Pinpointing exactly when nu metal went from being a couple of unique bands in the metal scene to a fully fledged musical movement is tough. Looking back, 1997 seems to have a pretty good claim for being considered year zero for nu metal as a legitimate scene: it was the year we got debut albums from Coal Chamber, Sevendust, (Hed)pe, Limp Bizkit, Snot and more. It saw the release of Deftones’ classic Around The Fur, and Taproot, American Head Charge and Soil all formed.
It was certainly a boom period for metal, with almost every emerging artist leaning into this new sound. But one band that year who ended up being lumped in with this new movement seemed to bring much more to the party than their peers – so much so, that their place in nu metal always felt a little forced. In 1997, alt funk metallers Incubus began setting themselves apart from the pack with the release of their breakthrough album S.C.I.E.N.C.E., and with it a song that would be their first to connect on a greater level: A Certain Shade Of Green.
