Alternative Metal · Genres
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What is alternative metal?

Alternative metal (or alt-metal), is a style of heavy metal that emerged in the late 1980s, and had popularity in the 1990s alongside grunge, thrash metal, punk and groove metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavy metal guitar riffs, unconventional sounds within other heavy metal genres, and sometimes experimental influences to heavy music.

About alternative metal

Many bands have done singing, while some bands might do growls or screams or yelling like Static-X and Nothingface.

From Last.fm, where 37,116 listeners have tagged music as alternative metal.

Artists to start with

  1. System of a Down
  2. Chevelle
  3. Loathe
  4. Sleep Theory
  5. Sleep Token
  6. Fleshwater
  7. VIOLENT VIRA
  8. Sevendust
  9. Drowning Pool
  10. Helmet

Albums to hear first

  • Negative Spaces by PoppyNegative SpacesPoppy
  • One-X by Three Days GraceOne-XThree Days Grace
  • Dirt (2022 Remaster) by Alice in ChainsDirt (2022 Remaster)Alice in Chains
  • Meantime by HelmetMeantimeHelmet
  • Alice in Chains by Alice in ChainsAlice in ChainsAlice in Chains
  • Pork Soda by PrimusPork SodaPrimus
  • Seasons by SevendustSeasonsSevendust
  • Blood by In This MomentBloodIn This Moment

Alternative Metal songs

  1. Entombed by Deftones
  2. Cherry Waves by Deftones
  3. Chop Suey! by System of a Down
  4. Sextape by Deftones
  5. Risk by Deftones
  6. Aerials by System of a Down
  7. Toxicity by System of a Down
  8. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) by Deftones
  9. Rosemary by Deftones
  10. Beauty School by Deftones

Alternative Metal on Risocast

  • Around the Fur by DeftonesAround the FurDeftones · 1997
  • Follow The Leader by KornFollow The LeaderKorn · 1998
  • Phobia (Explicit Version) by Breaking BenjaminPhobia (Explicit Version)Breaking Benjamin · 2006
  • Phobia (Clean Version) by Breaking BenjaminPhobia (Clean Version)Breaking Benjamin · 2006
  • POST HUMAN: NeX GEn by Bring Me The HorizonPOST HUMAN: NeX GEnBring Me The Horizon · 2024
  • TRAUMA by I PrevailTRAUMAI Prevail · 2019
  • Evanescence (Deluxe Version) by EvanescenceEvanescence (Deluxe Version)Evanescence · 2011
  • Evanescence by EvanescenceEvanescenceEvanescence · 2011
  • Mascara by DeftonesMascaraDeftones · 1997
  • Got the Life by KornGot the LifeKorn · 1998
  • Entombed by DeftonesEntombedDeftones
  • The Diary of Jane - Single Version by Breaking BenjaminThe Diary of Jane - Single VersionBreaking Benjamin · 2006

Neighbouring genres

In the metal & heavy family. All genres

death metalblack metaldoom metaldeathcoredeath-doombrutal death metalblackened death metalcrossover thrashatmospheric black metalhardcore punkmetalavant-garde metal

Questions

What is alternative metal?
Alternative metal (or alt-metal), is a style of heavy metal that emerged in the late 1980s, and had popularity in the 1990s alongside grunge, thrash metal, punk and groove metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavy metal guitar riffs, unconventional sounds within other heavy metal genres, and sometimes experimental influences to heavy music. Many bands have done singing, while some bands might do growls or screams or yelling like Static-X and Nothingface.
Who are the best-known alternative metal artists?
By Last.fm listening: System of a Down, Chevelle, Loathe, Sleep Theory, Sleep Token and Fleshwater.
What genres are similar to alternative metal?
On Risocast it sits with death metal, black metal, doom metal, deathcore, death-doom and brutal death metal.

Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Updated 6 October 2026

Risocast Help

A music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.

Yes. The app and the website are free.

A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.

On Windows, anything that shows up in Windows' media controls: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000, Windows Media Player and more (VLC, iTunes and MusicBee through their free media-controls plugin). On Android, any music app — it reads the same now-playing info your lock screen shows. You can also connect Spotify or import from Last.fm.

Yes. Plays are counted on your device and sent when you're back online, and the phone app opens without a connection.

It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.

Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.

More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.

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A small player that sits in your tray, writes down every song you play, and shows you who listens like you.

243 songs logged today

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

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How logging works

On Windows, Risocast reads the system media controls, so any player counts: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000. No plugins.

On Android the app reads what any music app is playing (it's coming to Google Play). Anywhere else, connect Spotify or a Last.fm username.

When a song countsAfter half its length, or four minutes, whichever comes first.Tracks under 30 seconds are ignored.Offline plays are counted on the device and sent later.

More on automatic logging · Risocast vs Last.fm

Taste twins

See how much your taste overlaps with anyone's, and find the people who listen most like you. The match comes from what you both actually play, not a list of favourites.

Open People

How the match works

Weekly Disc and Taste Map

Every week becomes a disc of your top songs. Every record you play goes on a map, grouped by genre.

Weekly DiscTaste Map

Real ones, from the maker's own listening.

Download Risocast

Risocast is free for Windows 10 and 11. Android is coming to Google Play; on any other device, use the web app with Spotify or Last.fm.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm
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  • Updates itself: new versions download in the background and install on restart.
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Features
Automatic loggingWeekly DiscTaste MapTaste matchProfiles and statsMusic windowsBPM, key and soundSong stripLikes that syncPlay in your appFindPeople and buddiesCompare tasteAnthemsGenre labelsAndroid appImport and connectWindows 98 look
18 object(s)Open as a list
Guides
Track music on WindowsLog YouTube MusicApple Music statsFind people like youPlayers that workLog VLCLog foobar2000Log MusicBeeiTunes on WindowsLog DeezerLog TidalLog SoundCloudAmazon MusicWindows Media PlayerSpotify historyTop songs of all timeWhat genre is it?Describe your tasteExport your dataComing from Last.fm
20 object(s)Open as a list
Compare
Risocast vs Last.fmLast.fm alternativesRisocast vs stats.fmWrapped any time
4 object(s)Open as a list
243 logged today