Glam Metal 1990s Albums

Erase the Slate organizes sharp guitar work, firm rhythm and melancholy-tinged vocals into a return to classic melodic metal.

Great White's ninth studio album, produced by Jack Blades, came out in Japan in May 1999 and then on Portrait in the US.

Fields of Yesterday highlights Lillian Axe’s shaded melodies and carefully shaped guitar arrangements.

Alive and Well puts Quiet Riot’s upbeat rock-and-roll spirit and big singable choruses back in front.

Ratt centers on dry, sharp guitar riffs, spring-loaded rhythm and a vocal presence with a little danger in it.

Back to Reality retains Slaughter’s catchy melodies and smooth choruses while moving into a more settled rock texture.

Helldorado drives forward with thick guitar riffs, heavy beats and Blackie Lawless’s theatrical vocal presence.

Four the Hard Way brings together catchy choruses, crisp guitar and a bright rock-and-roll lift.

David Lee Roth's 1998 album credited to the DLR Band, released on his own Wawazat!! label on 9 June and recorded and mixed in ten days.

Category 5 combines Firehouse’s soaring vocals, clean guitar work and easy-to-grasp choruses.

Tangerine retains Vixen’s melodic sense while moving toward drier guitar textures and a more alternative-leaning atmosphere.

David Lee Roth's 1997 Rhino compilation: nineteen songs from his five Warner releases of 1985 to 1994, opened by the new "Don't Piss Me Off".

Shadowlife moves Dokken away from glossy melodic hard rock toward lower-feeling guitar and a heavier atmosphere.

Generation Swine reunites Mötley Crüe with Vince Neil but refuses a simple return to the glam-metal formula.

Revolution retains Slaughter’s high vocal lines and hook sense while moving toward lower, heavier guitar and more varied songwriting.

Kill Fuck Die breaks away from W.A.S.P.’s expected glam and traditional-metal contours with mechanical beats, distorted guitar and abrasive language.

Good Acoustics revisits FireHouse’s familiar melodies in acoustic settings and shows how strong the songs remain on their own.

Great White's eighth studio album came out first in Japan, from Victor Entertainment in February 1996, and then on Imago in the US.

Belly to Belly moves Warrant away from 1980s gloss toward lower guitar, muted tone and heavier rhythm.

Dawn introduces Paul Laine and moves Danger Danger toward darker guitar color and a more reflective mood.

Dysfunctional reunites Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown, bringing Dokken’s tense melodic metal back with a more contemporary weight.

3 refines FireHouse’s sturdy hard-rock feel around C.J. Snare’s high-reaching vocal and blues-based guitar work.

Down to the Bone moves Quiet Riot a little away from its flashy 1980s image and toward bluesy riffs and rougher groove.

Subhuman Race strips away much of Skid Row’s earlier glam-metal shine in favor of thick riffs, low-slung groove and vocal frustration.

Fear No Evil keeps Slaughter’s high-reaching vocal and catchy choruses while adding heavier guitar weight and more shadow to the songs.

Still Not Black Enough frames Blackie Lawless’ anger and isolation through the large riffs and theatrical vocal character associated with W.A.S.P.

Ultraphobic keeps Warrant’s melodic strength but turns toward rougher, heavier guitar tones.

Still Climbing finds CINDERELLA in a phase that reconnects Cinderella's earthy blues-rock feel to hard-rock force and puts tactile playing ahead of glamour.

David Lee Roth's fourth full-length album, released by Reprise on 8 March 1994 and produced by Nile Rodgers, ranges from country to reggae.

Great White's seventh studio album, released by Zoo Entertainment in May 1994, came with the bonus live disc Anaheim Live in the US.

Mötley Crüe finds MÖTLEY CRÜE in a phase that moves Mötley Crüe away from earlier gloss and toward heavier riffs, hard grooves and a newly configured vocal presence.

On Psychoschizophrenia, LILLIAN AXE keeps its melodic hard-rock instinct but steps into heavy guitars, darker textures and more complex emotion.

Native Tongue finds POISON in a phase that adds blues, funk and soul texture to Poison’s familiar glossy hooks, showing a broader musical side.

Terrified finds QUIET RIOT in a phase that keeps Quiet Riot’s direct hard-rock momentum while leaning toward harder 1990s guitar tone and darker melody.

Hold Your Fire by FIREHOUSE: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Great White's sixth studio album, produced by Alan Niven and Michael Lardie and released by Capitol in 1992, reached 107 on the Billboard 200.

Poetic Justice connects thick guitar riffing with a more melancholy melodic sense.

The Wild Life keeps Slaughter’s clear chorus hooks and bright hard-rock lift while moving into a more varied set of songs than its predecessor.

Hear! is Trixter’s second album of accessible melody, broad chorus and light-footed guitar.

The Crimson Idol is Blackie Lawless’s concept story of fictional rock star Jonathan Steel.

Dog Eat Dog keeps Warrant’s melodic identity while putting thicker riffs and tougher groove further forward.

Screw It! uses Ted Poley’s clear vocal, Andy Timmons’s vivid guitar and thick chorus layers to create bright, flamboyant hard rock.

David Lee Roth's third full-length album, produced by Bob Rock and released on 15 January 1991, with Jason Becker on lead guitar.

Great White's fifth studio album, released by Capitol in February 1991, reached number 18 in the US and was certified gold by the RIAA that April.

Slave to the Grind keeps Skid Row’s ability to write large hooks but pushes guitar weight, Sebastian Bach’s scream and rough rhythm much further forward.

Mane Attraction keeps White Lion’s melodic strengths while moving toward longer forms and thicker guitar weight.

Hungry combines streetwise guitar riffing, Terry Ilous’s strong vocal and direct chorus hooks.

Heartbreak Station finds CINDERELLA in a phase that puts hard rock’s physical pull forward on a base of bluesy grit and thick riffs.

FireHouse captures FIREHOUSE at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

Flesh & Blood is a useful way to hear POISON from a different angle within the 1990 catalogue.

Detonator is a useful way to hear RATT from a different angle within the 1990 catalogue.

Stick It to Ya finds SLAUGHTER in a phase that uses hard-edged guitar and wide-open vocal melody to deepen a melodic-hard-rock outline.

The fifth album, released in 1990, closing out the run that began in the mid-80s.

Trixter captures TRIXTER at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

Rev It Up is a useful way to hear VIXEN from a different angle within the 1990 catalogue.

Cherry Pie is a useful way to hear WARRANT from a different angle within the 1990 catalogue.