This is a list of alternative metal bands and artists. It includes bands that have at some stage in their career played within the style of alternative metal, it also includes bands which have played within one of it's sub-genres such as nu metal, rap metal and funk metal.
| Band | Active | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Years | Yes | Also classed as post-grunge and progressive metal. |
| 30 Seconds to Mars | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, emo, hard rock and progressive metal |
| 36 Crazyfists | Yes | Also classed as metalcore, post-hardcore and nu metal. |
| Acid Bath | No | Also classed as sludge metal. |
| Alice in Chains | Yes | Also classed as grunge, heavy metal, doom metal, sludge metal and alternative rock. |
| Alien Ant Farm | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, nu metal, punk rock, pop punk, post-grunge and funk metal. |
| Alter Bridge | Yes | Also classed as hard rock and heavy metal. |
| Anal Cunt | No | Also classed as grindcore, comedy, folk and glam metal. |
| A Perfect Circle | Yes | Also classified as alternative rock, progressive rock, art rock, industrial, post-grunge, ambient, nu metal, and gothic rock. |
| Audioslave | No | Also classed as hard rock, post-grunge, and alternative rock. |
| Avenged Sevenfold | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal, metalcore and hard rock. |
| Benea Reach | Yes | Also classed as metalcore, mathcore, extreme metal and industrial. |
| Biohazard | Yes | Also classed as crossover thrash, metalcore, hardcore punk and rapcore. |
| Boris | Yes | Also classed as experimental rock, drone metal, noise rock, stoner rock and sludge metal. |
| Boy Hits Car | Yes | Also classed as hard rock, melodic rock and alternative rock |
| Breaking Benjamin | On Hiatus | Also classed as post-grunge and alternative rock |
| Bullet for my Valentine | Yes | Also classed as metalcore, heavy metal and thrash metal. |
| Chevelle | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock. |
| Corrosion of Conformity | Yes | Also classed as garage punk and sludge metal |
| Cyclone Temple | No | Also classed as thrash metal and progressive metal. |
| Days of the New | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock and post-grunge. |
| Decyfer Down | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock and post-grunge. |
| Defrage | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock and post-grunge. |
| Deftones | Yes | Also classed as nu metal, experimental rock, post-metal, post-hardcore, and art rock. |
| The Dillinger Escape Plan | Yes | Also classed as mathcore. |
| Disciple | Yes | Also classed as hard rock, heavy metal and southern metal. |
| Dog Fashion Disco | No | Also classed as avant-garde metal. |
| Echobrain | No | Only classed as alternative metal. |
| Enter Shikari | Yes | Also classed as metalcore, electronicore and post-hardcore. |
| Evanescence | Yes | Also classed as gothic rock, nu metal, and hard rock |
| Eyehategod | Yes | Also classed as doom metal and sludge metal. |
| Eyes Set to Kill | Yes | Also classed as metalcore, post-hardcore, emo, alternative rock, nu metal and screamo. |
| Failure | No | Also classed as alternative rock and space rock. |
| Fair to Midland | Yes | Also classed as progressive rock. |
| Faith No More | Yes | Recognized as one of the earliest alternative metal bands. Also classed as funk metal, experimental metal and alternative rock. |
| Fantômas | Yes | Also classed as avant-garde metal, grindcore and soundtrack. |
| Fear Factory | Yes | Also classed as industrial metal, groove metal, death metal and nu metal. |
| Fightstar | Yes | Also classed as post-hardcore, alternative rock and symphonic rock |
| Flyleaf | Yes | Also classed as hard rock and post-grunge. |
| Full Scale | No | Also classed as post-grunge |
| Fu Manchu | Yes | Also classed as stoner rock, punk rock and alternative rock |
| Godsmack | Yes | Also classed as hard rock, heavy metal, post-grunge, nu metal, and industrial metal. |
| Grinspoon | Yes | Also classed as post-grunge, alternative rock and nu metal |
| Gruntruck | No | Also classed as grunge. |
| GWAR | Yes | Also classed as crossover thrash. |
| Hayko Cepkin | Yes | Also classified as alternative rock, heavy metal and industrial rock. |
| Helmet | Yes | Also classed as post-hardcore, noise rock, alternative rock, groove metal, post-metal and experimental metal. |
| Hollywood Undead | Yes | Also classed as rap metal, nu metal, rap rock, rapcore, hip hop, post-hardcore and alternative rock. |
| HIM | Yes | Also classed as gothic metal, gothic rock, hard rock, alternative rock and heavy metal. |
| Incubus | Yes | Also classed as funk metal (early), nu metal (early), rap metal (early), alternative rock (later) and art rock (later). |
| Infectious Grooves | Yes | Also classed as funk metal |
| In Flames | Yes | Also classed as melodic death metal |
| Jane's Addiction | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock and progressive rock. |
| Jerry Cantrell | No | Also classed as alternative rock, heavy metal, grunge and post-grunge. |
| Jesters of Destiny | No | Also classed as heavy metal, hard rock and psychedelic rock. |
| Jesu | Yes | Also classed as post-rock, experimental rock, post-metal, drone metal, shoegazing and ambient. |
| The Jesus Lizard | No | Also classed as noise-rock |
| Jimmie's Chicken Shack | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, post-grunge and funk metal. |
| Katatonia | Yes | Also classed as doom metal, death metal, gothic metal and progressive metal |
| Killswitch Engage | Yes | Also classed as metalcore. |
| Korn | Yes | Considered the first nu metal group. Also classed as industrial metal, rap metal, funk metal and groove metal. |
| Kyuss | Yes | Also considered the first stoner rock group. |
| L7 | No | Also classed as grunge, punk rock and riot grrrl. |
| Lamb of God | Yes | Also classed as groove metal, metalcore, death metal and grindcore. |
| Life of Agony | No | Also classed as heavy metal, crossover thrash, hard rock, and alternative rock |
| Limp Bizkit | Yes | Also classed as nu metal and rap metal. |
| Linkin Park | Yes | Also classed as nu metal, alternative rock, rap rock, popular music, electronic rock, rap metal and alternative hip hop. |
| Living Colour | Yes | Also classed as funk metal, heavy metal and hard rock. |
| Marilyn Manson | Yes | Also classed as industrial metal, industrial rock, glam rock, heavy metal, shock rock and alternative rock. |
| Mastodon | Yes | Also classed as progressive metal, sludge metal, heavy metal, stoner metal and post-hardcore. |
| Melvins | Yes | Also classed as various other genres, including sludge metal and doom metal |
| Meshuggah | Yes | Also classed as avant-garde metal, thrash metal, death metal, progressive metal and djent |
| Metallica | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock and speed metal |
| Ministry | Yes | Also classed as industrial metal and thrash metal. |
| Monster Magnet | Yes | Also classed as psychedelic rock, stoner metal and heavy metal. |
| Mötley Crüe | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal, hard rock and glam metal |
| Mr. Bungle | No | Also classed as various other genres, including avant-garde and funk metal |
| Mudvayne | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal and progressive metal. |
| Mushroomhead | Yes | Also classed as shock rock, industrial metal and electro-industrial. |
| Nickelback | Yes | Also classified as heavy metal, alternative rock, post-grunge, pop rock, nu metal and country rock. |
| Nine Inch Nails | Yes | Also classed as industrial rock, industrial metal, dark ambient, gothic rock and alternative rock. |
| Opiate for the Masses | No | Also classed as post-hardcore and industrial metal. |
| Orangutang | No | Also classed as heavy pop, and alternative rock. |
| Otep | Yes | Also classed as nu metal, rap metal and heavy metal. |
| P.O.D. | Yes | Also classed as nu metal, rap metal, Christian metal, reggae and post-hardcore. |
| Pantera | No | Also classed as groove metal, thrash metal and sludge metal. |
| Primus | Yes | Also classed as thrash funk |
| Prong | Yes | Also classed as industrial metal, thrash metal, groove metal and hardcore punk. |
| Queens of the Stone Age | Yes | Also classified as alternative rock, hard rock, stoner rock and heavy metal. |
| Rage Against the Machine | Yes | Also classed as rap metal and funk metal |
| The Rasmus | Yes | Also classified as alternative rock and soft rock. |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | Yes | Also classed as funk rock, alternative rock, funk metal and rap rock. |
| Rollins Band | No | Also classified as hard rock and post-hardcore. |
| Scum of the Earth | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal. |
| Seether | Yes | Also classed as post-grunge. |
| Sentenced | No | Also classed as gothic metal, heavy metal, black metal, melodic death metal and death metal. |
| Sepultura | Yes | Also classed as groove metal, death metal, thrash metal, black metal speed metal, and world music (later period). |
| Serj Tankian | Yes | Also classed as progressive rock, experimental rock, alternative rock and classical. |
| Sevendust | Yes | Also classed as nu metal and heavy metal. |
| Shinedown | Yes | Also classified as post-grunge, hard rock, and southern rock |
| Sick Puppies | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, hard rock and post-grunge. |
| Slipknot | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal and nu metal |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, gothic rock, psychedelic rock, dream pop, grunge and shoegazing. |
| Soundgarden | Yes | Also classed as grunge, heavy metal, alternative rock, psychedelic, blues and garage punk |
| Staind | Yes | Also classified as nu metal, alternative rock, and post-grunge |
| Sum 41 | Yes | Also classed as punk rock, pop-punk, and alternative rock |
| Sun 0))) | Yes | Also classed as experimental, drone metal, doom metal and avant-garde metal |
| Stone Temple Pilots | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, hard rock, grunge and neo-psychedelia |
| System of a Down | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal, nu metal, progressive rock, progressive metal, hard rock, alternative rock, experimental rock, thrash metal, and art rock. |
| Tad | No | Also classed as grunge and heavy metal. |
| Therapy? | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, noise rock, and punk rock. |
| Thousand Foot Krutch | Yes | Also classed as Christian rock, nu metal, rap metal and hard rock |
| Three Days Grace | Yes | Also classified as alternative rock, post-grunge, and hard rock |
| Tomahawk | Yes | Also classed as alternative rock, experimental rock, progressive rock and Native American music. |
| Tool | Yes | Also classed as progressive metal, progressive rock, heavy metal, art rock, experimental rock and industrial metal. |
| Trivium | Yes | Also classed as metalcore and thrash metal. |
| Type O Negative | No | Also classed as gothic metal. |
| Tremonti | Yes | Also classed as thrash metal, speed metal. |
| Ugly Kid Joe | Yes | Also classed as hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal and funk metal. |
| Volbeat | Yes | Also classed as heavy metal, hard rock, rock and roll, rockabilly, groove metal and punk rock. |
| Waltari | Yes | Also classed as progressive metal, crossover thrash, hard rock, avant-garde metal, death metal, punk rock, symphonic metal, pop rock, and techno |
| White Zombie | No | Also classed as groove metal, industrial metal and heavy metal. |
| Wolfmother | Yes | Also classed as hard rock, stoner rock, heavy metal and neo-psychedelia |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, alternative, metal and/or artists:
“Thirty—the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“Do your children view themselves as successes or failures? Are they being encouraged to be inquisitive or passive? Are they afraid to challenge authority and to question assumptions? Do they feel comfortable adapting to change? Are they easily discouraged if they cannot arrive at a solution to a problem? The answers to those questions will give you a better appraisal of their education than any list of courses, grades, or test scores.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“It is a secret from nobody that the famous random event is most likely to arise from those parts of the world where the old adage “There is no alternative to victory” retains a high degree of plausibility.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
“We are supposed to be the children of Seth; but Seth is too much of an effete nonentity to deserve ancestral regard. No, we are the sons of Cain, and with violence can be associated the attacks on sound, stone, wood and metal that produced civilisation.”
—Anthony Burgess (b. 1917)
“The artistic temperament is a disease that affects amateurs.... Artists of a large and wholesome vitality get rid of their art easily, as they breathe easily or perspire easily. But in artists of less force, the thing becomes a pressure, and produces a definite pain, which is called the artistic temperament.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)