Canada Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 1990s

Criteria for a Black Widow shapes high-tension thrash metal from slicing riffs, sudden turns and intricate guitar work.

Rubber finds Harem Scarem loosening its established melodic-hard-rock shape and bringing in tighter beats and more alternative-leaning textures.

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

Gorguts' third album, issued by Olympic Recordings on 23 June 1998. It pushes dissonance and experiment to their limit inside technical death metal.

Big Bang Theory keeps Harem Scarem’s melodic-hard-rock foundation while moving into a harder, more contemporary guitar texture.

The State is an early Nickelback record built from heavy guitar, hard rhythm and a grainy vocal delivery.

Remains retains some of Annihilator’s thrash momentum while boldly bringing in programmed-feeling rhythm and colder sound.

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

Believe, the Japanese title for this period of Harem Scarem, keeps the band’s melodic strength while making the guitar tone and rhythm heavier and drier.

Karma Cleansing, also issued as Believe in another territory, connects polished harmony with more modern guitar weight.

Strapping Young Lad's second album, issued by Century Media in 1997. It is the first Devin Townsend made with a permanent line-up.

Voivod's ninth studio album, from 1997 and the second and last with Eric Forrest on bass and vocals.

Refresh the Demon puts Annihilator’s balance of razor-sharp riffs and memorable hooks back in the foreground.

Cryptopsy's second album, issued by Wrong Again Records on 3 July 1996. This Canadian record is technical and brutal at the same time.

Curb presents Nickelback’s starting point with a raw, close-up sound rather than the large-scale rock image of later years.

Test for Echo brings Rush’s three-piece feel to the front, building songs from hard guitar, defined bass and precise drumming.

Voice of Reason expands Harem Scarem’s beautiful choruses and detailed playing into darker, more complex territory.

Voivod's eighth studio album, from November 1995, the first after Snake left for a time, sung by bassist Eric Forrest.

King of the Kill finds ANNIHILATOR in a phase that keeps Jeff Waters's thrash sharpness while leaning Annihilator toward heavier riffs and more direct songcraft.

Set the World on Fire finds ANNIHILATOR in a phase that keeps Annihilator’s thrash urgency while moving toward larger melody and more clearly organized song form.

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.

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.

Voivod's seventh studio album, from 1993, with the seventeen-minute "Jack Luminous" and a Pink Floyd cover.

Harem Scarem’s self-titled debut joins Harry Hess’s smooth, powerful vocal to Pete Lesperance’s expressive guitar, balancing hard-rock drive with AOR refinement.

Roll the Bones steps slightly away from Rush’s synth-centered 1980s design and brings Alex Lifeson’s guitar and the trio’s interplay back into sharper view.

Voivod's sixth studio album, from 1991, produced by Terry Brown of Rush fame and turned towards alternative rock.

Never, Neverland finds ANNIHILATOR in a phase that uses angular riffs and urgent rhythm to examine thrash-metal aggression from several sides.