Alt Metal

As heavy metal split off into countless microgenres in the '90s, many bands reacted against grunge's sloppiness and poppier inclinations by crafting fast, concise songs driven by an industrial-strength beat, further replacing the sludgy chords then dominating MTV with tight, percussive riffs and a harsh, overdriven sound. The accompanying growling vocals shared grunge's DNA, though, betraying a mutual fondness for introverted anger and politicized angst; bands like Alice in Chains capably flitted between the two styles. By century's end, alt metal had only atomized further, but as Beavis and Butthead will tell you, the power of "Thunder Kiss '65" is timeless.