Melodic Metal 1990s Albums

The Sacred Talisman combines fast rhythm, bright guitar melody and clear, soaring choruses in Nocturnal Rites’ power-metal mode.

Fear builds dramatic melodic metal from thick keyboard orchestration, hard guitar and expansive vocal melody.

Ecliptica announces Sonata Arctica with rapid rhythm, sparkling keyboards and high, urgent vocals.

Voodoo Vibes adds heavier guitar and tighter rhythm to Axxis’s melodic hard-rock core.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is Nocturnal Rites’ debut, layering fast riffs, lyrical keyboards and open vocals.

Paradox combines thick keyboard work, dramatic chorus and heavy guitar in a concept-driven Royal Hunt record.

Matters of Survival presents Axxis’ big choruses and sharp guitar work in a more polished frame.

In a Time of Blood and Fire is Nocturnal Rites’ debut, joining sharp riffs, speed and a distinctly Scandinavian melancholy.

Moving Target places D.C. Cooper’s soaring, dramatic vocal at the center of Royal Hunt’s keyboard-led architecture.

Clown in the Mirror finds ROYAL HUNT in a phase that sharpens Royal Hunt's neoclassical speed and dramatic melody around André Andersen's keyboards.

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.

Land of Broken Hearts is Royal Hunt’s debut, built around André Andersen’s thick keyboard work, heavy guitar, dramatic chorus and Henrik Brockmann’s powerful vocal.

Axxis II is a useful way to hear AXXIS from a different angle within the 1990 catalogue.