Alternative metal

History and character

Alternative metal emerged in the United States in the mid 1980s, combining metal with alternative rock and, often, funk, punk and hip hop. The roots of funk metal (Fishbone, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers) go back to the early 1980s; Faith No More, Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden are cited among the first alternative metal groups, and Living Colour combined the genre with funk. In the early 1990s Meantime by Helmet (1992) was highly influential, and Tool with Undertow (1993) became a leading band; Alice in Chains, Rage Against the Machine, White Zombie, Prong, Clutch, Kyuss, Life of Agony and Primus followed.

In the late 1990s a more aggressive wave, nu metal, achieved mass success (Deftones, System of a Down, Disturbed, Korn); in the 2000s radio-friendly alternative metal continued with Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Godsmack, Shinedown, Seether, Evanescence, Mudvayne, and today with Deftones, Bring Me the Horizon, Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Bad Omens, Ghost.

Musically: heavily downtuned guitars (drop D, drop C, drop B) with mid-tempo "chug" riffs, clean, melodic vocals influenced by alternative rock (sometimes alternating with growls and screams in more recent bands), sounds that are sometimes unusual for metal (odd structures, effects, samples, dissonant harmonies), strong choruses.

Scales and keys

Natural minor (Aeolian)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. In D (drop D): D E F G A Bb C.
• Chords: i Dm, III F, iv Gm, v Am, VI Bb, VII C.
• Use: melodic choruses (Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Evanescence), i–VI–III–VII.
• Real-world example: Breaking Benjamin — The Diary of Jane (drop tuning, minor chorus).

Phrygian

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. In D: D Eb F G A Bb C.
• Characteristic note: b2 (Eb) on the open string in drop D.
• Use: chug riffs (Helmet, Chevelle, Deftones).

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. In D: D E F G A B C.
• Use: funk metal grooves (Faith No More, Primus), riffs with a major IV.

Pentatonic and blues

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 / + b5.
• Use: "rock" and stoner riffs (Soundgarden, Kyuss, Clutch, Godsmack).

Lydian, extended chords and dissonance

• Lydian: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7. Use: Deftones (maj7 and add9 chords on low strings, shoegaze dissonances), Tool (dissonant intervals, quartal harmonies).
• Real-world example: Deftones — Change (In the House of Flies) (SongBPM lists G minor: ambiguous, suspended chords over a downtuned riff).

How to choose

• Radio chorus: Aeolian. Chug riff: Phrygian on the open string. Funk metal: Dorian. Stoner/hard rock: pentatonic. "Strange" atmosphere: extended chords, Lydian, dissonances.

Harmony

Function

Downtuned riffs on the open string with few changes (pedal + b2/b3/IV), melodic choruses with minor or pop progressions (i–VI–III–VII, vi–IV–I–V), dissonant harmonies and "wrong" chords in the more experimental bands (Tool, Deftones, Faith No More). Drop D allows power chords with one finger and fast legato (King's X, Soundgarden, Melvins, Helmet).

Dynamics

• Quiet-loud inherited from alternative rock: clean or lighter verses, heavy choruses.

Tunings

• Drop D (Helmet, Tool on many songs, Soundgarden), drop C and drop B (Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Deftones from the 7-string onward), D standard.

Voicing

• Downtuned power chords, chords with high open strings (add9, maj7), dissonant dyads, clean arpeggios with delay and chorus.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Mid-tempo 4/4 with heavy grooves and syncopated "chugs", half time in the choruses, funk influences (sixteenth notes and ghost notes) and hip hop; odd meters in the more progressive bands (Tool: 5/4, 7/8, 13/8; Soundgarden). The feel is heavy and "behind" the beat, with stops and restarts. Radio-friendly bands use precise, quantized structures.

Drums

Role

Heavy, solid groove, sometimes funky or in odd meters. Models: Danny Carey (Tool), Abe Cunningham (Deftones), John Stanier (Helmet), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden), Shannon Larkin (Godsmack).

Kick

• In unison with the syncopated chugs (e.g. steps 1, 4, 7, 11), 1 and 3 in the choruses.

Snare

• Strong 2 and 4, rimshot; ghost notes in funk grooves; on 3 in half time.

Cymbals

• Half-open hi-hat, china and crash on accents, ride in the bridges.

Interaction

• Kick and bass in unison with the downtuned guitar; whole-band stops.

Sections

• Clean or light verse → pre-chorus → heavy half-time chorus → bridge with odd-meter groove or breakdown → final chorus.

Fills

• Powerful tom fills, odd-meter fills (Carey), stops.

Sounds

• Acoustic kit with room, kick with a mid-to-high attack, big snare.

Typical mistakes

• Groove that is too "metalcore" (continuous double bass drums); too little dynamic contrast between verse and chorus.

Bass

Sound

Bass played with a pick or fingers, downtuned, distorted (Justin Chancellor, Chi Cheng, Billy Gould with a big, saturated sound), often a protagonist of the riffs.

Role

• Unison with the riff, independent bass riffs (Tool, Faith No More), long notes in the clean verses.

Examples

• Tool — Sober; Faith No More — Epic; Deftones — My Own Summer (Shove It).

Harmonic instruments

Rhythm guitar layering (modern metal)

• Quad tracking: 4 separate performances of the same riff (never copies: you need the micro-differences for width), two per side: L100 + L80 and R100 + R80 (or all four at L100/R100 if you want maximum width).
• Different amps per side or per pair: for example Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier + Peavey/EVH 5150 (or their simulations), or the same amp with two different cabinet IRs (Mesa 4x12 with V30 + Marshall 1960 with Greenback). For guitars recorded live, Sound On Sound suggests two amps with contrasting/complementary tones panned hard left and right.
• Double vs. quad: double tracking (L100/R100) is more defined and "tight"; quad tracking is bigger but less precise. Thrash and technical death prefer 2 very precise tracks; modern metalcore, deathcore and djent often use 4 tracks or 2 tracks + re-amp.
• Always record a DI: it lets you re-amp and change the sound in the mix.
• Leads and harmonies: center or L30/R30 (third harmonies, one per side), with delay and reverb; the rhythm guitars stay dry.

Alternative metal specifics

• 6 strings in drop D/drop C/drop B or 7 strings (Deftones), Mesa Rectifier, Marshall, Diezel, Bogner amps; fuzz, delay, chorus pedals, Whammy.
• Layering: rhythm guitars L100/R100 (2–4 tracks) in the choruses; verses with clean guitar (delay, chorus) or a single riff; noise and ambient elements (Deftones: shoegaze; Tool: feedback and effects).
• Keyboards and electronics: samples and synths (Deftones with Frank Delgado, Evanescence with piano and orchestra).

Melody and vocals

Vocals

• Clean and melodic (Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Maynard James Keenan, Chino Moreno, Mike Patton with extreme versatility, Ben Burnley, Amy Lee, Sully Erna), sometimes alternating with screams.
• Alternative rock melodies with memorable choruses, often in the high register.

Backing vocals

• Doubles, harmonies in fifths/thirds, supporting screams.

Effects

• Doubles in the choruses, plate/hall, delay; filtered vocals.

Instruments

• Downtuned guitars (6–7 strings).
• Bass.
• Acoustic drum kit.
• Clean vocals (and screams).
• Synths, samples, piano, orchestra (optional).

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Prophet-5 V — Pads and textures: Atmospheric pads and synths (Deftones, Tool).
• Piano V — Piano: Ballads and intros (Evanescence).
• Augmented Strings — Strings: Dramatic strings in symphonic alternative metal (Evanescence).
• Korg MS-20 V — Noises and leads: Filtered noises and aggressive leads.
• Mellotron V — Choirs and strings: 1970s colors and dark atmospheres.

Song structure

Form (3:30–5:00; Tool up to 10+)

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Heavy but radio-ready: big, defined downtuned guitars, melodic vocals clearly on top, bass with character, powerful drums with ambience. References: Helmet — Meantime (1992), Tool — Ænima (1996), Deftones — White Pony (2000), Breaking Benjamin — Phobia (2006), Chevelle — Wonder What's Next (2002).

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +3 dB at 60 Hz; −5 dB at 350 Hz; +3/+4 dB at 3–5 kHz; compression 4 dB.

Snare

• EQ: +3 dB at 200 Hz; −2 dB at 700 Hz; +3 dB at 5 kHz; room 1 s.

Cymbals and room

• Compressed rooms in parallel; drum bus 4:1, 3 dB.

Bass

• Bass split; +3 dB at 800 Hz–1 kHz for the growl; compression 6–8 dB.

Guitars

• 2–4 rhythm guitars L100/R100 (+L80/R80); EQ HP 70–90 Hz; −3/−4 dB at 250–350 Hz; +2 dB at 1–1.5 kHz; −2 dB at 3 kHz (vocals); LP 10 kHz; dynamic EQ 100–200 Hz.
• Cleans L50/R50 with delay and chorus.

Vocals

• Chain: tuning correction (radio) → EQ (HP 100 Hz, −3 dB at 300 Hz, +3 dB at 3 kHz, air at 12 kHz) → 1176 (6 dB) → LA-2A (3 dB) → de-esser → doubles L20/R20 → plate 1.5 s + 1/4 delay.
• Screams on a separate track with heavy compression.

FX

• Delay, plate, automated noise/ambient effects.

Buses and groups

• Guitar bus, vocal bus; glue on the mix.

Sidechain

• Dynamic EQ on guitars keyed from the vocals (2–4 kHz) and from the kick (60–120 Hz).

Master

• Target: −8/−6 LUFS integrated (radio rock), −10/−8 for the more dynamic bands (Tool); true peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

• Mud in the low mids with low tunings; buried vocals; harsh guitars at 3 kHz.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Faith No More — Epic (1989); Helmet — Unsung (1992); Tool — Sober (1993); Deftones — Change (In the House of Flies) (2000); Chevelle — The Red (2002); Breaking Benjamin — The Diary of Jane (2006); Evanescence — Bring Me to Life (2003).

Reference listening

• Jane's Addiction — Mountain Song (1988)
• Faith No More — Epic (1989)
• Soundgarden — Outshined (1991)
• Helmet — Unsung (1992)
• Tool — Sober (1993)
• Deftones — Change (In the House of Flies) (2000)
• Chevelle — The Red (2002)
• Evanescence — Bring Me to Life (2003)
• Breaking Benjamin — The Diary of Jane (2006)