Nü-metal was a blend of over the top budgets, TRL and behind the scenes tragedy. This list pays tribute to 10 men that were larger than life on stage and still near and dear to our hearts off stage.
Wayne Static
The Static-X frontman would command the stage with his distinctive rasp, larger than life hairstyle and evil disco sounds. Static-X may be bigger today than during the band's original run. One of the more unique people in nü-metal, Wayne would leave the world on Nov. 11, 2014.
Jason Lutrell
Jason was the unique frontman of Primer 55. Jason's scream mixed with his rap rock flow gave Primer 55 its trademark sound. He was a gentle giant and was quiet offstage. Jason would have basked in the nu metal revival and loved hearing the stories of his voice inspiring vocalists to pick up a mic. Sadly, Jason passed on August 10, 2018.
Matt Holt
Nothingface is one of the most underrated bands in the nü-metal world. Matt would blend his singing and screaming over the crushing tones of Tom Maxwell's guitar. Nothingface was ahead of their time and was definitely an influence to the entire scene. Sadly, we lost Matt on April 15, 2017.
Paul Gray
As one of the founding members of Slipknot, Paul Gray wrote some of the band's biggest bangers. Paul had a heavy hand in writing "Surfacing" and "Spit It Out". Corey Taylor is on record calling the bassist Slipknot's "secret weapon". Paul left us on May 24, 2010 at the age of 38.
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison was one of the most influential drummers in all of metal. In Slipknot, Joey Jordison brought the blast beat to the airwaves and he would go on to inspire a whole new generation to pick up the sticks. When not crushing the drums with Corey and the boys, Joey would pick up the guitar and slay with Murderdolls. Joey passed away on July 26, 2021.
Chi Cheng
Deftones bassist Chi Cheng elevated the band's dynamic by not always following Steph's riffs. Chi was a sight to take in when he was on stage. His dreads would fly all over and his backing vocals brought a punk rock aspect to the band. Chi left this earth on April 13, 2013 after spending nearly 5 years in a coma following a tragic car accident in 2009.
Shifty Shellshock
Seth Binzer, better known as Shifty Shellshock, fronted Crazy Town and had major success with the hit "Butterfly". Shifty also had a reality TV career with his stints on Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. After a brief hiatus, Shifty reformed Crazy Town and performed with the band up until his passing. Seth was found dead on June 24, 2024.
Lynn Strait & Dobbs
The maniac frontman of Snot, Lynn Strait was not only known for his vocals but for his onstage antics. Lynn was once arrested for emerging from the giant Limp Bizkit toilet naked and participating in some extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, Lynn never made the court date as he passed away with his beloved dog Dobbs on December 11, 1998 in a car accident.
Chester Bennington
Linkin Park is the gateway band for so many little metalheads and Chester had a voice that was larger than life. Hybrid Theory has sold more than 32 million copies worldwide. Fred Durst even stated that if not for Chester, nü-metal "would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives." Chester left us on July 20, 2017.
Dave Williams
Dave was dubbed "Stage" by Dimebag Darrell for his out of this world presence in front of a crowd. Dave only needed one album to cement his legacy. "Bodies" is a nu metal anthem and still permeates pop culture to this day. We sadly lost Dave Williams on August 14, 2002 while Drowning Pool was on OzzFest.
