11 Best Metal Albums of 1994

1994 proved to be a pivotal year for metal music and these are the 11 best albums from that year.

Established acts like Megadeth and Pantera continued their dominance, the latter of which notched an album that debuted at number one on the Billboard 2000.

Meanwhile, subgenres within metal started to bubble to the surface while producing some influential albums.

Korn brought nu-metal to the forefront with their self-titled debut which melded together elements of metal, hip-hop and rap. Black metal received some much-deserved attention thanks to a group of Norwegian acts that were able to reach a wider audience.

Intense releases from Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse led the charge for death metal.

If anything, 1994 was a year metal grew significantly thanks to experimentation and the pushing of boundaries. Here is a look at the best metal albums from this defining year.

10 Best Metal Albums of 1994

In 1994, heavy metal was taking sharp turns in all directions as it continued to evolve and branch out even further. Grunge had a vice grip on the music world and metal acts were starting to react to this new and popular style. Bands that were known for virtuosic guitar playing began to strip down their sound while others simply incorporated a grungier vibe when starting a new band. 1994 was also a pivotal year for the Norwegian black metal scene as future legends released some of their most acclaimed discs.

Not everything had taken a drastic turn though. Some bands rediscovered their roots and carried the flag of the ’80s while others took influence from traditional metal and reacted harshly to the simplistic music being played and churned out incredibly progressive music. In a period of absolute turmoil where new subgenres kept cropping up, heavy metal began to divide fans into very different crowds where one metalhead had the potential to have little musical taste in common with another metalhead. We embrace it all, so join us in taking a look at the 10 Best Metal Albums of 1994.

Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita