Alluding to the style of Neue Deutsche Welle, the term was coined by the music press after the 1995 release of the German rock and metal band Rammstein's first studio album Herzeleid.

[1] Some bands use screaming and death growls, which is also common, being heard in certain songs by Oomph!, Rammstein, Joachim Witt, Megaherz and Eisbrecher.

[2] Rammstein, who take inspiration from a wide array of bands including Depeche Mode and Ministry, is the style's most famous and successful practitioner.

The electronic components of the instrumentation are often employed to create string arrangements, melody samples and loops, or background elements.

During its first surge in popularity, NDH proved to be a music direction which made use of heavy metal and hardcore influences as well as elements of techno with German lyrics.

[21] Typical features such as highly technical distorted guitar riffs have been adopted from hard rock and heavy metal and are often modified post recording to add further effect to their sound.

[22] Just like groove metal, NDH bands lean towards mid-tempo riffs, which gain additional rhythm dominance through the use of syncopation.

[20] Female vocalists – such as Luci van Org from Übermutter, or Greta Czatlos in some releases from Untoten are rarely represented as lead singers in the genre of NDH.

Bands who use indulgent militaristic aesthetics or who make ambiguous reference to Nazi Germany have been harshly criticized; Rammstein and Joachim Witt in particular have been confronted regarding this issue many times.

A striking characteristic of the genre are the many band names that consist of conjoined nouns and that are intended to sound hard and strong when pronounced.

Popular dark culture magazines such as Orkus, Sonic Seducer and Zillo frequently feature interviews and reviews about representatives of the NDH music genre.