Kult-Zilla’s – Essential Metal Albums Of 1996!

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1. // Sepultura – Roots

In 1996 Sepultura were at the top of their game, and one of the most successful Heavy Metal bands of the era. Transcending their sound with each album while helping shape the emergence of the Groove-Metal style, their success was hard earned and well deserved. They were a far cry from the band who a decade earlier were making raw Thrash and proto-Death Metal from the suburbs of their native Brazil, where teenage brothers Max (vocals/guitar) and Igor (drums) Cavalera first put the band together.

They would lay the groundwork for a career which would bring them to America for third record Beneath The Remains (1989), before releasing the near perfect Thrash Metal album Arise (1991). Next they would take a huge step forward in their evolution with the album that would catapult them into the public conscious; Chaos Ad (1993). As the Metal scene grew around them with the likes of Machine Head and Fear Factory releasing albums inspired by the music Sepultura had made, the eyes of the Metal world were firmly fixed on what the Brazilian band would do next to separate themselves from the crowd.

And their answer was Roots … an album which would take huge inspiration from the tribal music of their homeland, transcending their work on Chaos AD even further, while also introducing the talents of producer Ross Robinson to help them carve out a newer bass heavy sound. Roots is one of the all time great Metal records of the 90s, and an album made even more special being that it marks the end of an era … as it would be the last music Max Cavalera would create with the band he formed, before leaving under acrimonious circumstances. KZ

2. // Tool – Ænima

LA based Tool are one of the most unique and highly successful bands in the Alternative Rock / Metal scene to have formed in the early 90s. They’re often labelled as progressive due to their penchant for long sprawling songs, which are often slow-burning and with complex arrangements. And it was with Ænima that they took the artistry of their early music to the next level, laying the foundations and blueprint of what was to come throughout their career.

There was little to suggest of this direction Tool would take from their debut EP Opiate (1992); this was the music of a young band discovering their identity. But when their debut LP Undertow arrived a year later (1993) – their music was already showing an enhanced maturity, and with a style like no other. In particular, the single ‘Sober’ with its stop-motion claymation music video, remains one of their absolute classics … and was a real sign of what they would showcase next with Ænima.

Æenima launched with the single ‘Stinkfist,’ and another stylish stop-motion video created by guitarist Adam Jones … and it kicks off a masterpiece of experimental and progressive Alternative-Metal. There is a psychedelic feel to the overall tone of the record, and a succession of fine songs including ‘Eulogy,’ ‘Forty Six & 2,’ and ‘Third Eye,’ which remain some of their finest work to this day. The album features an outstanding vocal performance from Maynard James Keenan throughout, while the overall musicianship is just out of this world. KZ

3. // Metallica – Load

In the early 90s Metallica established themselves not only as the biggest Heavy Metal band in the world, but as one of the most commercialy successful bands of all time. Their self-titled – or Black – album released in 1991, provided huge MTV and radio hits with the songs ‘Enter Sandman,’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ while the record itself would go on to sell tens of millions of copies. The subsequent world tour would last years, and it wasn’t until 1995 when the landscape of the Rock and Metal scene had changed around them, that murmurs of the band releasing a new record began to surface.

Metallica themselves were no strangers to change, with the Black album already shifting the sound of their Thrash Metal roots into a slower Heavy Rock influenced style. But when they finally delivered Load, the influence of Alternative and Southern Rock on their sound was even more evident. They were a band moving with the times … and they had fresh haircuts to match! It was a change of image and style for the band who created an album that would prove to be particularly polarising.

Many hardcore fans of their early Thrash sound positively turned their backs on the new material, while many also embraced the direction the band had taken. Metallica certainly turned heads when they dropped the initial single ‘Until It Sleeps.’ A song with an avant-garde video which was more on the alternative end of their spectrum. They would also release ‘Mama Said,’ a song dripping in a Country Rock influence. But the heavy riffs were also rolled out on songs like ‘Ain’t My Bitch’ and ‘King Nothing’ … while with the epic ‘Bleeding Me,’ they created one of their most underrated masterpieces. KZ

4. // Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson arrived on the scene with the release of Portrait Of An American Family in 1994, which was an intriguing time for Heavy Rock and Metal. The Grunge explosion had changed the musical landscape, with a succession of albums from the likes of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Nirvana dominating the charts. While a heavier alternative sound was also brewing from bands such as Pantera, Sepultura, and the bass-heavy Nu-Metal of Korn.

In addition to this, there was also an Industrial-revolution in Rock, spearheaded in the late 80s by the likes of Ministry; before being catapulted into the mainstream by Nine Inch Nails and the release of their magnum-opus The Downward Spiral (1993). And Marilyn Manson were delivering something which blended a little of all of the above. Leaning heavily into Alternative Industrial-Rock, whilst making themselves stand out with a highly theatrical image.

Trent Reznor was a fan, plucking the Florida natives to take out on a mammoth US tour, while also signing them to his Nothing Records label. He would also produce their next album, the genre-blending record that would catapult the band – and most notably their singer – to super-stardom. Antichrist Superstar was a revelation when it released. The band had carved a unique sound and style which resonated with America’s alternative youth; spearheaded by the single ‘The Beautiful People’ … an anthem for the misrepresented at the time. KZ

5. // Type O Negative – October Rust

Type O Negative were another band who rose to prominence in the 90s and were a totally unique proposition. Releasing a succession of fine albums quite unlike anything else, with each one differing in style to the next. Frontman Pete Steele began his career in the New York Hardcore scene of the 80s with his band Carnivore, blending the aggression of Hardcore Punk with Thrash Metal, and a distinct tongue-in-cheek edge.

When Carnivore split, Steele would form Repulsion, later changing the band’s name to Type O Negative prior to the release of their debut album Slow Deep and Hard (1991). But it would be with a change in style to more of a Gothic-Doom Metal on their album Bloody Kisses (1993), that Type O would really cement themselves in the Metal world. The record propelled them to the next level as they found themselves in hot demand on MTV, while touring with the likes of Pantera and White Zombie.

October Rust would be their next release, and its sound would be a surprise to many. It accentuated their atmospheric Gothic side even further, with songs like ‘Love You To Death’ very much taking inspiration from bands such as Sisters Of Mercy and Depeche Mode. Although their lead single ‘My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ was more upbeat and provided another hit for the band, a lot of October Rust would prove to be decisively experimental …. but it is no doubt a class act! KZ

6. // Korn – Life Is Peachy

Korn exploded onto the Metal scene with their self-titled debut album in 1994. They were unique and a breath of fresh air. Heavy and aggressive but with a swagger like no other; their bass-heavy rhythms had a Hip-Hop vibe in places. Their debut record was produced by Ross Robinson, and together he and Korn kick-started a style that would inspire a whole new sub-genre … Nu-Metal had arrived!

The band soon found themselves a worldwide sensation, with non-stop touring and support of their record building their profile at an alarming rate. In the meantime, other bands like Deftones were arriving to share in some of the limelight, and the eyes of the Metal world were on Korn to see what they would come up with next … their answer was Life Is Peachy.

Ross Robinson returned to produce the record, and Korn very much delivered more of the same that had made them a success. Only this time around they had an exuberant fanbase who bought the record in droves making in an instant hit. ‘Good God’ is the song that Life Is Peachy is perhaps best known for, but other songs such as ‘No Place To Hide, and the playful ‘A.D.I.D.A.S’ helped cement Korn as the kings of the Nu-Metal sound … as well as a commercial force to be reckoned with. KZ

7. // Cradle Of Filth – Dusk And Her Embrace

In the early 90s we had seen the second wave explosion of the largely Norwegian based Black Metal scene. Fuelled by caustic icy terrains, a perceived fascination with Satanism, and inspired by the raw music from the originators of the style; such as Venom, Bathory, and Celtic Frost. New bands rose from the forests of Norway, including Emperor, Mayhem, Burzum, and Darkthrone. In 1994, England would see the arrival of their own flag-bearers of the Black Metal sound; Cradle Of Filth.

Cradle Of Filth delivered the speed and raw aggression of Norwegian Black Metal. But provided a thoroughly unique twist to the genre, by taking inspiration from the British history of Gothic Horror. Inspiration from the pages of authors such as Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, and from the screens of the classic Hammer Horror movies. There was also a strong Gothic-Metal influence to their style, with bands such as Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride providing inspiration for the slower moments in Cradle Of Filth’s repertoire.

Debut album The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh (1994) arrived full of Gothic imagery and lyrics, very much leading into Vampiric lore, an area of visual fantasy that the band would forever be associated with. Then, following the EP V Empire Or Dark Faerytales In Phallustein (1996), Cradle Of Filth would release their Music For Nations debut and one of the great Black Metal albums in Dusk And Her Embrace. A record which continued their obsession with the undead, whilst also strongly focusing on the theme of witchcraft. Songs including ‘Funeral In Carpathia,’ ‘A Gothic Romance (Red Roses For The Devil’s Whore),’ and ‘Malice Through The Looking Glass’ are all vintage COF. KZ

8. // Pantera – The Great Southern Trendkill

Pantera were a bastion of Heavy Metal back in the 90s. They reinvented the Metal sound with their albums Cowboys From Hell (1990) and A Vulgar Display Of Power (1992), riding the wave of success that these now classic albums brought. When the explosion of Grunge threatened the commercial success of many Rock and Metal bands that had emerged in the 80s, Pantera were one who weathered the storm, whilst always doing things their own way.

The release of their next album – Far Beyond Driven (1994) – heading straight to number one in the billboard 200 was testament to the mark they had made, and the wheels continued to roll for Pantera. But then there were changes in the bands dynamic, and cracks began to show within Pantera’s seemingly previous unbreakable brotherhood … specifically between vocalist Phil Anselmo and his bandmates.

This would come to a head in 1995 when Anselmo would find success with his side project Down – created with members of Corrosion Of Conformity and Crowbar. Eventually Anselmo would be pulled back into the fold, but things had changed, and for the first time he would record his vocals in a separate studio, away from the rest of the band. The resulting record would be Pantera’s heaviest, and most divisive yet. The Great Southern Trendkill features a plethora of grimy distorted songs such as ‘Drag The Waters,’ ‘Suicide Note Pt. II,’ and the title-track. And the record very much has a sludgy New Orleans influence, with Anselmo screaming harder than he ever had done before. KZ

Words by Abstrakt_Soul

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