The Best Metal Albums of the 1990s
Our pick of the essential metal records released in the 1990s, ranked.
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1MetallicaMetallica
Metallica
The 'Black Album' that took metal mainstream, trading thrash complexity for tight, heavy anthems like 'Enter Sandman'. Massive and inescapable. Their commercial peak.
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2Rust in PeaceMegadeth
Rust in Peace
Technical thrash at its most dazzling, all intricate riffs and breakneck solos. Widely regarded as their masterpiece. Precise and savage.
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3Cowboys from HellPantera
Cowboys from Hell
The arrival of groove metal, swapping glam for sheer power and Dimebag Darrell's riffs. Heavy, tight and hugely influential. A 90s metal cornerstone.
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4Vulgar Display of PowerPantera
Vulgar Display of Power
Brutal, grooving and uncompromising, the album that defined 90s heaviness. 'Walk' became an anthem. Pure aggression channelled with precision.
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5PainkillerJudas Priest
Painkiller
A ferocious, speed-driven late peak with thunderous drums and screaming vocals. Relentless and precise. A metal essential.
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6AenimaTool
Aenima
Dense, dynamic and cerebral progressive metal, swinging between rage and meditation across long, evolving tracks. Demanding and rewarding. A modern metal landmark.
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7SlipknotSlipknot
Slipknot
A brutal, chaotic nu-metal debut of masked aggression. Heavy and influential. A genre landmark.
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8Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
A furious fusion of metal, funk and hip-hop with revolutionary politics. Tight and explosive. A debut that changed rock.
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9Chaos A.D.Sepultura
Chaos A.D.
A groove-metal pivot toward tribal rhythm and politics. Heavy and acclaimed. A turning point.
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10RootsSepultura
Roots
A groove-and-tribal-metal landmark fusing thrash with Brazilian percussion. Heavy and innovative. Their most influential record.
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11Angel DustFaith No More
Angel Dust
A wildly eclectic, genre-blurring peak of unpredictable invention. Bold and influential. Their masterpiece.
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12Countdown to ExtinctionMegadeth
Countdown to Extinction
A polished, commercial thrash peak. Tuneful and huge. Their best-selling record.
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13Seasons in the AbyssSlayer
Seasons in the Abyss
A balanced peak of speed and atmosphere. Ferocious and beloved. A genre high point.
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14Far Beyond DrivenPantera
Far Beyond Driven
A brutal, chart-topping peak of groove-metal heaviness. Relentless and huge. A 90s landmark.
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15AriseSepultura
Arise
A ferocious thrash-death peak of precision. Brutal and acclaimed. A high point.
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16SymbolicDeath
Symbolic
A melodic, progressive death-metal peak of craft. Sharp and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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17HumanDeath
Human
A technical, progressive death-metal peak of complexity and feel. Ambitious and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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18Slaughter of the SoulAt the Gates
Slaughter of the Soul
The album that codified melodic death metal and inspired a generation of metalcore. Sharp and relentless. A genre cornerstone.
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19In the Nightside EclipseEmperor
In the Nightside Eclipse
Symphonic black metal of grandeur and fury, layered with keyboards and blast beats. Majestic and influential. A landmark debut.
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20De Mysteriis Dom SathanasMayhem
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
A foundational, notorious black-metal album of icy tremolo riffs and raw atmosphere. Historically pivotal. A genre touchstone.
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21A Blaze in the Northern SkyDarkthrone
A Blaze in the Northern Sky
A foundational black-metal pivot to raw, cold aggression. Influential and stark. A genre cornerstone.
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22HeartworkCarcass
Heartwork
A melodic death-metal landmark of precision and hooks. Sharp and influential. A genre high point.
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23Destroy Erase ImproveMeshuggah
Destroy Erase Improve
A pioneering, polyrhythmic landmark that helped birth djent. Crushing and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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24UndertowTool
Undertow
A heavy, brooding debut of alt-metal intensity. Powerful and beloved. A strong start.
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25Still LifeOpeth
Still Life
A conceptual, progressive death-metal peak of melody and heaviness. Bold and beloved. A fan favourite.
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26Around the FurDeftones
Around the Fur
A heavier, sharper second album of dynamic alt-metal. Powerful and beloved. A breakthrough.
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27King for a Day... Fool for a LifetimeFaith No More
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
A wildly eclectic peak of genre-hopping invention. Bold and beloved. A creative high.
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28Evil EmpireRage Against the Machine
Evil Empire
A fierce, funky follow-up of political fire. Tough and huge. A strong second record.
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29The Battle of Los AngelesRage Against the Machine
The Battle of Los Angeles
A polished, furious peak of rap-metal fire. Sharp and acclaimed. A high point.
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30The Downward SpiralNine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral
A harrowing, abrasive industrial-rock masterpiece of self-destruction, home to 'Hurt' and 'Closer'. Bold and influential. A defining 90s record.
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31The FragileNine Inch Nails
The Fragile
A sprawling, ambitious double album of texture and despair, more layered than its predecessor. Dense and rewarding. A cult favourite.
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32Antichrist SuperstarMarilyn Manson
Antichrist Superstar
A theatrical, industrial-metal concept record of shock and ambition that defined his notoriety. Heavy and provocative. His peak.
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33KornKorn
Korn
The debut that launched nu-metal, heavy and raw with detuned dread. Influential and huge. A genre origin point.
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34Follow the LeaderKorn
Follow the Leader
A blockbuster nu-metal peak, home to 'Freak on a Leash'. Heavy and huge. Their commercial high.
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35Individual Thought PatternsDeath
Individual Thought Patterns
A technical, progressive death-metal peak. Sharp and acclaimed. A high point.
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36Cause of DeathObituary
Cause of Death
A heavy, groove-laden death-metal landmark. Brutal and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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37Left Hand PathEntombed
Left Hand Path
A foundational Swedish death-metal landmark of buzzsaw guitar. Heavy and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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38Necroticism - Descanting the InsalubriousCarcass
Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious
A technical, gory death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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39The Jester RaceIn Flames
The Jester Race
A melodic death-metal landmark of Gothenburg craft. Sharp and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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40My Arms, Your HearseOpeth
My Arms, Your Hearse
A conceptual, progressive death-metal peak. Bold and beloved. A high point.
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41Anthems to the Welkin at DuskEmperor
Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
A majestic symphonic black-metal peak. Grand and influential. A genre high point.
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42Transilvanian HungerDarkthrone
Transilvanian Hunger
A raw, hypnotic black-metal landmark of lo-fi tremolo. Cold and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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43At the Heart of WinterImmortal
At the Heart of Winter
A frostbitten, epic black-metal peak. Powerful and beloved. A genre high point.
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44Storm of the Light's BaneDissection
Storm of the Light's Bane
A melodic black-death landmark of icy beauty. Sharp and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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45The Great Southern TrendkillPantera
The Great Southern Trendkill
A brutal, abrasive peak of pure aggression. Heavy and beloved. A fan favourite.
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46Burn My EyesMachine Head
Burn My Eyes
A crushing groove-metal debut. Heavy and acclaimed. A genre landmark.
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47System of a DownSystem of a Down
System of a Down
A frantic, political nu-metal debut of unhinged invention. Heavy and influential. A breakthrough.
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48Mechanical AnimalsMarilyn Manson
Mechanical Animals
A glam-rock concept pivot of melodic ambition. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.
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49Calculating InfinityDillinger Escape Plan
Calculating Infinity
A chaotic, technical mathcore landmark. Brutal and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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50Through Silver in BloodNeurosis
Through Silver in Blood
A monolithic post-metal landmark of crushing atmosphere. Heavy and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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51Welcome to Sky ValleyKyuss
Welcome to Sky Valley
A heavy, hypnotic desert-rock peak. Fuzzy and beloved. A stoner-metal cornerstone.
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52Blues for the Red SunKyuss
Blues for the Red Sun
A heavy, desert-rock landmark that shaped stoner metal. Fuzzy and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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53Persistence of TimeAnthrax
Persistence of Time
A darker, heavier thrash peak. Tight and acclaimed. A high point.
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54The Sound of PerseveranceDeath
The Sound of Perseverance
A technical, progressive death-metal peak and final album. Sharp and acclaimed. A high point.
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55Blessed Are the SickMorbid Angel
Blessed Are the Sick
A dark, ambitious death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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56CovenantMorbid Angel
Covenant
A polished, hooky death-metal peak that crossed over. Heavy and beloved. A high point.
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57DeicideDeicide
Deicide
A ferocious, blasphemous death-metal debut. Brutal and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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58Effigy of the ForgottenSuffocation
Effigy of the Forgotten
A foundational brutal-death-metal landmark. Crushing and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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59Like an Ever Flowing StreamDismember
Like an Ever Flowing Stream
A foundational Swedish death-metal landmark. Heavy and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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60The GalleryDark Tranquillity
The Gallery
A melodic death-metal landmark of Gothenburg craft. Sharp and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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61WhoracleIn Flames
Whoracle
A melodic death-metal peak. Sharp and beloved. A high point.
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62Nemesis DivinaSatyricon
Nemesis Divina
A sharp, melodic black-metal peak. Bold and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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63BergtattUlver
Bergtatt
An atmospheric, folk-tinged black-metal landmark. Bold and acclaimed. A genre cornerstone.
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64Sleep's Holy MountainSleep
Sleep's Holy Mountain
A foundational stoner-doom landmark of monolithic riffs. Heavy and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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65Come My Fanatics...Electric Wizard
Come My Fanatics...
A fuzz-drenched doom landmark of occult heaviness. Crushing and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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66We Are the RomansBotch
We Are the Romans
A chaotic, influential mathcore landmark. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre cornerstone.
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67Ocean Machine: BiomechDevin Townsend
Ocean Machine: Biomech
An ambitious, atmospheric progressive-metal landmark. Bold and acclaimed. A cult classic.
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68CityStrapping Young Lad
City
A dense, extreme industrial-metal landmark. Brutal and acclaimed. A cult classic.
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69DemanufactureFear Factory
Demanufacture
A pioneering industrial-metal landmark of mechanical precision. Heavy and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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70AdrenalineDeftones
Adrenaline
A raw, heavy debut of early alt-metal intensity. Powerful and beloved. A strong start.