Heavy Metal Timeline

1990

Bands formed this year: At The Gates, Fear Factory, In Flames, Kyuss, Opeth, Satyricon, Type O Negative

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1990:
Deicide - Deicide
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

1991

Metallica's self-titled "black" album becomes the first thrash metal album to hit number one.

Nirvana releases Nevermind, beginning grunge music that would wipe the "hair bands" off the popular charts.

Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark dies.

Bands formed this year: Behemoth, Cradle Of Filth, Emperor, Enslaved, Mercenary, Nevermore

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1991:
Death - Human
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Overkill - Horrorscope
Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears
Sepultura - Arise

1992

Bands formed this year: Black Label Society, Edguy, Gorgoroth, Machine Head, Moonspell, Necrophagist

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1992:
Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated
Dream Theater - Images And Words
Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark
Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

1993

Rob Halford leaves Judas Priest and forms Fight.

Mayhem's Euronymous murdered by fellow band member Varg Vikernes.

Bands formed this year: Children Of Bodom, Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir, Hammerfall, Limbonic Art, Nile, Symphony X

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1993:
anthrax - Sound Of White Noise
Carcass - Heartwork
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Life Of Agony - River Runs Red
Morbid Angel - Covenant

1994

Korn releases their self-titled debut album, helping begin the genre of nu-metal. Other bands like Limp Bizkit would popularize the genre in the late '90s and early 2000's.

Bands formed this year: Down, Lacuna Coil, Limp Bizkit, Six Feet Under, Strapping Young Lad, Symphony X

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1994:
Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Megadeth - Youthanasia
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

1995

Bands formed this year: Agalloch, Borknagar, Shadows Fall, Slipknot, System Of A Down

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1995:
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Gamma Ray - Land Of The Free
Moonspell - Wolfheart

1996

Ozzfest begins. The traveling summer metal tour was started by Ozzy Osbourne. The first year included bands like Slayer, Danzig, Sepultura, Fear Factory, and of course Ozzy.

Bands formed this year: Arch Enemy, Disturbed, God Forbid, Kittle, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Within Temptation

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1996:
Amorphis - Elegy
In Flames - The Jester Race
Metallica - Load
Neurosis - Through Silver In Blood
Opeth - Morningrise

1997

Bands formed this year: Akercocke, Dillinger Escape Plan, Finntroll, Pig Destroyer

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1997:
Bruce Dickinson - Accident Of Birth
Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space
In Flames - Whoracle
Therion - Theli

1998

Bands formed this yeCanar: Atreyu, Chimaira, Tyr, Underoath, Unearth

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1998:
Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle Earth
Death - The Sound Of Perseverance
Fear Factory - Obsolete
Metallica - Garage Inc.
Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

1999

Bruce Dickinson rejoins Iron Maiden.

Bands formed this year: Avenged Sevenfold, Dragonforce, Mastodon

A sample of heavy metal albums released in 1999:
Cannibal Corpse - Bloodthirst
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory
In Flames - Colony
Opeth - Still Life
Testament - The Gathering

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