1997 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

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".

Savatage's tenth album, released in September 1997: the tale of an old sailor called Magellan, woven around a real stowaway case and the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin.

Overkill's ninth album, released in September 1997: the first mixed by Colin Richardson, heavier and darker, with a nod to the textures of its decade.

Paradise Lost's sixth album, released on 14 July 1997: electronics to the fore, a top-ten album across much of Europe, and the occasion of a tour of Japan.

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

Kreator's eighth studio album, from July 1997, made at the height of their gothic and industrial period.

HIM's debut, published in Finland in November 1997. Nine songs are followed by fifty-six tracks of silence, with a hidden one at number 66.

The Hellacopters' second album, released on 1 October 1997 and the last studio record Dregen made with them before leaving.

Rammstein's second album, released on 22 August 1997. It is the only album entirely in German to be certified platinum by the RIAA.

Saxon's thirteenth album, from May 1997. It is the first with Doug Scarratt on guitar, and he has held the second guitar chair ever since.

Outrage's seventh album, out on 25 January 1997. It is the last full-length by the four-man line-up before Naoki Hashimoto left in 1999.

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

Electric Wizard's second album, issued by Rise Above Records in January 1997. It was made deliberately rough, and it is one of the far points of 1990s doom.

Dimmu Borgir's third album, issued by Nuclear Blast on 30 May 1997. It was made at Peter Tägtgren's Abyss Studio, and it is where the band broke through.

Ghetto Machine is the twelfth Loudness album, released in Japan by Rooms Records on 5 July 1997. It was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, and was the first album with bassist Naoto Shibata.

The debut album on Victory Records: fourteen songs in about thirty minutes, and a landmark of Connecticut and New York hardcore.

A fifteen-track studio album from 1997, closing out the stretch the band spent working around the German metal scene.

A seventh album of thirteen songs, the longest of the period, opening straight out of its intro.

Loveland is John Sykes's second solo album, built around ballads rather than the hard-rock attack he was known for.

Nine Lives reconnects Aerosmith with thick riffs, loose-moving rhythm and Steven Tyler’s unruly vocal presence.

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

Crossing the Rubicon is Armageddon’s debut, joining aggressive guitar, rough vocals and melancholy lead work.

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

Something Wild is Children of Bodom’s debut collision of fast guitar and keyboard, rough vocal and classical melody.

The Mind’s I combines cutting guitar, low growls and melancholy melody in Dark Tranquillity’s early sound.

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

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

Falling into Infinity finds Dream Theater tightening its long-form construction and trying to place technique and melody inside more compact songs.

Kingdom of Madness is Edguy’s debut, built from fast riffs, high-reaching vocals and heroic choruses.

Go! brings warm guitar, thick harmony and Tommy Heart’s emotionally rich vocal together with high-level care.

A Pleasant Shade of Gray follows one extended composition through anxiety, isolation and quiet release.

Somewhere Out in Space brings fast riffs, thick choruses and futuristic storytelling into a large Gamma Ray concept.

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.

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

Iron Savior’s debut combines heavy guitar, heroic choruses and science-fiction storytelling.

20th Century centers on John Sykes’s thick, singing guitar and his melancholy vocal character.

Jugulator brings lower, heavier guitar and forceful aggression to the front of Judas Priest’s restart.

Dominion combines heavy guitar and dramatic melody with restrained classical color.

Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions moves KISS away from celebratory rock and roll toward dark guitar, sunk rhythm and more introspective vocal mood.

The More Things Change... intensifies Machine Head’s heavy riffs, rough shouts and twisted groove.

Cryptic Writings retains Megadeth’s thrash-rooted tension while moving toward cleaner construction and more immediate choruses.

Reload deepens Metallica’s late-1990s rock approach through thick, rolling riffs, low-slung groove and rough vocal delivery.

Millenium’s debut centers on Ralph Santolla’s expressive guitar and Todd Plant’s strong vocal, joining AOR polish to melodic-metal heat.

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

Neverland carefully rebuilds Night Ranger’s strengths: open melody, twin-guitar color and expansive chorus.

Angels Fall First is Nightwish’s debut, combining acoustic color, rushing metal and Tarja Turunen’s classical vocal presence.

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

Food for Thought combines weighty riffs, clear vocals and memorable choruses in Pink Cream 69’s melodic hard-rock language.

Hear in the Now Frontier finds Queensrÿche reducing some of its elaborate progressive construction in favor of drier guitar and more direct songs.

Legendary Tales is Rhapsody of Fire’s debut fusion of classical keyboard, fast guitar and fantasy storytelling.

Inishmore combines heroic riffing, singable melody and Celtic color in Riot’s late-period metal.

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

Marching to Mars places hard-driving rockers beside reflective ballads, bringing Sammy Hagar’s heat and human directness to the front.

Somber Eyes to the Sky is Shadows Fall’s debut collision of rough riffing, shouted vocals and lyrical guitar.

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

Visions combines fast guitar, flowing keyboard and Timo Kotipelto’s high vocal range with unusual clarity.

The Divine Wings of Tragedy unites sharp riffing, classical-flavored keyboards and complex development in Symphony X’s major leap forward.

Demonic keeps some of Testament’s thrash bite but brings lower, slower and heavier pressure to the foreground.

Endless, Nameless throws the Wildhearts’ strong melodic sense into noise, processed sound and ragged arrangement.

Firefly finds the reunited TNT tightening its glossy hard-rock image and moving toward heavier guitar and darker arrangement.

Solid is traditional heavy metal driven by Udo Dirkschneider’s metallic voice, thick riffs and concise song construction.

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.

Restless Heart combines bluesy guitar, soft keyboard and David Coverdale’s deep, settled vocal presence.

Enter is Within Temptation’s debut, combining sinking heavy guitar, spectral keyboards and Sharon den Adel’s clear voice.

Endangered Species brings together thick riffs, blues-rooted guitar and Dave Meniketti’s heated vocal presence.

Facing the Animal combines fast scalar runs, classical-flavored melody and thick riffs in Yngwie Malmsteen’s guitar-centered world.