14 Best Metal Bands That Dominated The 90s
In this blog post, we mention some of the best 90s metal bands. Their coupling of furious riffs, harmonic sensibility, technical delivery, and sheer confidence have proven them to be the most distinctive bands of the era.
1. System of a Down
System of a Down is an Armenian American alternative metal band, formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Striking a balance between ’80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-’90s alternative rock, Armenian-American quartet System of a Down effectively pushed their socially conscious, politically charged messages into the mosh pits during the turn of the century’s nu-metal wave. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and their song “B.Y.O.B.” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006.
- Band formation: 1994
- Genres: Alternative metal, Nu metal, Heavy metal, Hard rock
progressive metal - Best-selling album: TOXICITY (2001)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 12 million
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Read more:
- How a studio brawl during the recording of ‘Toxicity’ left two members of System Of A Down needing hospital treatment
- System Of A Down – Toxicity: The Story Behind The 21st Century Metal Album Masterpiece
- How System Of A Down Got Their Name
2. Slipknot
Slipknot is an American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. The band was founded in 1995 by vocalist Anders Colsefni, percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. Slipknot’s mix of grinding, post-Korn alternative metal, Marilyn Manson-esque neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the nu-metal explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Band formation: 1995
- Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal, Groove metal, Heavy metal
- Best-selling album: SLIPKNOT (1999)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 10 million
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Read more:
- The Evolution Of Slipknot’s Terrifying Masks Throughout The Years
- Slipknot’s Corey Taylor’s Feud With Rick Rubin
- Inside the ‘curse of Slipknot’ with tragic deaths, drug overdoses and horror knife fights
3. Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (RATM/Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Outspoken firebrands and activists Rage Against the Machine educated masses of heavy music fans by injecting their bombastic Molotov cocktail of rap, hardcore punk, funk, and metal with a sobering dose of fiercely polemical, politically charged urgency.
- Band formation: 1991
- Genres: Rap metal, Rap rock, Funk metal, Alternative metal
- Best-selling album: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (1992)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 9 million
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Read more:
- How Rage Against The Machine got their band name
- Behind the Meaning of Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 Hit “Killing in the Name”
- Tom Morello regretted Rage Against The Machine’s naked Lollapalooza protest ‘when the police arrived’
- Rage Against The Machine: The explosive debut album that changed the world
4. Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Korn’s cathartic sound positioned the group as one of the most popular and provocative acts to emerge during the 1990s. At the forefront of the nu-metal/rap-rock movement of the time, they quickly evolved, developing a trademark style that incorporated downtuned guitars, a groove-heavy rhythm section, haunted atmospheric production, and dark lyrics courtesy of frontman Jonathan Davis, who grappled with common themes such as childhood trauma, destructive behavior, and inner demons. So far, Korn has earned two Grammy Awards out of eight nominations for the songs “Freak on a Leash” and “Here To Stay”.
- Band formation: 1993
- Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal
- Best-selling album: Follow the Leader(1998)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 7 million
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Read more:
- Korn’s Follow The Leader: The chaos and carnage of nu-metal’s first blockbuster album
- Korn’s Jonathan Davis reveals the very NSFW origins of the band’s name
- Korn’s ‘Follow the Leader’: 8 Facts Only Superfans Would Know
5. Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who then recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne Staley. Starr was replaced by Mike Inez in 1993. William DuVall joined the band in 2006 as co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, replacing Staley, who died in 2002. The band both epitomized the solemn, heavy Seattle sound of the 1990s and stood apart from the grunge hordes. What separated Alice in Chains from their alt-rock brethren was how their roots lay in heavy metal, not punk rock.
- Band formation: 1987
- Genres: Heavy metal, Grunge,Alternative metal,Sludge metal, Hard rock
- Best-selling album: Dirt (1992)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 5 million
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Read more:
- Alice In Chains’ ‘Dirt,’ the Era’s Most Nihilistic Album
- How Alice In Chains got their name
- The Tragic Real-life Story Of Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley
6. Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1988, consisting of Chino Moreno (lead vocals and guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Sergio Vega (bass), Frank Delgado (keyboards and turntables), and Abe Cunningham (drums and percussion). As one of the progenitors of the ’90s nu-metal movement, Deftones quickly evolved beyond the scene, embracing their individual influences to create an artistic alternative metal hybrid that balanced beauty and brutality.
- Band formation: 1988
- Genres: Nu metal, Alternative metal, Art rock, Experimental rock, Shoegaze
- Best-selling album: White Pony (2000)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 5 million
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Read more:
- Deftones’ White Pony: The explosive story of a post-nu metal classic
- 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Deftones’ ‘Around The Fur’
7. Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. It was formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers – drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell – along with vocalist Terry Glaze. Bassist Rex Brown joined the band the following year. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Phil Anselmo in 1987. The metal band’s mainstream breakthrough came next with Vulgar Display of Power (1992), their second major-label album, which thrust the band to the forefront of the metal scene, alongside such veteran bands as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, as well as fellow up-and-comers Sepultura and White Zombie.
- Band formation: 1981
- Genres: Groove metal, Thrash metal, Heavy metal, Glam metal
- Best-selling album: Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4 million
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Read more:
- Pantera: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Cowboys From Hell’
- The Untold Truth Of Pantera’s Phil Anselmo
- Pantera ‘Far Beyond Driven’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Their “Legacy-defining” Album
8. TOOL
Tool is an American progressive metal band from Los Angeles. They established themselves as one of America’s most enduring and unpredictable acts with an ever-evolving brand of muscular but mind-altering sonics, a wry sense of humor, and a mystical aesthetic that attracted a cult-like following of devoted fans with just a handful of albums spread across decades. They emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up album Ænima in 1996.
- Band formation: 1990
- Genres: Alternative metal, Art rock, Post-metal, Progressive metal, Progressive rock
- Best-selling album: Lateralus (2001)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
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Read more:
- Tool’s ‘Undertow’: The dark, mysterious, and meticulously crafted1993 alt-metal masterpiece
- LATERALUS: 10 things you didn’t know about Tool’s best album ever made
9. Faith No More
Faith No More is an alternative metal group that formed in San Francisco, California, USA in 1979. With their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock, Faith No More have earned a substantial cult following. After releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992), Faith No More disbanded on April 20, 1998.
- Band formation: 1983
- Genres: Alternative metal, Funk metal, Experimental rock, Post-punk
- Best-selling album: The Real Thing (1989)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
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Read more:
- The Story Of The Rivalry Between Anthony Kiedis And Faith No More’s Mike Patton
- Faith No More: The inside story of their breakout album ‘The Real Thing’
- Faith No More Interview: ‘We’ve made bad decisions our whole career. That’s why the English champion us’
- The Story Behind The Song: Faith No More – ‘Epic’
10. Danzig
Danzig is a heavy metal band from the United States, formed in 1987, in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for singer/composer Glenn Danzig, who took the horror-themed lyrical imagery of his earlier groups into darker and more devilish directions while draping his rough but melodic tunes in heavy metal garb.
- Band formation: 1987
- Genres: Heavy metal
- Best-selling album: Danzig (1988)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
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Read more:
- The real-life story of Glenn Danzig
- Danzig: the debut album that turned a cult punk icon into a goth-metal superstar
- The Devil Inside Glenn Danzig
11. Lamb of God
Lamb of God is an American groove metal band that consisted of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and drummer Art Cruz. They employed a versatile blend of metalcore, thrash, punk, sludge, and groove-laden death metal. The band issued an eponymous full-length outing under the moniker ‘Burn the Priest’ before changing their name in 1999 to avoid being mistaken for a Satanic metal outfit. The band is also considered a significant member of the new wave of American heavy metal movement.
- Band formation: 1994
- Genres: Groove metal, Metalcore, Thrash metal, Death metal
- Best-selling album: Ashes Of The Wake (2004)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
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Read more:
- The Story Behind The Song: Lamb Of God’s Laid To Rest
- Lamb of God (Then Known as Burn the Priest) Debut Album That Became A Metal Classic
- On Death and Dying: Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Tells the Story Behind ‘The Duke’
12. Machine Head
Machine Head is an American metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by vocalist and guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Adam Duce. A hugely influential West Coast heavy metal quartet, Machine Head’s neck-snapping riffs and earth-shaking grooves helped shape the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement of the early mid-’90s.
- Band formation: 1991
- Genres: Groove metal, Thrash metal, Heavy metal, Nu metal
- Best-selling album: Burn My Eyes (1994)
- Spotify monthly listeners: 1 million
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Read more:
- How Machine Head’s The More Things Change… took ’90s metal to a new level of intensity
- Machine Head ‘Burn My Eyes’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Groove-metal Classic
13. White Zombie
White Zombie was a metal band from New York City, New York. The band was the perfect antidote for a period of time during the mid- to late ’90s, fusing B-horror movie visuals and subject matter with heavy music and growled vocals. In their most popular lineup, they consisted of Rob Zombie (vocals, guitar), Jay Yuenger (guitar), Sean Yseult (bass), and John Tempesta (drums).
- Band formation: 1985
- Genres: Heavy metal, Groove metal, Industrial metal, Alternative metal, Noise rock
- Best-selling album: Astro-creep: 2000 (1995)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
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Read more:
- An Inside Look At Rob Zombie And Marilyn Manson’s Complicated Friendship
- How Ex-WHITE ZOMBIE Bassist SEAN YSEULT Felt Like ROB ZOMBIE’s First Solo Album Was ‘Slap In The Face’
- The Inevitable Breakup of White Zombie
14. Sepultura
Sepultura (Portuguese word for “grave”) is a Brazilian metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, the band was a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal, and death metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their reputation was cemented in 1991 with the release of Arise. Sepultura’s musical palette began to expand with 1993’s Chaos A.D., where they experimented with old-school heavy metal and groove metal.
- Band formation: 1984
- Genres: Groove metal, Thrash metal, Death metal, Alternative metal, Black metal
- Best-selling album: Roots (1996)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
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Read more:
- Roots Bloody Roots: The inside story of the 12 months that tore Sepultura apart
- Sepultura: The Remarkable Reason Max Cavalera Left The Band
- MAX CAVALERA On SEPULTURA Split: ‘IGOR And I Should Have Fired Those Two And Kept The Name’
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