Hard Rock 1990s Albums - Page 3

A mid-1990s record for No Bull Records; Zero Corporation issued the Japanese edition.

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.

An EP written and recorded in under six weeks, stripped back to guitar, bass and drums.

Life unifies Talisman’s thick bass, elastic rhythm and Jeff Scott Soto’s powerful vocal into a single force.

P.H.U.Q. throws together noisy guitars, punk speed and unexpectedly sweet melody with typical Wildhearts force.

UFO's fourteenth album, out first in Japan on 15 April 1995, reunited Phil Mogg and Pete Way with Michael Schenker, Paul Raymond and Andy Parker.

Balance keeps Van Halen’s sense of lift while moving into a heavier, more reflective atmosphere.

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

Musically Incorrect strips Y&T back to straight-ahead hard rock centered on Dave Meniketti’s voice and guitar.

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.

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy captures DIZZY MIZZ LIZZY at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

Mr. Moonlight finds FOREIGNER in a phase that reunites Foreigner around Lou Gramm's powerful voice and Mick Jones's guitar, once again drawing large melodic shapes.

Dial Hard finds GOTTHARD in a phase that puts Steve Lee's open-throated vocal and Leo Leoni's direct guitar work at the center of Gotthard's European hard-rock identity.

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

The fourth L.A. Guns studio album, released by Polydor / Mercury in 1994 with fifteen songs. Mercury issued the Japanese edition on 5 October 1994 as PHCR-1254. It is the band's last album of the PolyGram years.

Pride in Tact finds LIONSHEART in a phase that centers on Steve Grimmett's powerful voice and gives Lionsheart a dramatic, traditional British melodic-metal frame.

Heavy Metal Hippies is the eleventh Loudness album, released in Japan on 21 December 1994. After Taiji Sawada and Munetaka Higuchi left, Hirotsugu Homma came in on drums and Akira Takasaki played the bass parts himself. Chris Tsangarides recorded and mixed it.

Luna Sea's fourth album, out on 26 October 1994. It reached number two on the Oricon chart and was certified platinum, and it settled the band's standing.

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.

A sixth album issued first in Japan on Epic/Sony; the European Massacre pressing followed in 1995.

Satyricon's debut, recorded in August and September 1993 and issued by Moonfog Productions. It brings medieval subject matter and folk instruments into black metal.

Humanimal finds TALISMAN in a phase that pushes Talisman's hard-rock frame into funk, soul and blues color, turning the band's considerable ability into tangible groove.

Bust a Nut finds TESLA in a phase that keeps Tesla rooted in tactile American hard rock while moving toward a heavier, tighter sound.

The Cult finds THE CULT in a phase that places hard-rock riffing and a 1990s alternative sensibility inside Bob Rock's weighty production.

Get a Grip finds AEROSMITH in a phase that joins the band’s blues-rooted roughness to a huge pop scale through heavier riffs and sharply defined vocal hooks.

The Big Thrill finds AXXIS in a phase that polishes the uplifting drive of German melodic hard rock by combining open melodies with hard-edged guitar work.

The Battle Rages On... finds DEEP PURPLE in a phase that puts Deep Purple’s heavy hard-rock riffing and tense ensemble work back in sharp focus.

Dio's sixth studio album, released in Europe in October 1993 after Ronnie James Dio's Black Sabbath reunion on Dehumanizer, with Tracy G on guitar.

The Spaghetti Incident? finds GUNS N' ROSES in a phase that reconnects Guns N’ Roses with the raw impulses of punk, glam and garage rock through a wide-ranging cover set.

Mood Swings finds HAREM SCAREM in a phase that joins sophisticated arrangement, shadowed harmony and powerful singing to present a mature statement of melodic hard rock.

Desire Walks On finds HEART in a phase that moves Heart into a harder early-1990s rock frame by combining tactile guitar weight with dramatic vocal presence.

The fifth album is a double: new and unreleased studio tracks on disc one, 1988 and 1992 live recordings on disc two.

Nothin' but Trouble is a useful way to hear JOHN SYKES from a different angle within the 1993 catalogue.

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

Bastards was released on 11 October 1993 by ZYX of Germany. Twelve tracks, and the first album on which Mikkey Dee plays drums throughout.

Bump Ahead finds MR. BIG in a phase that places Mr. Big’s exceptional musicianship beneath a softer melodic instinct and varied early-1990s arrangement.

Games People Play finds PINK CREAM 69 in a phase that combines Pink Cream 69’s large melodic-hard-rock hooks with heavier guitar and more shadowed songwriting.

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.

The fourth Praying Mantis studio album, released by Pony Canyon on 21 May 1993 as PCCY-00422, with Mark Thompson-Smith singing and former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton in the band. Eleven songs.

A fifth album that rebuilds the band's own songs, revisiting "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Savage Heart" in another form.

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.

Counterparts finds RUSH in a phase that keeps Rush’s advanced musicianship while shifting emphasis toward drier guitar, thicker rhythm and more direct song delivery.

Face the Heat finds SCORPIONS in a phase that keeps Scorpions’ large melodic sense while taking in harder riffs and the social tension of the early 1990s.

Issued by GSE Records, and released in Japan by Zero Corporation the following year.

The third album, issued under the band name Vai and the first major record to feature Devin Townsend's singing.

Genesis finds TALISMAN in a phase that naturally joins Talisman’s technical rhythmic feel, bluesy guitar and expansive singing into a polished hard-rock statement.

Earth vs The Wildhearts captures THE WILDHEARTS at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

Pull finds WINGER in a phase that keeps Winger’s melodic-hard-rock skill and song sense while moving into heavier guitar, intricate rhythm and a more inward atmosphere.

Domestic Booty is Anthem's seventh studio album, released on 16 March 1992. It is the first record with Akio Shimizu on guitar and the last studio album before the band broke up that July.

Keep the Faith tightens Bon Jovi’s celebratory 1980s image and moves toward heavier guitar and more mature songs under Bob Rock’s production.

Adrenalize gathers Def Leppard’s layered chorus work, hard guitar and immediate melody into a record completed after the loss of Steve Clark.

III Sides to Every Story divides Extreme’s mix of funk-driven rhythm, hard-rock sharpness and orchestral scale into three connected sections.

Fair Warning’s debut balances strength and delicacy through Tommy Heart’s emotionally rich vocal and Helge Engelke’s polished guitar.

Gotthard’s self-titled debut centers on Steve Lee’s open, powerful vocal and Leo Leoni’s thick guitar, delivering blues-tinted hard rock with immediate confidence.

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.

Double Eclipse is Hardline’s debut built around Johnny Gioeli’s forceful, open vocal and Neal Schon’s fluent guitar.