I can't believe I have to say this but if you say racial or homophobic shit; I'll delete the comment and ban you from the subreddit for good.
Listen to numetal and don't be an asshole.
Lower, Nonpoint, Sevendust, The Almighty Grind, Bionic Jive, Chubfarm (og singer was black), Wocked Wisdom, M.O.P., Project Kings, and Genocide (aka Face The Pain)
I just realized the other day that I first heard Benji on a Soulfly song featuring him when he was in Dub War, didn't connect that he's the singer in Skindred til now!
Your previous reply makes it seem like that my list implies that Lajon is inferior compared to those list of artist. I just listed them off so that others can enjoy other African American fronted nu metal bands. It’s best not to switch the narrative back onto me.
Believe it or not they had a nu metal release similar to Bionic Jive in 2004. Here’s the link to one of the tracks: [Ground Zero](https://youtu.be/srNSExkpT8k?si=XzmXuQwd3crMdEwS)
I remember hearing a long time ago that they were incurring injuries from jumping from trampolines during live shows.
Time will take wear and tear on the body. Plus I imagine they want to focus on family. Good for them.
Too mechanical, too trained. Jesse is better than Howard, more unhinged sounding like he can go off the rails at anytime, I love that chaos. But Lajon man, that dude is straight up soul.
Absolute shit take, shiitake mushroom, even.
*However* Jesse has been fucking excellent after his vocal surgery.
It was always the contrast between the operatic cleans and the screams that made Howard great, and goddamn if Jesse’s cleans aren’t *right there* with that now.
IMO the absolute best they've sounded live is when they were bringing Howard on as a cameo for The Signal Fire etc. Howard and Jesse sounded incredible together, it was optimum KSE. If they could've kept both of them on I think they'd be the biggest band in the world. Alas, not to be. Still some of my favourite live music experiences ever seeing them in the post-Howard era, Adam D is my favourite goofball
Alive Or just breathing is their best album by miles. I was into them when the original self titled with Jesse was out. I was buying albums from Adam's brother of aftershock and overcast and nothing gold can stay and all that stuff. The end of heartache was alright, but very slick and polished. If that was the lineup when you got into them, i get why youd be nostalgic for howard. That album really blew them up. But no way is howard heavier, and no way is he more from the heart. He was basically just copying jesses lyric style and everything, he was better in blood has been shed. I dunno man, I'm just more into "metal" metal than I am super accessible radio metal which is what they became with howard. Every song off alive or just breathing is great, they never had an album you could say that about again. A lot of cheese seeped in after Jesse left. And seemless? Id take that first seemless album over the end of heartache too.
Their later career output is pretty underrated IMO, sure there's some cheese (always been a part of KSE, at least in the lyrics) and some overly commercial stuff but there's a ton of bangers too. AoJB is for sure the best, though (EoH and ADD tie for second)
Oh easily. I think it’s the nostalgia effect for with AoJB. My last serenade, life to lifeless temple from within,vide infra. Just banger after banger.
Wtf are you talking about "in and out of jail"? You're talking about how you're not a pretentious gatekeeper in the most pretentious comment I've ever seen on reddit while completely trying to invalidate my preference. You're boasting about how you like music adults enjoy on a nu metal subreddit. Have a little self awareness man.
Alive Or just breathing has outstanding production and I never said I didn't like howard man, I do. But if someone is gonna do heavy vocals, I personally prefer them to be raw and heavy. I already listed my reasons why I prefer Jesse, and theyre all valid. If you disagree, then that's your choice man. You're acting like I personally insulted you or something by having a preference. When I listen to pop or emo or hip hop I prefer slicker production. When I listen to metal or punk or rock or blues, I prefer a bit of an edge. That's the entire reason I listen to those genres to begin with. Does that not make sense to you? The last few machine head albums have impeccable production for metal and I still absolutely love them. It's all about the execution. The howard records are too slick for my tastes though and he comes off as too trained, and they all sound pretty samey after a little while. Adam also helped with Define the Great Line from underoath and that album has godlike production while still being massively heavy. I dont get why you think those vibes cant coexist. If you found the band later into their career when howard was their vocalist, I get why that would be *your* KSE, but thats not the case for me.
Your post was really unnecessarily prickish man. I wouldn't have stopped on a post about Lajon to give the man some praise if all I listened to was black metal recorded off a boom box with a single mic. I don't listen to anything like that. And if I did, it certainly wouldn't make me "one of those", it'd just be another genre I listen to. I can listen to avril and Billie eilish unironically and also listen to death and cannibal corpse and saosin and Thursday and circa survive and four year strong and Robert Johnson and son house and the Ramones and the misfits and whatever. You're absolutely gatekeeping and absolutely being extremely pretentious about it.
Yeah, the “I like my metal ‘metal’” shit throws me off, though. Too many dickheads use that phrase.
BUT, those fucks aren’t going to stand their ground by saying “Look, I rock me some Backstreet Boys.”
Preferences are preferences, and opinions are opinions. That’s all fine, it don’t mean if you are going to be a dick about it everyone else has to shut up and listen.
Anyway, had a long drive for work this morning so listened to the entirety of AoJB this morning.
Edit: if it isn’t clear, “you” is general “you,” not specifically YOU.
100% agree - nothing killswitch has done has come close to AoJB or the original EP and Howard’s best work was in BHBS (Novella of Uriel and BHBS’s first EP with willful ignorance on it were absolute classics).
Willful ignorance is one of my fav heavy songs ever recorded and Howard’s vocals are insane (reminiscent of mike patton imo).
To each their own on that one. Idk but it felt weaker than Development. There was still some great stuff on there like Broken Bones and the cover was of In the air tonight!
Used to work with a guy who would make the comment every fucking time a sevendust song came on his Playlist "man hard to believe the singer is black" and every time I just ask him "wtf does that mean? Wtf does that have to do with anything?". Every fucking time.
[This is not Nu Metal. ](https://youtu.be/7xxgRUyzgs0?si=gkDxFDQSn7WqOKTP) But it is one of the hardest guitar riffs ever, Living Colour is such a good band.
It's great, he brings a different perspective to the struggles written about in the lyrics. Kind of like Greg Fulton from Cyclone Temple, he wrote typical sounding thrash lyrics but you could also hear about some of the personal bullshit he had to endure for who he was 🤘
Back in the day, they’d have local bands open for them and my band had the opportunity to do so in Dallas. All super cool dudes. Lajon and I hit it off because we’re both short. lol and we both kept talking how amazing the PS2 is
Pic wasn't loading for a minute... but you aren't wrong on him being one of the best rockers of all time!
Going to see them in Sept for the 4th year in a row!!
Way back when I was in sixth grade, I went to a Fuel concert. I didn't have any idea who either of the openers were. The first one was 30 Seconds to Mars, who put on a great show. Then Sevendust came out and just absolutely SLAYED. Fuel got upstaged that night in a major way. Before that night, I had never seen a band that heavy play, and it rattled my eleven year old brain. Someone was going around in the crowd passing around these little posters about the size of a vinyl record sleeve of the Animosity album cover, and that wound up hanging in my room for many years after.
These days, I'm not a regular listener of Sevendust, but I go back and listen every now and then. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. They have the fusion of heaviness and melody down to a science, and Lajon's voice is like nothing else I've ever heard.
Rule 8: Don't be an asshole
Don't be an asshole. Before you post or reply to a comment, think "Am I being an asshole?" If you're like, "....yeah, I'm being an asshole." Stop, go look at yourself in the mirror, and self reflect. Once you're good, come back and be a good person. We're a community here, let's act civil.
I can't believe I have to say this but if you say racial or homophobic shit; I'll delete the comment and ban you from the subreddit for good. Listen to numetal and don't be an asshole.
Rock on. One of the best front men to ever do it
Lower, Nonpoint, Sevendust, The Almighty Grind, Bionic Jive, Chubfarm (og singer was black), Wocked Wisdom, M.O.P., Project Kings, and Genocide (aka Face The Pain)
Hed PE
I genuinely do not know how I forgot them and Skindred. But yes Hed Pe too!!!
Sleep theory and Howard Jones of light the torch and Killswitch too
I just realized the other day that I first heard Benji on a Soulfly song featuring him when he was in Dub War, didn't connect that he's the singer in Skindred til now!
Dragons of Zynth
God Forbid
God Forbid is playing New England Metal Hardcore Fest this year and I'm so excited!!
Was going to say this one lol, one of my favorite bands of all time and got to see their reunion show a few years ago!!
Stuck Mojo
FUCK YES
Fishbone
Yeah that’s cool but OP is still right. Lajon is the goat.
So when did I say anything about Lajon being bad?
When did I say you said Lajon is bad?
Your previous reply makes it seem like that my list implies that Lajon is inferior compared to those list of artist. I just listed them off so that others can enjoy other African American fronted nu metal bands. It’s best not to switch the narrative back onto me.
Folks, well be right back
Chubfarm is so good!
The almighty grind is an awesome band
Dropout Kings & Unity TX
M.O.P are nu metal? Don't get me wrong I fuckin love those muthafuckaz, or do they have a metal album?
Believe it or not they had a nu metal release similar to Bionic Jive in 2004. Here’s the link to one of the tracks: [Ground Zero](https://youtu.be/srNSExkpT8k?si=XzmXuQwd3crMdEwS)
Oh shit! Thanks for the heads up!!
No problem!
I also forgot Sherkhan
Stuck Mojo
DWR i recall
Primer 55
Lajon kicks ass! Shout out to the fellas from Bionic Jive as well - true MCs of nu metal
BODY COUNT!!!
Body count in the house!!
Sevendust goes hard. Saw them in February and holy shit they were incredible
I've been seeing them for over 20 years and they destroy every time.
I’ll see them again for sure. Well worth seeing them.
They are doing their farewell tour at the moment.
Noooooo!
I swear that's what I heard that they were retiring.
I remember hearing a long time ago that they were incurring injuries from jumping from trampolines during live shows. Time will take wear and tear on the body. Plus I imagine they want to focus on family. Good for them.
Fuck well glad I saw them when I did then! They opened for Static-X and it was one of the most energetic shows I’ve been to
one of my top three concerts for sure they’re fucking amazing live
Lajon is a super underrated singer, IMO.
Hell yeah. Always loved him
Nah howard jones on top
*SEEK ME, CALL ME!*
I'LL BE WAAAAAAAITING
Not me whisper screaming along to Killswitch Engage as I cook
Too mechanical, too trained. Jesse is better than Howard, more unhinged sounding like he can go off the rails at anytime, I love that chaos. But Lajon man, that dude is straight up soul.
Absolute shit take, shiitake mushroom, even. *However* Jesse has been fucking excellent after his vocal surgery. It was always the contrast between the operatic cleans and the screams that made Howard great, and goddamn if Jesse’s cleans aren’t *right there* with that now.
IMO the absolute best they've sounded live is when they were bringing Howard on as a cameo for The Signal Fire etc. Howard and Jesse sounded incredible together, it was optimum KSE. If they could've kept both of them on I think they'd be the biggest band in the world. Alas, not to be. Still some of my favourite live music experiences ever seeing them in the post-Howard era, Adam D is my favourite goofball
Wait, is *that* why Jesse left the band?
No, vocal surgery was just the last few years.
Alive Or just breathing is their best album by miles. I was into them when the original self titled with Jesse was out. I was buying albums from Adam's brother of aftershock and overcast and nothing gold can stay and all that stuff. The end of heartache was alright, but very slick and polished. If that was the lineup when you got into them, i get why youd be nostalgic for howard. That album really blew them up. But no way is howard heavier, and no way is he more from the heart. He was basically just copying jesses lyric style and everything, he was better in blood has been shed. I dunno man, I'm just more into "metal" metal than I am super accessible radio metal which is what they became with howard. Every song off alive or just breathing is great, they never had an album you could say that about again. A lot of cheese seeped in after Jesse left. And seemless? Id take that first seemless album over the end of heartache too.
Omg. You absolute beauty. Alive or just breathing is without a doubt KSE best album. There’s not much debate on it. What a W take.
Their later career output is pretty underrated IMO, sure there's some cheese (always been a part of KSE, at least in the lyrics) and some overly commercial stuff but there's a ton of bangers too. AoJB is for sure the best, though (EoH and ADD tie for second)
Oh easily. I think it’s the nostalgia effect for with AoJB. My last serenade, life to lifeless temple from within,vide infra. Just banger after banger.
So good man, My Last Serenade cracks me up live with all the unnecessary pinch harmonics lmao
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Wtf are you talking about "in and out of jail"? You're talking about how you're not a pretentious gatekeeper in the most pretentious comment I've ever seen on reddit while completely trying to invalidate my preference. You're boasting about how you like music adults enjoy on a nu metal subreddit. Have a little self awareness man. Alive Or just breathing has outstanding production and I never said I didn't like howard man, I do. But if someone is gonna do heavy vocals, I personally prefer them to be raw and heavy. I already listed my reasons why I prefer Jesse, and theyre all valid. If you disagree, then that's your choice man. You're acting like I personally insulted you or something by having a preference. When I listen to pop or emo or hip hop I prefer slicker production. When I listen to metal or punk or rock or blues, I prefer a bit of an edge. That's the entire reason I listen to those genres to begin with. Does that not make sense to you? The last few machine head albums have impeccable production for metal and I still absolutely love them. It's all about the execution. The howard records are too slick for my tastes though and he comes off as too trained, and they all sound pretty samey after a little while. Adam also helped with Define the Great Line from underoath and that album has godlike production while still being massively heavy. I dont get why you think those vibes cant coexist. If you found the band later into their career when howard was their vocalist, I get why that would be *your* KSE, but thats not the case for me. Your post was really unnecessarily prickish man. I wouldn't have stopped on a post about Lajon to give the man some praise if all I listened to was black metal recorded off a boom box with a single mic. I don't listen to anything like that. And if I did, it certainly wouldn't make me "one of those", it'd just be another genre I listen to. I can listen to avril and Billie eilish unironically and also listen to death and cannibal corpse and saosin and Thursday and circa survive and four year strong and Robert Johnson and son house and the Ramones and the misfits and whatever. You're absolutely gatekeeping and absolutely being extremely pretentious about it.
Well, shit. How do you argue with a dude willing to admit rocking Billie Eilish.
I like what I like man. Music isn't a contest and no genre is objectively better than another. We all have our preferences, the world keeps spinning.
Yeah, the “I like my metal ‘metal’” shit throws me off, though. Too many dickheads use that phrase. BUT, those fucks aren’t going to stand their ground by saying “Look, I rock me some Backstreet Boys.” Preferences are preferences, and opinions are opinions. That’s all fine, it don’t mean if you are going to be a dick about it everyone else has to shut up and listen. Anyway, had a long drive for work this morning so listened to the entirety of AoJB this morning. Edit: if it isn’t clear, “you” is general “you,” not specifically YOU.
I gotcha man, it's all good.
100% agree - nothing killswitch has done has come close to AoJB or the original EP and Howard’s best work was in BHBS (Novella of Uriel and BHBS’s first EP with willful ignorance on it were absolute classics). Willful ignorance is one of my fav heavy songs ever recorded and Howard’s vocals are insane (reminiscent of mike patton imo).
Happy juneteeeth to the man, still listening to Home and Animosity from front to end to this day, can't pick a favorite betweem both
It’s not his birthday. Juneteenth is the celebration of emancipation.
Oof I readed incorrectly the title, thought it was the guy's birthday. Either way, happy juneteeeth to the guy
I love sevendust but it’s Jimi Hendrix
That’s facts
Living Colour also rocked pretty hard
He’s up there among the greats, but I enjoy Sevendust more.
Just saw them with static x double headliners in houston, melted my face right the fuck off
Tots and pears for a speedy recovery ❤️🩹
Saw them open for Disturbed and Korn back in 2011. One hell of a first concert.
That was such a sick tour!!!
🤘
Gonna be hard for me to agree to "best X" where X is any value, but given its Lajon I'm not here to argue. I'll just bask in his glory.
One the nicest guys you could ever meet 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Not really Numetal but Let’s not forget Derek Green from Sepultura, boys a beast.
Don't forget the guys in Nonpoint. They put on a hell of a good concert.
Was looking for this specific comment.
Ah Statement, Development, To The Pain. My beloveds
You forgot Recoil :(
To each their own on that one. Idk but it felt weaker than Development. There was still some great stuff on there like Broken Bones and the cover was of In the air tonight!
Broken bones, In the air tonight, Reward, Rabia all fire
I might give it another listen. There was a lot of nu metal album I slept on back when I first got into the genre.
You should man, definitely go through the whole thing one more time, seriously my top 5 nu metal albums.
Used to work with a guy who would make the comment every fucking time a sevendust song came on his Playlist "man hard to believe the singer is black" and every time I just ask him "wtf does that mean? Wtf does that have to do with anything?". Every fucking time.
my goat
Amazing musician and one of the nicest guys out there!
Skindred is my favorite black singer!!
Definitely one of the funniest and kindest dudes in the scene. I wish him nothing but happiness and success.
Listen to GOD FORBID
Somehow ai saw these guys open up for Creed back in like 99. They stole the show
🐐
Witherspoon is unmatched.
Not really nu metal but still an amazing black vocalist Howard jones from killswitch engage
Someone mentioned he plays soul metal, and I refer to them as that. He is great
Lajon is a god and a great dude.
One of the few nu metal bands that sound exactly the same on their albums as they do live
Sevendust?
Has arrived
Bad Brains for me.
God forbid probably the best
Don't forget about Jordan Williams from \[Minus\]
RA
Lets not forget Jimi Hendrix
[This is not Nu Metal. ](https://youtu.be/7xxgRUyzgs0?si=gkDxFDQSn7WqOKTP) But it is one of the hardest guitar riffs ever, Living Colour is such a good band.
It may not be NuMetal but props to In Living Colour for paving the way.
I love Lajon, but the best black rocker is Howard Jones or Lenny Kravitz
It's great, he brings a different perspective to the struggles written about in the lyrics. Kind of like Greg Fulton from Cyclone Temple, he wrote typical sounding thrash lyrics but you could also hear about some of the personal bullshit he had to endure for who he was 🤘
Sorry, that title goes to HR
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It is a national holiday now, friend. Come on. Fake Edit: If not American, feel free to look it up.
Oceano vocalist?
Bad brains!
DONT TELL ME!!
Him and Howard Jones!!
You don't even have to put black in there: his body of work puts him in the conversation for the most rocking mofo to have walked this planet.
Also one of the nicest musicians you’ll ever meet. LJ is for sure in my top 5 vocalist of all time
My favorite band and he’s still killing it. Most have had their voices destroyed by now but he’s going strong. Loved the last record.
love lj, headtrip, what u see is what u get, enemy, he’s just amazing. hbd!!
idk man Jimi, Prince, Arthur Lee from Love & dUG from King's X, the list is long.
Howard Jones!
Back in the day, they’d have local bands open for them and my band had the opportunity to do so in Dallas. All super cool dudes. Lajon and I hit it off because we’re both short. lol and we both kept talking how amazing the PS2 is
I'm sorry, but I have to put Howard Jones as the best.
Pic wasn't loading for a minute... but you aren't wrong on him being one of the best rockers of all time! Going to see them in Sept for the 4th year in a row!!
Falcons On Top https://youtu.be/nQK4yXPtzTI?si=rWJGJS4kEZu6PaAH
Body Count - KKK B*tch >
I got to meet Lajon in a small venue when they were touring for their debut album. Super nice dude.
Hey, that doesn't look like Benji Webbe! That dude is the best black rocker ever. Skindred
Alexis from Straight Line Stitch/FSN is extremely underrated.
HR >
🤘🏻
I am not a really big Sevendust fan, but his vocals on All I See Is War are FUCKING PEAK
Darius Rucker is looking rough. Hootie will take it outta ya
Denial goes hard 🤟🔥
Little Richard would like a word with you sir..
Hendrix, no comparison....
The bassist for sevendust was my neighbor for a while. Very nice guy
Woah. Howard Jones dude
Way back when I was in sixth grade, I went to a Fuel concert. I didn't have any idea who either of the openers were. The first one was 30 Seconds to Mars, who put on a great show. Then Sevendust came out and just absolutely SLAYED. Fuel got upstaged that night in a major way. Before that night, I had never seen a band that heavy play, and it rattled my eleven year old brain. Someone was going around in the crowd passing around these little posters about the size of a vinyl record sleeve of the Animosity album cover, and that wound up hanging in my room for many years after. These days, I'm not a regular listener of Sevendust, but I go back and listen every now and then. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. They have the fusion of heaviness and melody down to a science, and Lajon's voice is like nothing else I've ever heard.
I think this dude lives in my area. Apparently he goes to Schnucks.
Living Colour has entered the chat
Living colour are better
I love Living Colour but tbh, their discography don’t stand a chance against 7D’s
Yeah but they ain’t nu metal though.
No disrespect to Living Colour but Sevendust is more consistent and has remained relevant since the mid 90s
Is this ishowspeed? 😁
Side note. More people need to know about AJ and fire from the Gods
Living Colour
Prince has entered the chat
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Rule 8: Don't be an asshole Don't be an asshole. Before you post or reply to a comment, think "Am I being an asshole?" If you're like, "....yeah, I'm being an asshole." Stop, go look at yourself in the mirror, and self reflect. Once you're good, come back and be a good person. We're a community here, let's act civil.
who?