The 9 Best Nu-Metal Guitar Solos + Leads, Chosen by Tetrarch

Here’s nine of the best and most memorable nu-metal guitar solos and leads, chosen by Tetrarch‘s Diamond Rowe.

Now, nu-metal may not be regarded as the subgenre with the flashiest, most nimble and fleet-fingered guitar work, but it’s not because of a lack of chops.

As one of the most buzzworthy guitarists of this wide-ranging new era of nu-metal and alternative metal, Rowe is here to shine a light on some truly great guitar moments in nu-metal history.

But first…

What You Need to Know About Tetrarch

From: Atlanta, Georgia

First Album: Freak (2017)

New Album: The Ugly Side of Me

Although Tetrarch’s debut album wasn’t released until 2017, the band’s story begins a full decade earlier. Rowe, alongside lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Josh Fore, formed the band in back in ’07 in Atlanta, Georgia.

After playing locally, recording a trio of EPs and even doing a 40-day tour, the group linked up with esteemed producers Jason Suecof and Daath’s Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios to track their 2013 EP Relentless. The aforementioned Freak debut was self-released and, in 2021, Tetrach issued their sophomore effort, Unstable through current label home Napalm.

Now, armed with hard-hitting new songs such as “Live Not Fantasize” and “Never Again (Parasite),” Tetrarch’s vision is coming into even sharper focus.

“‘Never Again (Parasite)’ was such a fun song for us to write. It’s very moody and dark but lyrically extremely easy for anyone to relate to. It’s basically about losing trust in so many of the situations and people around you, while at the same time, isolating and losing a sense of self,” the band says of the track. “It also kind of has a vibe of taking back what’s yours and saying ‘this won’t happen to me ever again’. I suppose you can look at it either way. This song shows a very different side of our band especially coming off of our last single ‘Live Not Fantasize’.”

Tetrarch continue, “This is also the first time we have featured Diamond on vocals in a capacity other than just background textures and we are super stoked for everyone to hear her voice in this way.”

Listen to the song directly below.

Tetrarch, “Never Again (Parasite)” Music Video

On top of an exciting new album in The Ugly Side of Me (out now), the leadup has been particularly exciting for Rowe, who has earned her own signature guitar.

“I‘m so excited about this new venture with the Jackson family,” she says, “This is a historic collaboration as I am the first female in the history of Jackson with a signature guitar and the first African American female signature artist in heavy music. I feel so honored to have now joined such an elite group of players that are a part of this club. Many who have inspired me along this journey to get here. It’s truly humbling.”

READ MORE: Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe Celebrates New Music + Her Signature Guitar – ‘I Always Wanted That at Some Point’

And that’s why Rowe is the ideal musician to break down some of the best and most memorable guitar solos and leads in nu-metal. See which ones she shouted out directly below.

Follow Tetrarch on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X and get your copy of ‘The Ugly Side of Me’ at the Napalm webstore.

The 9 Best Nu-Metal Guitar Solos + Leads, Chosen by Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe

Korn, “Falling Away From Me”

In my opinion, the clean guitar intro to this song is the most recognizable nu-metal lead of all time.

Yes, all time.

It has those signature Brian “Head” Welch guitar FX and I dont know any nu-metal fan who doesn’t get excited when they hear that lead start playing whether its live or in their car. It’s a song that I never ever skip and you can thank that guitar lead for that.

An honorable mention would have to go to the dissonant “bumble bee” texture that they put under the chorus chords. It just adds so much anxiety. Such a simple but killer lead texture that adds so much.

Disturbed, “Stricken”

I think Dan Donegan truly proved why he is one of the best guitar players of our time with the guitar solo in this song. It takes a lot of talent as a player and awareness of what a song needs to really write a guitar solo that takes the listener on a journey and he truly did that with this guitar solo.

I can also sing every note of that guitar solo back while it’s playing. You just couldnt compose a better guitar solo for that particular song. It’s not possible.

Slipknot, “Before I Forget”

After the second chorus of this song and going to the bridge, Jim Root goes into a pseudo guitar solo/melancholy guitar part that has ALWAYS been my favorite part of this entire song.

Right after the solo type lead he goes into this hammer-on/pull-off guitar lead line that just makes me want to close my eyes and vibe. It’s so ominous and sounds like it could go on and on and on forever.

Such a crazy dynamic shift and such an intense ass-beating song, but thats what makes Slipknot so great — they can pull off the coolest shifts.

System of a Down, “Lonely Day”

Its not often that you hear Daron Malakian solo in System of a Down songs, but he really came up with something cool on “Lonely Day”.

This guitar solo feels like the guitar is telling its own story during the section. Kind of like in a way backing up what Serj Tankian is saying in guitar form. At least, thats what I feel from it.

The coolest thing about it is that you can hear their Armenian roots / influence in the style of the solo as well which is extremely unique and authentic, especially in a nu-metal song.

Cane Hill, “The New Jesus”

Even though Cane Hill have long abandoned their nu-metal driven sound, James definitely understood the assignment when writing songs from their Smile album, adding leads and solos to the tracks.

He is a severely underrated guitar player and I am always one to give credit where credit is due. While he has written several really cool guitar solos in different Cane Hill songs, I look at “The New Jesus” as the song that kind of introduced them to a greater audience and James has a short solo at the end that showcases his talents to come.

Marilyn Manson, “Tourniquet”

Twiggy Ramirez did a fantastic job on this song creating a lead guitar part that is both sexy and creepy. I think those two words embody a lot of what Marilyn Manson is about, but the guitar lines on this track stand out to me in particular because of how seamless they all feel in conjunction with all of the other elements of the song. Everything shines.

He also does a super short but effective solo right after the first chorus which bring it back down so nicely. It’s hard to pinpoint one particular lead in this song that stands out most because I feel like the droning guitars and the bluesy leads all make this track what it is.

Drowning Pool, “Tear Away”

I’m sure I will get a lot of shit for this, but I really love the guitar solo in this song.

Nu-metal, in my opinion, was more so known for the feelings it evoked than technicality and the simple guitar solo in this song proves just that. I mean this in the best way possible, but it almost makes me feel very nostalgic in a way that reminds me of being a kid and jamming with the band in our parent’s basement/garage.

It’s very raw and feels like a guy and his guitar just vibing. Sometimes thats all you need.

Linkin Park, “In the End”

I wouldn’t consider this a guitar driven song in any capacity but I think that it is incredibly cool how on the verses Brad Delson plays these staccato harmonics that kind of compliment the famous melody.

It’s not too much, but just enough.

Godsmack, “Changes”

I’m pretty sure that it was a combination of Slash and Sully Erna that made me want to buy my very own talk box.

Godsmack‘s Faceless album is a literal masterpiece and while some may argue whether they’re nu-metal or not, I think this album paved its way through that time seamlessly and left its mark.

The whole last quarter of this song has a guitar solo and leads intermingled it makes my guitar loving heart happy. It’s as simple as that.