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

10. At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCtjAmtIGf0 There are more radical changes on the list but this highly influential '95 record is among the most effective because it spawned a new style of musicianship among budding metalheads. At The Gates were striving for a unique sound throughout their early 90's material but it would be with Slaughter Of The Soul that they would eventually hit a goldmine. Sure they utilized melodic death elements on their previous release Terminal Spirit Disease but they weren't as concise or confident about the sound they were bringing to the populous. Even the vocals are transformed for Slaughter Of The Soul, more recognizable to fans of the now popular metalcore style. This strangled vocal technique opens up many more possibilities for the group as they push forward with unbridled intensity on tracks like the speeding bullet 'World Of Lies' or the punctured blaster 'Nausea', always a band willing to persevere by brute strength alone at times. The record also sees the group break some new ground with some wonderful fleeting moments of tenderness like the warm, meditative picking of 'Into The Dead Sky' or the soaring orchestral outro 'The Flames Of The End', serving as some well needed respites from the heavy onslaught. It's incredible listening to this corker of an album in the present day because of the sheer amount of metalcore/screamo bands that used it (and still do) as a road-map for their own musical ambitions. This, in some ways underrated beauty, is easily one of the most influential metal albums of the 90's. Key Tracks: Slaughter Of The Soul, Cold, Into The Dead Sky, World Of Lies