The Band Index Blog
Band guides, genre deep-dives, festival recaps and community-ranked lists.
What Is Nu Metal? The Rise, Fall, and Return of Metal's Most Hated Genre
Nu metal was the biggest thing in heavy music, then the most mocked, and now it's back. Here's where the down-tuned, hip-hop-fed, scream-and-sing sound actually came from, why the backlash hit so hard, and the new bands dragging it into 2026.
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What Is Metalcore? The History of Metal's Most Divisive Genre
Metalcore is the sound of hardcore punk colliding with heavy metal — screamed verses, sung choruses, and the breakdown that empties a room into the pit. Here's where it came from, how it actually sounds, and how to tell it apart from deathcore and post-hardcore.
Rock Fest 2026: 10 Bands You Can't Miss
The 10 bands worth planning your weekend around at Rock Fest 2026 in Cadott, Wisconsin — the headliners everyone's there for, two acts buzzing on The Band Index right now, and the underground names worth showing up early for.