIE, LEVIATHAN, LIARS CLUB, LIFE OF AGONY, LOCK UP, LOSA, LOST, LUDDITE CLONE, LUDICHRIST,


 * M.O.D., MAHAVATAR, MANMADEGOD, MANNTIS, MARTYR A.D., MD 45, MECHANICAL MANIPULATION, MERAUDER, MINOR THREAT, MISERY INDEX, MISERY SIGNALS, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, MORTAL TREASON, MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MOTOGRATER, MUCKY PUP, MUNICIPAL WASTE, MURDERCAR, MURDERER'S ROW, MURPHY'S LAW, MUSHROOMHEAD, MY OWN VICTIM, MY RUIN,


 * NATAS, NECRONAUT, NEMESIS, NEUROSIS, NEW DEAD RADIO, NEW END ORIGINAL, NEW MEXICAN ERECTION, NIENTARA, NODES OF RANVIER, NONPOINT, NOOSEBOMB, NORA, NORMA JEAN,


 * OBSIDIAN HALO, ON A PALE HORSE, ON BROKEN WINGS, ONE STEP BEYOND, ONEBODYTOOMANY, OPEN HAND, ORANGE 9MM, ORIGINAL SIN, OTEP, OUBLIETTE, OVERCAST,


 * RACETRAITOR, RAMALLAH, RAZER, RE:IGNITION, REBORN, RED AUNTS, RED TEAR MEMORY, REDHANDED, REFLUX, REMEMBERING NEVER, RESURGE, RINGWORM, RIPCORED, RISE AGAINST, ROADRUNNER UNITED, RODEK, RUINER,
 * S1FT, SANGRE ETERNA, SARIN'S GIFT, SCARLET, SCARS OF TOMORROW, SCORCH, SCUM, SCUM OF THE EARTH, SCUMGRIEF, SEASON OF REASON, SECTION VIII, SEPTIMUS, SHAI HULUD, SHATTERED REALM, SHELTER, SHENOAH, SHOGUN, SICK OF IT ALL, SILENT CIVILIAN, SILVERSTEIN, SINAI BEACH, SINCE THE FLOOD, SINGLE BULLET THEORY, SITTIN' IDOL, SKARP, SKINLAB, SLAVEMACHINE, SNAPCASE, SOCIETY 1, SOULBENT, SOULSCAR, SOUNDEVICE, SPEAK SEVEN ONE FOUR, SPIRALARMS, SPITALFIELD, SPITFIRE, SPITKISS, STIGMATA, STILL REMAINS, STINKHAMMER, STORM WITHIN, STORY OF THE YEAR, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STRAY FROM THE PATH, STRESS FACTOR 9, STRETCH ARM STRONG, STRONG INTENTION, STUCK MOJO, SUBZERO, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SUICIDE CITY, SULACO, SWORN ENEMY, SYMPHONY IN PERIL, SYNTHETIC DELUSION, SYSTEMATIC,


 * TEST-SITE, THE ABSENCE, THE ABUSE, THE ACACIA STRAIN, THE ACCUSED, THE AGONY SCENE, THE ALTER BOYS, THE AUTUMN OFFERING, THE BANNER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE BLAMED, THE BLED, THE BLINDING LIGHT, THE BLOOD BROTHERS, THE BOWELS OF JUDAS, THE BURNING, THE DEAD WILL RISE, THE DEATH RIDERS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, THE DREAM IS DEAD, THE END, THE ESOTERIC, THE FATHER PANIC RIOT ORCHESTRA, THE FIGHTING TONGS, THE FORGOTTEN GRACE THEORY, THE GET UP KIDS, THE HEAVILS, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, THE INFAMOUS, THE JUDAS CRADLE, THE JULIANA THEORY, THE JUNIOR VARSITY, THE LOCUST, THE LOVE LETTER REFUGE, THE MASS, THE MERCY CLINIC, THE MISERABLES, THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU, THE RED CHORD, THE RED DEATH, THE SCHEME, THE SPUDMONSTERS, THE SUFFERING, THE USED, THE VOID, THE WARRIORS, THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES, THINE EYES BLEED, THIS IS HELL, THRICE, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD, THROWDOWN, THURSDAY, TORQUE, TRAINING FOR UTOPIA, TREPHINE, TUNGSTEN, TURMOIL, TWELVE TRIBES