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Nu metalcore (or nu-core) is a fusion genre that combines elements of nu metal and metalcore. The genre often makes use of a combination of screamed and sung vocals, in addition to breakdowns, hip hop-influenced drum beats and electronic music elements.
During the 1990s, many nu metal groups took influence from the hardcore scene, and metalcore bands including Integrity, Norma Jean and Bury Your Dead embraced elements of nu metal at varying points in their careers. In the 2000s, some deathcore bands like Suicide Silence, Emmure and Whitechapel took influence from nu metal, pioneering a nu deathcore style. This led to the first wave of nu metalcore in the 2010s. In 2013, genre defining works such as Bring Me the Horizon's Sempiternal, My Ticket Home's Strangers Only and Sworn In's the Death Card were released. By 2016, the formations of Cane Hill, Ocean Grove and Issues had led to a solidified first wave. A second strain of the genre, originating from the hardcore scene, soon emerged with Code Orange's Forever (2017), Vein.fm's Errorzone (2018) and Harm's Way's Posthuman (2018). In the 2020s, the genre continued to gain traction, with a new wave of groups including Loathe, Tetrarch and Tallah.
These nu deathcore bands, led to a popularisation of nu metal elements in metalcore beginning around 2010, when Infected Rain, In This Moment, Butcher Babies and Attila began creating a "proto nu metalcore" sound. Metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon's 2013 album Sempiternal embraced elements of nu metal and was widely influential. It peaked at number 3 on the UK albums chart, and was one of the earliest releases by a UK metalcore band on a major label, through RCA Records. My Ticket Home's Strangers Only (2013) too was a notable precedent of this wave, seeing a previously established metalcore act merge their style with dark, nu metal influence, together with Sworn In, they were one of the first to establish the modern nu metalcore sound. Issues' merger of nu metal, metalcore and contemporary R&B gained them significant commercial success, with a number of publications crediting them as ushering a new wave of nu metal. Their debut self-titled album (2014) peaked at peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart and their second album Headspace (2016) reached number one on the Top Alternative Albums chart. Furthermore, Bring Me the Horizon's fifth album That's the Spirit (2015) saw the band fully embrace nu metal, which peaked at number 2 in both the UK and US.
By 2016, nu metalcore had solidified itself as a movement, when the fusion began to be embraced by Cane Hill, Ocean Grove, Alpha Wolf and DangerKids. According to The Soundboard in 2016, "nu-metalcore has become ... omnipresent." Many bands who had already made a name for themselves playing metalcore began to shift their sound towards nu metalcore, including Parkway Drive on Atlas (2012), Of Mice & Men on Restoring Force (2014) and Cold World (2016) and Northlane on Alien (2019).
Metallic hardcore band Code Orange saw critical acclaim and success with their Roadrunner Records debut Forever in 2017. It saw the band embraced the influence of nu metal, and according to PopMatters writer Ethan Stewart, led to nu metalcore becoming "one of the most prominent flavors of contemporary metal". Forever's title track was also nominated Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2018. Because of its influence, many metallic hardcore bands began incorporating nu metal and industrial into the sound, leading to the releases of the White Noise's AM/PM (2017), Vein.fm's Errorzone (2018) and Harm's Way's Posthuman (2018).
In 2020, Metal Hammer published an article titled "The most exciting new sound of 2020 is... nu metal", citing Loathe, Blood Youth, Tetrarch, Ocean Grove and Tallah as the bands fronting the newest wave of nu metalcore. Loathe's second album I Let It in and It Took Everything (2020) saw critical acclaim, and was consistently praised for expanding the scope of metalcore by incorporating elements of nu metal, shoegaze, emo, post-rock, progressive metal and industrial music. The band's use of the Fender Bass VI guitar, which tunes to an octave below a standard tuning guitar, became widely sought after following the album's release. The same year, Alternative Press additionally cited Sylar and Void of Vision as "essential nü-metal metalcore bands".
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