10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 90s
8. Use Your Illusion I/II - Guns N' Roses
Guns N Roses had certainly made their presence known throughout the metal world with their 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction. With each song becoming an instant classic, GNR were being heralded as the next amazing band in rock and roll. For the followup, the band decided to go even bigger with a double album of all new material.
Throughout both Use Your Illusion records, the band rides the line between experimental detours and infectious metallic riffage. Songs like "Right Next Door to Hell" and "Garden of Eden" are fantastic examples of the band at their punkiest while songs like "Double Talkin Jive" feature some of the best guitar work Slash has ever recorded.
The real standouts across both of these records are the epics like "Civil War" and the monumental track "November Rain," whose video was one of the most extravagant MTV had ever seen. Even the covers of "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin on Heaven's Door" are staggering when compared to the punchy rockers.
Unfortunately, this experimentation came with a price as the band quickly fell apart after the release of this record. Though GNR never reached these heights again, the power behind Use Your Illusion cannot be denied.