100 Best Heavy Metal Bands of the '90s

'90s Metal Bands That Rock

A number of metal subgenres emerged in the '90s, broadening the genre's reach. By branching out and splintering into a number of subgenres, heavy metal has been able to appeal to a wide range of audiences. Earache Records and Roadrunner Records promoted heavy metal bands in a big way throughout the decade.

A number of the metal acts that signed recording deals with these record labels had a great deal of success throughout the decade. Many of the bands that emerged in the late '80s reached the peak of their success in the '90s. In fact, some of the most critically acclaimed metal albums of all time were released during this enigmatic decade.

Many of the heavy metal subgenres that came into prominence in the '90s were instrumental in changing the blueprint for what constituted a metal song. The genre's success in this decade influenced many other forms of extreme music. While heavy metal has evolved throughout each decade, the '90s will be remembered by metal purists for its many trendsetting acts.

The list below showcases a diverse number of '90s heavy metal bands from different subgenres. If you are a heavy metal buff, then you'll definitely have a lot to say. Get vocal with your views and opinions in the comments section.

Top 10 Best Heavy Metal Bands of the '90s

1. Pantera
2. Sepultura
3. Megadeth
4. Slayer
5. Anthrax
6. Motorhead
7. Metallica
8. Death
9. Iron Maiden
10. Black Sabbath

Death Metal in the '90s

Death metal was one of the most popular extreme subgenres of heavy metal during this decade. A number of death metal acts that formed in the '80s had considerable success throughout the '90s. Death metal, which evolved from the underground metal movement of the '80s, became a powerful musical entity in the '90s.

The speed and aggression of thrash and hardcore, fused with heavily distorted guitars and double bass drumming, gave death metal its unique identity. A number of Swedish metal bands and Norwegian metal bands came into prominence, offering a more melodic style of death metal. Death growls, death rasps, high-pitched screaming, and death grunts were popular vocal techniques among death metal vocalists in this decade.

#11–20

11. Judas Priest

12. Opeth

13. Guns N’ Roses

14. Tool

15. Type O Negative

16. Dream Theater

Recommended

Who Sang It Best? "Jolene"

17. Napalm Death

18. Obituary

19. Slipknot

20. Nine Inch Nails

Black Metal in the '90s

Black metal was another extreme subgenre that rose to prominence in this decade. The second wave of black metal, which emerged in the '90s, was dominated by bands across Europe.

Scandinavia became the epicenter for this form of music. A number of Scandinavian black metal bands reached their peak of popularity in this decade. Tremolo-picked distorted guitars, dark, atmospheric hissing vocals, shrieks, and growls are what gave this subgenre its unique identity.

A number of black metal acts popularized the use of "corpse paint" during their live performances. In fact, satanic themes, including lyrics about ancient paganism, formed the blueprint of this extreme form of music. While the black metal scene was (and continues to be) rampant across Scandinavian countries, throughout the mid-'90s, a slew of black metal bands emerged from Poland, France, and Germany.

Later in the decade, a number of acts associated with the subgenre started incorporating ambient forms of music into their compositions. Symphonic black metal, which took shape in the late '90s, became exceedingly popular with fans of extreme metal.

#21–40

21. Cannibal Corpse

22. Machine Head

23. Rage Against the Machine

24. Soundgarden

25. Testament

26. Queensryche

27. Exodus

28. Deicide

29. Kreator

30. Fear Factory

31. Morbid Angel

32. System of a Down

33. Alice in Chains

34. Korn

35. Venom

36. King Diamond

37. Overkill

38. AC/DC

39. Meshuggah

40. Voivod

Power Metal in the '90s

Power metal, which came into prominence in the mid-'80s, gained a great deal of mainstream popularity in the '90s. A number of power metal bands gained cult followings in Europe, Japan, and South America. Epic, upbeat melodies, fronted by lyrical tales of valor and bravery, are what gives this metal subgenre its unique identity.

Throughout the '90s, power metal became popular with audiences across the globe. Its melodic instrumentation, interspersed with power riffs and flawless high-pitch vocal techniques, had a broad appeal, gaining traction with rock audiences.

Towards the end of the '90s, a number of traditional power metal bands started diversifying their sound by incorporating symphonic elements into their music. Certain acts started employing orchestras and opera singers to help compose their ballads. The textural vocal arrangements and lush ambient soundscapes heard in power metal are what give this bold subgenre its iconic sound.

#41–60

41. Immortal

42. Marilyn Manson

43. Sodom

44. Annihilator

45. Rammstein

46. At the Gates

47. Sarcofago

48. Ministry

49. Kamelot

50. White Zombie

51. Iced Earth

52. Dimmu Borgir

53. Mercyful Fate

54. Carcass

55. Symphony X

56. Danzig

57. Helloween

58. Bathory

59. Children of Bodom

60. Samael

Thrash Metal in the '90s

Thrash metal, which emerged in the early '80s, achieved widespread success in the '90s. Shred leads, combined with low-register guitar riffs, became exceedingly popular in this form of music.

The Bay Area thrash scene played a pivotal role in developing and diversifying the subgenre's sound throughout the '90s. Although the majority of the bands remained in the underground metal movement, certain thrash bands achieved mainstream success.

While the U.S. was the epicenter of thrash in the '80s, the '90s witnessed an explosion of thrash metal acts throughout Europe. German thrash metal bands developed a diverse style that appealed to metal fans across the globe. Thrash lyrics centered around depictions of suffering, death, violence, and the occult.

#61–80

61. Deftones

62. Grave

63. Behemoth

64. Therion

65. Stratovarius

66. Fates Warning

67. Burzum

68. Saint Vitus

69. Darkthrone

70. Suicidal Tendencies

71. Candlemass

72. Angra

73. Cradle of Filth

74. Savatage

75. Nightwish

76. Paradise Lost

77. Trouble

78. Katatonia

79. Celtic Frost

80. In Flames

Doom Metal in the '90s

Doom metal was another extreme metal subgenre that came into prominence in the early '90s. Slow tempos, augmented by the brutal assault of low-tuned guitars, are what gave this subgenre its unique identity. Doom metal's crawling guitar riffs and dark lyrics evoked a sense of dread, despair, and impending doom.

While the majority of doom metal bands in the '80s came from the U.S., many European doom metal acts came into prominence in the '90s. These European acts often blended death metal and doom metal together to create what can only be described as a death-doom sound.