Outside of Linkin Park, nu metal seems to be the most hated music genre in existence. I mean even Disco and Hair Metal have a sense of nostalgia attached to them (Disco in particular seems to be liked by my generation and younger), but it seems if there's one thing people of all ages agree on its that they hate nu metal. Any ideas why this is? It's had a non stop backlash since 04.

As someone who regularly listens to nu-metal (specifically Korn, Limp Bizkit, Staind, Linkin Park, Sevendust, Evanescence, Slipknot, System of a Down, Disturbed, and Drowning Pool), the genre seems to be a toned-down version of groove and thrash metal combined. It has a really aggressive tone, but it doesn't show massive guitar solos. It also has hip-hop influences where it usually puts in hip-hop beats from either the drummer or digitized beats. Hell, even the vocalists sometimes rap to even compare themselves with hip-hop (e.g. Fred Durst, Jacoby Shaddix, Mike Shinoda). But another thing with nu-metal is that most heavy metal fans describe it as mallcore (due to how it's merchandise is widely shown in Hot Topic) or whinecore (since most of the songs basically say that life sucks ass)

Me personally, I would prefer thrash metal and metalcore compared to nu-metal in a jiff because it's much more heavier and seems to have wicked guitar solos. It also describes itself in a more beautiful way, where nu-metal is more like grunge.

I like nu metal but it does sound all the same. I don't think I like it as much as pop punk though because of the subculture - nu metal made rock seem fresh, but I prefer the more gender ambiguous and "kawaii" aesthetic that pop punk pulled off. Nu metal to me is just a marriage of metal and hip hop that has been hated now more than emo.

Because it's hated in the metalhead's circles because it's a bastarized, poppy version of metal to them created in order to appeal to a younger audience (they describe as very annoying). Add to that most people don't care about metal in general, and you don't have lots of supporters outside of the fanbase. Unlike something like Teen Pop which also has lots of haters but also much more people having good memories with the genre.

I like a few nu metal songs, but I do agree it's a pretty whiny genre to get into (though metalcore is worst on that side). Outside of black metal, I'm really not a huge metal fan anyway.