My Top 50 Rock Albums:The 90's

This is the second part of my top 50 rock albums list. Last week, I tackled writing a list for my top 10 albums in 00's. This time, I'll be listing my top 10 rock albums from the 90's. The nineties, it was the time when I discovered rock music and, later on, learned to play the guitar. So, this list was a bit easier to make because most of the bands during that decade had a huge influence on me.

10. Slip
by Quicksand
I became familiar with Quicksand when Metallica introduced them on MTV's In Control back in '96. Their post-hardcore sound was so heavy it instantly hit me like a freight train. So I looked for their albums, and was even planning for my band to cover their songs. Sadly, I didn't find any of their stuff. But when I got Slip, four years later, I listened to it for months.


9. Dirt
by Alice In Chains
Back when I was a fledgling to rock music, a store clerk offered me a Firehouse album and Dirt. I chose the Firehouse album. A couple months later, I realized my mistake when I finally listened to Dirt. The album sounded so miserable and depressing that, to an angsty teenager, appealed to me right away.


8. The Shape of Punk to Come
by Refused
I'm not much into punk. But I do like some select bands, and Refused is amongst those few. Probably because on The Shape of Punk to Come they didn't sound like just a punk band and had more than three chords on their songs. It was a revolutionary album that delivered in-your-face music, seamlessly blended with jazz and electronica elements.


7. Rage Against The Machine
by Rage Against The Machine
I discovered RATM during the time when "Kill Hip-Hop" writings were on every wall, courtesy of metalheads. But I fell in love with RATM, their metal/rap music, their rebellious anthems, and Tom Morello's ingenious guitar playing, right away. So much that, as a metalhead myself, I even started listening to hip-hop.


6. Badmotorfinger
by Soundgarden
Soundgarden is one of my favorite bands. So it took me a real while to decide which of their albums should be on this list. But I finally capitulated and chose Badmotorfinger. Although I didn't like Cornell's vocals in this album as compared to Superunknown. It's just really hard to ignore the raw, hard rocking, creamy sound of this album.


5. Nevermind
by Nirvana
Every generation has an anthem, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the nineties' anthem. I remember the first time I got Nevermind, I listened to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for hours before moving on to the other songs, which were equally good. Also, if not for this album, we'd still be listening to cheesy 80's hair metal bands.


4. Vulgar Display of Power
by Pantera
I wasn't into heavy metal, yet, when I bought Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. So the album became a sort of my initiation into metal. Surprisingly, I liked it a lot, and thus I became a metalhead. The fast paced, hard hitting, in your face music it delivered was just the heaviest sound I had heard back then.



3. Korn
by Korn
The first time I heard of Korn, the world was still listening to alternative and grunge music. So after listening to their self-titled album I was in shock because it was so different. It was dark and heavy, all grove and no fillers. I wasn't prepared for its muddied riffs, and gangsta hip-hop styled bass lines, drum works and guitar squeals.


2. Angel Dust
by Faith No More
The Real Thing was the first album I had by Faith No More. Back then, I thought it was the best album recorded by the band. But after I got Angel Dust, my opinion changed. In this album, the band expanded their usual funk and metal music with bizarre and miscellaneous sounds, creating a more complex album. Mike Patton also did an admirable job in here.


1. Aenima
by Tool
To me, Tool is the perfect band, and they've clearly demonstrated that in Aenima. All members stand out in this album, as artists and musicians. From the explosive drum works, dynamic guitar and bass playing, to the honeyed and disgusted vocals. They've showcased their talents beyond limits to bring us an onslaught of progressive metal sound.


Well, that finishes up my list for the 90's. Next week, I'll list down my 10 favorite albums from the 80's.

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