Allmusic has claimed that , `` Funk metal evolved in the mid - '80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers , Faith No More , Infectious Grooves , Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger funk underpinning than metal . Allmusic has claimed that , `` Funk metal evolved in the mid - '80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers , Faith No More , Infectious Grooves , Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger funk underpinning than metal . ''