10 90s Metal Albums That Successfully Transformed Their Band's Sound

1. Metallica - Metallica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckom3gf57Yw Countdown To Extinction wanted to be it, metal upstarts today want to replicate it. Of course it's Metallica's career defining, self-titled '91 release. It marked a deliberate shift in musical styles for the group, a shift that can still be felt today in the mainstream metal arena. They shed their thrash skin and donned a more streamlined metal garb with this release, an approach that was more digestible for a wider audience of listeners. A controversial change for sure, but you only need to hear the menacing opening of 'Enter Sandman' before that becomes but a distant memory. It was clearly a conscious stylistic change on their part but it's handled with such care that it never becomes a glaring issue. Songs like 'Sad But True' and Wherever I May Roam' benefit from the slower tempo that punctuates the record and tracks like 'The Unforgiven' and 'Nothing Else Matters' feature some of the most moving moments in all of metal, something that the group wouldn't have been able to achieve with their former sound template. Whatever way you wish to define success, this record has it covered. The sales are resoundingly successful as is its position in music critic circles, making it a rare gem that garnered mainstream approval without compromising the core foundations of their previous work - great songwriting and killer riffs. It's true however that it marked the beginning of a down period for the band, one that saw the backbone of the group compromised. This is another album that tends to get discredited by hardcore thrash fans, but there's no denying the far reaches of influence that this '91 classic has had. It might have been a change in direction but what an important change it was, certainly one that will stand the test of time in the annals of heavy metal. Key Tracks: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters