I apologise in advance for the terrible title to this post, I couldn't think of a good way to word it!!
The other day I was thinking about the whole "metal was dead in the '90s" thing that gets thrown around every so often. I think a lot of thrash, glam and traditional metal as we knew it in the '80s probably was dead in the eyes of the mainstream during the 1990's; grunge and alternative was very much the mainstream rock genre of the decade, at least during the first half. Nu metal took off towards the end of the decade, but if you take away any contemporary mainstream views of heavier music throughout the '90s, there's an infinitely long list of good albums released during that decade. Some genres, like death, black and power metal only got better during this period, in my opinion. It just wasn't getting the same attention from the mainstream media at the time. Anyway, here's a chronological list of some of my metal favourites from the decade I was born in! I tried to avoid picking the super obvious ones. Instead I've tried to stick to albums that presumably only hardcore metal fans would've been buying at the time of release. It doesn't mean my picks are totally obscure or anything like that, they're just not one's that get talked about all the time (e.g. anything by Pantera, Korn, Slipknot or Deftones, Judas Priest's Painkiller, Metallica's Black Album, Megadeth's Rust in Peace, Fear Factory's Demanufacture, Machine Head's Burn My Eyes etc.).
ANTHRAX - Persistence of Time (1990)
Easily one of Anthrax's best records, Persistence of Time was vocalist Joey Belladonna's last with the band for quite some time. Gone is the cartoon goof of albums like Among the Living and State of Euphoria (not that there's anything wrong with that), and in place is a set of much more serious, focused and heavy songs. The detuned riffing from Scott Ian and Dan Spitz is relentless, with songs like 'Time', 'Keep It in the Family', 'Belly of the Beast' and 'Discharge' kicking my ass every single time. They do have a bit of fun with the cover of Joe Jackson's 'Got the Time', but even this rendition's speed is ramped up to 100%. Anthrax's heaviest album, and in my opinion their best tied with Among the Living. After this album, Belladonna would be replaced by John Bush for a number of years, and the band's sound would become more typically '90s.
VENOM - Temples of Ice (1991)
The second album of the Tony Dolan Venom era, Temples of Ice picks up where 1989's awesome Prime Evil left off. I don't think it quite stacks up to said predecessor as the music isn't quite as vicious by comparison, but there's still plenty of strong tracks for fans to sink their teeth into here. 'Tribes' is a fun, punky Venom number in the old-school sense, 'In Memory of' is a ridiculously catchy and groovy metaller, 'Acid' is as nasty as it should be and the album even features a surprisingly competent cover of Deep Purple's 'Speed King'. Not a top-shelf Venom album, but definitely a somewhat forgotten album that deserves a share of praise and easily well worth your time.
SUFFOCATION - Effigy of the Forgotten (1991)
It's a big deal in death metal, but I still don't think it's quite well-known enough to not make this list. Music doesn't get much heavier than this, even today! This might be my absolute favourite death metal album of all time - Suffocation were way ahead of their time. Effigy of the Forgotten is infinitely heavier, more technical, more brutal than anything else anyone else was doing at the time! The album is full of twisted, unorthodox riffage as well as surprisingly intricate solos courtesy of guitarist Terrance Hobbs (the only guitarist I've ever managed to score a guitar pick from at a concert thus far!), insane blast beat drumming from Mike Smith and ridiculously low gutteral vocals from Frank Mullen. The songs also make use of brutal breakdowns before they got tainted by all the deathcore shite that came along in later years. It makes bands like Deicide and Obituary sound like kids' rhymes by comparison!
ICED EARTH - Night of the Stormrider (1991)
Tip-top speed/power/thrash metal from the States! I always got strong '80s Metallica vibes from the riffing on this record - just listen to the riffs on 'Stormrider', or 'The Path I Choose'. Pure Ride the Lightning/Master of Puppets worship if you ask me! Even the production sounds kinda '80s thrash to me, but Iced Earth always had lots of melody in their music meaning this album blends the aggression and heaviness of thrash with the grandeur of power metal exceptionally well. Vocalist John Greely even manages to remind me of Rob Halford on 'Travel in Stygian'! Really, Night of the Stormrider is like a love letter to old-school metal; a seamless blend of all the classic metal styles to create one impressive concept record.
SODOM - Tapping the Vein (1992)
German thrashers Sodom almost go death metal on 1992's Tapping the Vein! Suddenly Tom Angelripper's vocals are even harsher and growlier than ever, and the music is about as heavy as thrash metal can possibly be. The fast, jagged riffs just keep on coming throughout the entirety of the album. Unrelenting tracks like 'Body Parts', 'Skinned Alive', 'The Crippler' and 'Tapping the Vein' do indeed go hard, as they say. Meanwhile, 'Wachturm' - which is sang entirely in German - manages to sound a bit like Motorhead! Yep, this record sounds like pure fucking metal to me.
ROTTING CHRIST - Thy Mighty Contract (1993)
The first album from the Greek legends is an underrated classic in my books. This is black metal mixed with a distinctly gothic, doomy atmosphere. The songs aren't necessarily fast, tremolo-picked cuts with demo-like production, which is very common for the genre. No, many of these songs are actually rather slow in tempo, with gloomy keyboards backing the doom-like riffs, growling vocals and a surprising amount of melody. I'm not sure if I'd call Thy Mighty Contract one of the best black metal albums ever recorded, but it's one that I often turn to because of the band's unique approach to the music. It doesn't sound like most other albums in it's genre, at least back in the day. Very cool stuff.
BLACK SABBATH - Cross Purposes (1994)
Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm a Sabbath fanatic. I'm one of those guys that will buy multiple different releases of the same albums when it comes to this band. So obviously I had to include the mighty Sab's at some point in this list. Maybe Dehumanizer is the most obvious pick for the best Sabbath record of the '90s, hence why I'm staying within my theme of choosing albums that maybe aren't talked about as much. So, 1994's Cross Purposes it is then.
After the short-lived Dio reunion of the early '90s, vocalist Tony Martin steps back up to the microphone and does a damn good job once again. Also notable is the fact Geezer Butler's hung around long enough for the recording of this album, and you can hear his presence on songs like the awesomely doomy 'Virtual Death' and 'Cross of Thorns'. Tony Iommi's still the king of the riff on other songs like the up-tempo opener 'I Witness', the surprisingly groovy 'Psychophobia' and the rocker 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'. I actually think Cross Purposes is one of the most well-rounded Sabbath albums of all time - not necessarily one of their best, but the variation of the songs (and the fact they're all really good) makes for an extremely enjoyable record. Like I said, not necessarily one of their best, but easily one of their most underrated.
ANNIHILATOR - King of the Kill (1994)
1990's Never, Neverland is one of the ultimate Annihilator records that thrashheads all know and love, but I think most traditional speed and thrash bands were still just about safe in the first year of the decade. Jump forward to 1994 however, and Annihilator were reduced to just the man himself, Jeff Waters, and drummer Randy Black. So King of the Kill was the first of a trio of Waters-fronted albums, and in my opinion, the best album he put out behind Never, Neverland in the '90s. 1993's previous effort, Set the World On Fire saw Waters occasionally diping his toes into writing more radio-friendly songs like ballad 'Phoenix Rising', and even tracks like 'Snake in the Grass' and 'Sounds Good to Me'. It kinda worked for some, but still left fans divided.
King of the Kill however, is a rock-solid speed metal disc that, in true elitist fashion, is undoubtedly what I consider to be 'true metal'! No alternative influences, no detuning, no grunge - just good ol' fashioned, no-nonsense speed metal in every sense of the word! The album's not in the same league as Alice in Hell or Never, Neverland, but tracks like the groovy '21', chunky 'Annihilator', catchy 'Bad Child' and the awesome technical precision of the title track all add up to an underrated slab of real metal from the decade that supposedly killed off traditional metal as we knew it. Oh, I also love 'Hell Is a War', 'The Box' and 'Speed'. Great record.
MEGADETH - Youthanasia (1994)
An album I never knew I was a fan of until a few years back when I revisited my Megadeth page. The band got more accessible after 1992's Countdown to Extinction; the album slowed many of the songs down, the songs got hookier and the music more simplistic (especially after the masterpiece that was Rust in Peace). But I find Countdown to be a tad overrated. It had classic signature tunes on it for sure, but also a fair share of filler to sit through. It's 1994 follow-up, Youthanasia, in my opinion is much more consistent by comparison and also a better-sounding record in the production department. Dave's not thrashing of course, but the songs are really well-crafted heavy metal platters. 'Reckoning Day' is an outstanding opener, 'Train of Consequences' is just about the catchiest number they ever penned but still has plenty of muscle, 'Victory' is hella fun with it's lyrical nods to older Megadeth songs and 'A Tout Le Monde' is a surprisingly excellent ballad. Note, I'm talking about this original version of 'A Tout Le Monde', not that silly 2007 re-recording they did for United Abominations! Anyhow, it's easily my favourite of the Megadeth albums that don't thrash.
DARKTHRONE - Panzerfaust (1995)
Okay, this is awesome! Everyone talks about Darkthrone's so-called 'Unholy Trinity' (A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon and Transylvanian Hunger), but coming hot on the heels of those albums was 1995's Panzerfaust! This album does things slightly differently to those seminal black metal classics - it takes that same raw energy, but the songs have often gotten riffier in a chunkier, kinda Celtic Frost-y, first-wave black metal way. Maybe even doomy too. For me it works extremely well - songs like 'Triumphant Gleam' and 'The Hordes of Nebulah' are only heavier for the new style that's been brought to the table. Nocturno Culto's vocals/lyrics are more audible to match the often slower, crushing pace of the record. Meanwhile you've got others such as 'Hans Siste Vinter' and 'En Vind Av Sorg' that continue the Norwegian black metal style of the past 3 albums. I love the 'Unholy Trinity', but in my head Panzerfaust deserves every bit as much praise. Make it the 'Unholy Quadrinity'!!
IRON MAIDEN - The X Factor (1995)
Some Maiden fans hate this album, but I'm not one of them. The X Factor was the first record to feature vocalist Blaze Bayley, who stepped in for Bruce Dickinson after he went solo for a few years. Blaze's vocal style is drastically different to Bruce's; he doesn't sing in the same high range but thankfully the songs on this album have been written in a way that perfectly accommodates Blaze's approach to singing. In short, it's the darkest, moodiest Maiden album by a long stretch, and that fact alone put many fans off it. Even me when I first got hold of it in my school years!
As I've gotten older though, I've grown to love X Factor. Yes, the songs are mostly long and nowhere near as theatrical as what they were doing with Bruce in the '80s, but tracks like the masterful epic 'Sign of the Cross', the atmospheric 'Edge of Darkness', the pondering 'Judgement of Heaven' and the Falling Down-inspired 'Man on the Edge' are just terrific. It's such a strong album in my books that the only thing they've recorded with Bruce since he returned in 1999 that comes close for me is 2015's The Book of Souls. I guess The X Factor is one of those records that has a fanbase of it's own, a bit like Sabbath's Born Again.
GRAVE DIGGER - Tunes of War (1996)
Awesome concept album from (in my opinion) one of Germany's most underrated metal bands. 1996's Tunes of War centres around Scottish history, specifically all the troubles they had finding independence from England. I must admit, I'm not typically fussed by concept albums. If the music's good and the lyrics just happen to all fit within one theme, then that's cool. But the quality of the music always comes first for me. And Tunes of War is a high class traditional heavy/power metal record on all levels. I will say that historical themes do seem to suit old-school power metal like this however. Anyhow, the album's full of speed metal riffage, anthemic choruses and, well, bagpipes! Actually, they're not all that common here, but intro track 'The Brave' is a mishmash of the traditional Scottish bagpipe anthem 'Scotland the Brave' and big power chord metal riffs. And it works! A very enjoyable record from start to finish.
KVIST - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike (1996)
I very nearly included Ulver's first album, Bergtatt, in this list. But right now it has 24 reviews on Metal Archives and a score of 94%, so it's actually more of an obvious pick than I thought. So then I remembered the black metal gem from 1996, Kvist's For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike! It's not the darkest, most evil, harshest BM album you'll ever hear, but it certainly is one of the most mesmerising. 'Min Lekam Er Meg Blott En Byrde' is a near-10 minute depressive epic - I had to translate that from Norwegian in to English, and it means 'My body is just a burden to me'. I get lost in the vast atmosphere of this record, and it's often melodic songs (well, melodic for the genre at least). I wouldn't call it a symphonic black metal record in the same vein as a band like Emperor; there's keyboards backing all the tremolo riffs, sure, but it's more of a melodic black metal album than anything else. And in terms of that style, I think it's one of the best.
HAMMERFALL - Glory to the Brave (1997)
More top-quality heavy/power metal right here. Hammerfall's mighty debut, Glory to the Brave, blends galloping, melodic Iron Maiden-esque guitars with the speed and precision of a band like Blind Guardian. Add to this big, clean anthemic vocals and the result is a record that said "fuck you" to grunge, alternative and nu metal back in 1997. Good stuff! No duffers here whatsoever, in fact, the second I even mention this album, it makes me wanna go back and just play opener 'The Dragon Lies Bleeding' again and again!
JUDAS PRIEST - Jugulator (1997)
Priest without Rob Halford will always have fans divided, but I for one always dug 1997's Jugulator. Whilst Rob was keeping busy with his various solo projects, American vocalist Tim 'Ripper' Owens took the reins for Priest. Coming from a JP tribute band, you can't deny Tim's obvious Halford influences. He does his very best to keep that aspect of the band in place here. Glenn Tipton and KK Downing on the other hand decided to take the music to a much heavier place - detuned barbaric guitars and tunes that certainly wouldn't have worked on Turbo!! No, Jugulator is not one of Priest's greatest records. But the riffs are killer, Tim does an admirable job filling in for one of the greatest and most influential metal singers of all time and the album did spawn the masterpiece epic that is 'Cathedral Spires'.
Like I said, this album and Owens' era in general has fans divided, but this and 2001's Demolition are albums you have to try at least once I think. I have a long history with Jugulator in that I absolutely loved it in my teens, and while it's novelty has waned somewhat over time for me, it's an album I always enjoy hearing at the very least. I could review it today and it'd be a 7/10. Tomorrow it might be an 8. And this is coming from an absolutely obsessive Judas Priest collector and fanboy!
CANNIBAL CORPSE - Bloodthirst (1999)
Not necessarily Cannibal Corpse's absolute best album (actually, it's quite hard to settle on a number 1) but easily one of the best of the '90s works, 1999's Bloodthirst is a fine slab of gore-soaked death metal from one of the most reliable bands in the genre. The music is as heavy as ever, with instant CC classics such as 'Unleashing the Bloodthirsty', 'The Spine Splitter' and 'Pounded into Dust' to name but a few. Moreover, vocalist Corpsegrinder sounds like he's been there forever already (despite this only being his third album with CC). The riffs are tight, the playing technical and a lot of these tracks have a surprising amount of groove to them. I think part of this band's success is that despite the technicality of the music, their riffs almost always stick in my head afterwards. Top that off with a tip-top production job, and you have another fine album from a ridiculously consistent band.
SAXON - Metalhead (1999)
After 1997's amazing return to form, Unleash the Beast, Saxon have been one of the most consistently strong metal bands of all time ever since. 1999's Metalhead is even better than it's predecessor I've always said this was the darkest album in the massive Saxon catalogue, and I stand by that. Not necessarily dark in a stereotypically 'evil' metal way (satanic lyrics, horror themes etc.), just dark in the sense that the music has gotten heavier and the atmosphere is somewhat different this time around. Erm, forget the fact there's a track on here called 'Song of Evil'! That said, Metalhead is still 100% Saxon. 'Conquistador' is an absolutely blistering speed metal cut, 'Are We Travellers in Time' is a moody sci-fi romp, the title track crushes and 'Sea of Life' is a proggy epic finale. Like most Saxon records, there's nothing fancy about Metalhead - what it is, is more balls-to-the-wall, meat n' potatoes heavy metal. And sometimes that's all I need.
