Old metalhead here. Hated the nu-metal phase, because it took metal off the air. At least where I lived the radio stations that had been playing heavier alternative and metal switched entirely to nu-metal.

I didn’t like most nu-metal because it lacked the main part of metal for me - which is guitar focus. Nu-metal was all about the huge bombastic intro and then drop everything but a simple bass line and drums while someone sings or raps. Maybe a feeble little guitar solo midway through, but very little guitar work.

In my mind they are two different genres of music, and I’m a metalhead, not a nu-metalhead.