Since there have been numerous eras of heavy metal, we selected four groups to represent the “Big 4” of ’90s metal.
Metal has branched out and changed significantly since Black Sabbath introduced it in 1970. As the end of the ’70s approached, traditional heavy metal gained momentum and began evolving.
The early ’80s saw the birth of thrash, a style that dominated the decade, which is why we aren’t including any of those groups in the ’90s Big 4 — even though Metallica were massive in the ’90s.
The ’90s was when many of the more extreme styles of metal truly came into their own, including black metal in the Scandinavian region of Europe and death metal. The seeds for these subgenres had been planted throughout the ’80s, but the ’90s were a whole different beast with the sounds they created and how popular they became.
READ MORE: The ‘Big 4’ Bands of 27 Rock + Metal Subgenres
And of course, halfway through the ’90s was when nu-metal really started.
We had a few requirements when selecting four acts to represent all of metal for an entire decade. They didn’t have to form within a certain timeframe, but they had to have truly broken out during those years. They also had to have shaped metal in some way or another, whether that’s spearheading a new style or just having a massive influence on later generations.
To demonstrate how diverse metal was in the ’90s, we aimed to pick bands that had different styles and backgrounds while still adhering to the guidelines mentioned above.
Keep scrolling to see our picks for the Big 4 bands of ’90s metal.
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The ‘Big 4’ Bands of ’90s Metal
Since there have been numerous eras of heavy metal, we selected four groups to represent the ‘Big 4’ of ’90s metal.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
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Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
