Heavy Metal Encylopedia

By ’91, death metal had grown physically, mentally and even spiritually, progressing from a small local scene in Florida with outposts in the Bay Area and Europe to a worldwide force stretching in all directions. This was the year death metal became ‘A Thing’, where all of its varying disciplines, splintering personalities and eclectic influences became manifest. As such, this 12 month period is packed with a dizzying array of classics from all across the spectrum, from stoner doom burnouts to techy jazz to punk beatdown. And it all happened a quarter century ago. What follows is a list of the 25 landmark albums from this most important of years in death metal, organized in chronological order. This is not a best-of list or a countdown. No, this is a celebration of all things bloody and gory, downtuned and chugged, growled and grunted, loud and brutal, fast and slow. This is the heart of the Golden Age of death metal. Source: http://www.invisibleoranges.com/death-metal-25-to-life-january-may-1991/

Arguably one of the most interesting modern black metal scenes, Québécois Black Metal, or “métal noir”, is a reflection of not just the province’s cultural identity, but the fierce pride that characterizes its people, who are well aware of their history and remember it fondly. As a whole, métal noir is less focused on now-cliche black metal tropes such as Satan and nature, instead focusing on patriotism and pride.

French Black Metal is a very diverse scene, containing both old, 'true' bands and new, innovative ones. Whether you love Deathspell Omega's powerhouse, testosterone-fuelled philosophical ramblings, Neige's melancholic work with Mortifera or you're a Les Légions Noires guy, the Frenchies seem to have something for everyone.

Known by many for having punishing low end, strange rhythms, and off-kilter melodies, the Finnish death metal scene has been revered for years as one of the best around in the early '90s, and a fair amount of bands since then have incorporated its "signature" sound into their own.

The early UK thrash and crossover scene was jam-packed with raw enthusiasm and visceral talent, but it had a bumpy ride in both critical and commercial terms. That said, there are clearly mountains of UK thrash bands worth their weight in gold.

2017 is only half over, but it's not too early to start celebrating the finest metal albums offered up by both mainstream and underground bands.