Spineshank - The Height of Callousness (2000)

   Spineshank was probably the heaviest nu metal band after early Slipknot, but unlike them, they were one of the underrated bands / lesser known names of the genre. It's kinda strange, cause they have been around since the first steps of the style, debuted with "Strictly Diesel" in 1998 and they had a contract with Roadrunner Records, so the marketing and commercial background also couldn't have been called negligible. 
  Their music also showed ongoing changes and determined development. While "Strictly Diesel" wasn't very extraordinary, but still a decent debut from a young, experimenting band of a newborn style; their return by "The Height of Callousness" was something way more serious. The album had great sound and production, the band's style was unified, their music heavier, but still easy to go into. Compared to other nu metal bands, instead of the involvement of hip-hop or alternative rock, their music had strong industrial / electronic music influences. After Static-X probably they have been the most industrial nu metal bands, and this mix worked out perfectly. The experimenting intentions didn't disappear completely, only could be found in a softer form, to not mess up the unity of the album. These occur mainly by trying rougher sound possibilities, and a few songs of the album turned out to be impressingly wild of a nu metal album (for instance "Play God" or "Seamless"). The album's main lyrical concept and message also turned the record to one of the darker ones of the style.