Top 10 Best Metal Bands of the 1990s

The Top Ten

Pantera

Pantera was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul.
The band started out as a glam metal act in the 1980s with little success. After replacing their original lead vocalist and enlisting Phil Anselmo, they signed a major record deal with... read more

Pantera is the best metal band of all time! Dimebag Darrell is by far the best guitarist! I think they basically saved heavy metal. I'm so grateful for this band. I especially love "Cemetery Gates" and all the pinch harmonics in this song.
It's a huge loss, the tragedy that happened. A loss for the family and friends of Dimebag Darrell and for the fans. He could never be replaced. Love you, Dime. I pray that you're making Jesus happy with your amazing talent, and when I get up there, I hope to be lucky enough to hear you play again. God bless you, Dimebag.

They didn't actually "save" metal like a lot of people think they did. It was still doing just fine. But Pantera's 90s music was still awesome all the same.
Sepultura

Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Their first album, Morbid Visions, presented a proto black metal sound and featured Wagner Lamounier of Sarcófago. Over the years, their sound has evolved across albums to include elements of thrash metal, groove metal, and death metal.

I'm so happy to see them at No. 2. Everything they released when both Cavaleras were in the band was top-notch, even Roots, which most people hate because it was a borderline nu-metal album.

Sepultura's first six albums are on my go-to list for what to listen to on any occasion.

Sepultura is the best band. They brought many innovations to metal at the time.
Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy and thrash metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup included James Hetfield (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), and Ron McGovney (bass). They first gained mainstream fame with their 1991 self-titled album (The Black Album... read more

Metallica is the best metal band of all time, no question. I know Dimebag Darrell's death artificially inflated Pantera's fame, but in reality, they are still far behind Metallica.
Metallica rivals Iron Maiden and Megadeth in the number of catchy songs per album but has much better marketability. Only Metallica can get their music played on radios nationwide!

Their 90s output is extremely underrated. Highly original music. Especially Black Album and Garage Inc. stand out as masterpieces. Load is also packed with brilliant songs.
Megadeth

Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. They have released 16 studio albums to date and have undergone numerous lineup changes, with... read more

The 90s was the greatest decade for Megadeth. "Rust In Peace," "Countdown to Extinction," and "Youthanasia" are great albums with fantastic songs. Now, here's what I think about the top of this list:
First, I saw that this is a list of the best metal bands of the 90s! So, why are Metallica (after the "Black Album," they wrote nothing good) and System of a Down (they gained popularity in the 21st century) ranked so high?
Second, Alice In Chains is a grunge band, not metal. If we're counting grunge as metal, where are Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana?
Third, I think that Biohazard and Meshuggah don't deserve to be in the top. They are not as great as Metallica, Pantera, Korn, Megadeth, Judas Priest, etc. That's why I think Megadeth deserves to be in the top 3 on this list (along with Pantera and Korn).
Death

Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. The band is widely considered one of the most influential in heavy metal and a pioneer of the death metal genre. Their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, is regarded as the first true death metal record. Death released seven studio... read more

Pioneers of death metal and modern metalcore. They incorporated progression, death metal, and melody. Pantera and Death are the most influential bands in the metal genre from the '90s, aside from maybe In Flames. They deserve a top 3 spot.

Death put out four of the finest metal albums of all time in the 90s.

Had to vote for this, seeing it was only #4. Human, Individual Thought Patterns, Symbolic, and The Sound of Perseverance are all masterpieces, and Spiritual Healing is very good as well.
Opeth

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by David Isberg, who invited Mikael Åkerfeldt into the band as a bassist. Isberg ended up leaving the band, which led to Åkerfeldt becoming the band's vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter, and driving force.... read more

As AllMusic reviewer Chris True once wrote: "Essentially, Opeth's perceived weaknesses would be pivotal moments for any other band."

So influential, musically unmatched in their first five albums. Not even The Beatles have a more consistent track record. There is absolutely *no* bad song by Opeth, only changes in musical style and focus that leave some fans uninterested or unwilling to expand their horizons.
Blind Guardian

Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are widely credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use the technique of overdubbing and incorporate extensive orchestral... read more

Such an underrated band in the States. They're personally my favorite band of all time.
Korn

Korn is an American nu-metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup includes founding members Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, and Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, along with Ray Luzier, who replaced original drummer David Silveria in 2007. Korn... read more

Korn should be number 1! Metallica is awesome, but the Black Album was the only great thing they produced in the 90s. Pantera also deserves to be high on the list, but Korn started in the 90s. All their music from the 90s was great, and they created a whole subgenre of metal that became mainstream in the late 90s and early 00s. Given their great music and gigantic influence in the 90s, they should definitely be number 1!

Korn is like top 15 for the '90s. Their debut was amazing, and Life Is Peachy is really dope. The other stuff was cool too, though.
Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The band's most notable hits include "Man in the Box," "Down in a Hole," "Heaven Beside You," "No Excuses," "What the... read more

What can I say? While bands like Metallica were rediscovering and/or reinventing themselves, Alice In Chains was ushering in a new era of metal. They dropped the theatrical shock-and-awe and politically driven style for straight-up dark and gloomy, death-tinged metal.
Their music took us from the plateaus of drug-induced highs to the dark caverns of withdrawal, from the bleak flatlands of utter despair to the bone-filled graveyard of resigned antipathy.

I like Megadeth and Metallica as much as the next guy, but Alice In Chains was one of the most defining bands of the 90s, regardless of genre. I admit that bands like Pantera and Metallica had faster riffs, but the darkness and eeriness of Alice In Chains were more memorable in my eyes.
Tool

Tool is an American alternative and progressive metal band formed in 1990.
The lineup includes Maynard James Keenan (vocals), Danny Carey (drums), Adam Jones (guitar), and Justin Chancellor (bass), who joined in 1995. The band is recognized for incorporating electronic influences and for their... read more

Tool and Pantera. Ænima is like the best album ever. Such great material. Undertow was dope with tracks like Sober and Prison Sex on the radio. And Ænima, in my opinion, is the best album of all time. Definitely a top 3 metal band of the '90s.

Nothing beats this for me. The experimental music and the combination of East meets West are everything. The sound in the music is amazing, and the lyrics transform your mind, body, and third eye.

Just listen to Ænema in its entirety. Mind-blowing, mellow, heavy, complex, and all-around pretty messed-up subject material.

The Newcomers

?
Corrosion of Conformity

Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina, formed in 1982. Throughout much of its history, the band has featured guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean, drummer Reed Mullin, and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan... read more
?
Anthrax

Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The band is considered one of the Big Four of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. They are known for albums such as Among the Living and for pioneering the... read more

The Contenders

Machine Head

Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California, formed on October 12, 1991, by vocalist and guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Adam Duce. They've released numerous albums, with The Blackening (2007) often cited by critics as a modern metal masterpiece. The band continues to tour... read more

Definitely should be higher. This guy's roars from the mic and his guitar playing are perfect for a live show. Best live shows I've seen.
Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name "Majesty," later changing it to Dream Theater. The original lineup consisted of John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), and Mike Portnoy (drums).... read more

Easily a top 3 spot. Without question, the best band in terms of musicianship on this list.

Can't imagine that Dream Theater is at this low spot!

Their two greatest albums were released in the 1990s: Images and Words and Metropolis Pt. 2.
Meshuggah

Meshuggah is a Swedish progressive metal band from Umeå, formed in 1987. They are often considered pioneers of the djent subgenre due to their use of downtuned, polymetric guitar riffs and complex rhythms. They are also known for their song "Bleed," which is notable for its intricate instrumentation... read more

Possibly the only band on this list whose influence reaches well beyond metal, from contemporary classical music to jazz.
Fear Factory

Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in 1989. Over the course of their career, they have released ten full-length studio albums, exploring a range of styles including industrial metal, death metal, groove metal, and thrash metal. They are recognized for pioneering a fusion of extreme... read more

It was rare for metal bands in the 90s to innovate on the same level that Fear Factory did. Their 1995 release Demanufacture can easily be considered one of the best 50 albums in metal history and likely the top industrial metal album of all time.
They carved out their own definitive sound that could both soothe your mind with Burton C. Bell's melodic singing and viciously tear you apart like a starving bear seeing its first meal in weeks.

Fear Factory really brought something different to heavy metal. They were a unique hybrid, like if Optimus Prime and a skinless Terminator decided to pick up some instruments and create a crushing machine gun called Demanufacture.
Iced Earth

Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. It was formed in 1984 under the name Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer Greg Seymour. The band's music has also been described as thrash metal and power metal.... read more
Lamb of God

Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the band originally featured Randy Blythe (vocals), Mark Morton (guitar), Willie Adler (guitar), John Campbell (bass), and Chris Adler (drums). Chris Adler departed the band in 2019 and was replaced by Art Cruz. The... read more
Rammstein

Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and industrial metal band formed in 1994 in Berlin. The band consists of Till Lindemann (vocals), Richard Kruspe (guitar), Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (bass), Christoph Schneider (drums), and Christian Lorenz (keyboard).... read more

Great songs, great music videos, great live performances. Best and most unique band ever, in my opinion.

Best foreign metal ever, with total roughness and great live shows.
Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson is an American rock band that formed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989. The group was founded by frontman Marilyn Manson and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz. They were originally called Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids and built a cult following in the early 1990s through theatrical performances.... read more
Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock band founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. They have released eleven studio albums.
The band is known for its dark, moody lyricism and aggressive vocal delivery. Their biggest hits include "Closer," "Hurt," "Wish," "We're in This Together... read more
Slayer

Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and are considered one of the Big Four of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.... read more

THE best band ever! Danzig is my favorite band, but Slayer is better because they improved with each record. No song is a disappointment, and they never sold out or changed. Slayer is the best. RIP Jeff Hanneman!

South of Heaven is 36 minutes of heaven. Slayer should be considered one of the best due to their original style and sound. Araya's voice is terrifying! RIP Jeff Hanneman, a year younger than me and gone too soon.
Strapping Young Lad

Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band began as a one-man studio project. Townsend performed most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had assembled a permanent... read more
System of a Down

System of a Down, formed in 1994, is an Armenian-American alternative metal band from Glendale, California. The band name is sometimes shortened to System or SOAD. They're known for their politically charged lyrics, often addressing topics such as genocide and war, in songs like Holy Mountains, Prison... read more

System of a Down released their first single, "Sugar," in 1998 and still gained a lot of fame in the '90s, even though it was only in the last two years of the decade that they had the chance to rock out. The 8th spot is fine, I guess.
Emperor

Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They're regarded as highly influential within the black metal genre, both by critics and emerging bands. Their early albums, including In the Nightside Eclipse (1994), helped shape the symphonic black metal subgenre.
Cannibal Corpse

Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1988. They're known for their graphic album covers, violent lyrics, and controversial song titles, such as "I Cum Blood." They gained mainstream exposure with their appearance performing "Hammer Smashed Face" in the 1994... read more
King Diamond

Kim Bendix Petersen, better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish heavy metal musician. He is known for his extensive vocal range, usually sung in falsetto. King Diamond was originally known as the vocalist for Mercyful Fate but has become renowned for his horror-themed concept albums released... read more

King is the best storytelling metal of all time. His unique voice and theatrics have made him one of my favorite heavy metal artists. Andy's writing is second to none.