10 Best Self-Titled Music Albums In Metal History

Nu-metal is the butt of most jokes in the metal community now, but we’ve quickly forgotten just how dominant and scene-eclipsing the nu-metal phenomena was during the turn of the millennium. Names such as Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, and the previously mentioned System of a Down all did their part in pioneering this fleeting metal genre, but before all of them came the mighty Korn.

Founded in 1993, Korn wasted little time and released their debut album the following year. Characterised by jagged, jarring, and serrated guitar lines, as well as Jonathan Davis’ distinct vocal conviction, ‘Korn’ proved to be one of the most integral debut records of the decade. Overflowing with rage and frustration, this often unruly record has been a mainstay in any metal fan's go-to catalogue for 30 years now. Although it pre-dated the movement by several years, ‘Korn’ came to be seen as one of the greatest nu-metal albums of all time, with some arguing that it is second only to Linkin Park’s magnum opus, ‘Hybrid Theory’.

Commercially, the album performed quite well, especially when weighed against other inclusions on this list, as ‘Korn’ reached the top ten in the album charts for both New Zealand and the United States, while lead single ‘Blind’ peaked at #15 in the Canadian singles chart. Critical reception of the record was also generally positive and surprisingly warm considering how experimental rock releases had been treated by critics in the past.