Alternative Metal 1990s Albums

Colony weaves chiseled riffs, rapid drums and memorable twin-guitar melody into a high-density In Flames record.

Issues layers low, unsettling guitar, bouncing bass and nervous rhythm to make Korn’s themes of isolation and anger feel especially close.

The Battle of Los Angeles unites bouncing bass, hard drums, unorthodox guitar sounds and sharply delivered words in Rage Against the Machine’s tense political rock.

Slipknot’s debut collides heavy riffs, accelerating drums, layered percussion and screaming vocals into an overwhelming whole.

Infinity joins Devin Townsend’s layered guitars, unpredictable movement and fragile, highly melodic writing.

Godsmack’s debut combines low-tuned guitar, dragging rhythm and rough-edged vocals.

Follow the Leader expands Korn’s unique heaviness through low, rolling bass, bouncing rhythm and vocals that expose raw hurt.

Ocean Machine: Biomech joins Devin Townsend’s huge guitar layers, wide space and fragile melody.

Whoracle brings sharp riffs, flowing twin guitar and intense vocals together with high density.

The Jester Race retains extreme speed and bite while pushing twin-guitar melody into a leading role.

Life Is Peachy collides low, twisting guitar and bass with bouncing rhythm and Jonathan Davis’s urgent voice.

Evil Empire binds funk-rooted rhythm, rap’s sharp cadence and Tom Morello’s strange guitar vocabulary even more tightly.

Lunar Strain finds IN FLAMES in a phase that places death-metal sharpness beside Nordic folk-like melody and acoustic shadow, already sketching parts of the later me

Korn finds KORN in a phase that uses down-tuned guitars, elastic bass and exposed emotional fracture to lay a foundation for what would become nu metal.

Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut connects Zack de la Rocha’s urgent rap, Tom Morello’s alien guitar sound, and the heavy groove of Tim Commerford and Brad Wil