Many of the most popular early 1990s groups with roots in heavy metal fall under the umbrella term 'alternative metal'. The label was applied to a wide spectrum of acts that fused metal with different styles, not all associated with alternative rock.

Acts labelled alternative metal included the Seattle grunge scene's Alice in Chains, the noise rock-infused White Zombie and groups drawing on multiple and hybrid styles: Faith No More combined their alternative rock sound with punk, funk, metal, and hip-hop; Primus joined elements of funk, punk, thrash metal, and experimental music; Tool mixed metal and progressive rock; Ministry began incorporating metal into its industrial sound; and Marilyn Manson went down a similar route, while also employing shock effects.

Alternative metal artists, though they did not represent a cohesive scene, were united by their willingness to experiment with the metal genre and their rejection of glam metal aesthetics (with the notable exception of White Zombie's and Marilyn Manson's stagecraft).