Top 10: Metal Albums of 1997

Ready to feel old? All of the albums in today’s top 10 are now 25 years old. That means if you were among the crop listening to these in high school, defending the true metal faith against an army of braindead, Ozzfest-core bands, congratulations! You’re either pushing or are over 40! Not that it’s a bad thing. After all, a handful of the bands on here had achieved veteran status themselves when releasing these albums. Age is just a number, and you’re never too old for heavy metal rock n’ roll. On that note, here are our Top 10 Metal Albums of 1997.

10. Exciter – The Dark Command

While Exciter’s first 3 albums are certified speed metal classics, things got a little bit muddled afterwards. 1986’s Unveiling the Wicked and 1988’s self titled saw the band cozying up to a more accessible brand of traditional metal. Granted, they had their moments (“Die in the Night” is a banger and a half), but Heavy Metal Maniac they were not. Come 1992’s Kill After Kill, Exciter embraced the thrash metal craze they helped pioneer. The only problem was said craze was all but over, overtaken by death and black metal in the underground and obliterated by grunge among the mainstream. So when the time came to release The Dark Command, Exciter went back to the basics, delivering a lethal dose of high speed, high energy metal with zero regards for trends and fads. Packed to the brim with classics like “Aggressor”, “Executioner”, and the infernal epic “Ritual Death”, The Dark Command goes toe to toe with any of Exciter’s early efforts.

9. Jag Panzer – The Fourth Judgement

The story of Jag Panzer is one of “coulda, woulda, shoulda”. The band’s debut full length, Ample Destruction (1984), was nothing short of groundbreaking, revolutionizing US power metal alongside a handful of other key releases that year. Yet nothing much else followed. A year later, Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin would be fronting cult metallers Satan’s Host, who would also come and go faster than anyone would notice. Come the 90s, Jag Panzer would reform, but it would take a while for them to reclaim their past glory. 1994’s Dissident Alliance was an ill advised attempt at jumping on the groove metal bandwagon, meathead chugging, grunting, and all. It also lacked arguably the most important component of the Jag Panzer formula, The Tyrant. Come 1997’s The Fourth Judgement, Conklin was back and so was the rest of the band, firing on all cylinders and ready to reclaim their USPM throne. With anthems like “Call of the Wild” and “Ready to Strike” in tow, one couldn’t deny the valiant effort at hand.

8. Gamma Ray – Somewhere Out in Space

Formed after Kai Hansen’s departure from Helloween, Gamma Ray began as a great power metal band. By the time Hansen assumed frontman duty for 1995’s Land of the Free, they had gone from great to godly, co-opting the razor sharp precision of Helloween’s Walls of Jericho (1985) and modernizing it for this new era of melodic and pristine power metal. The intensity and aggression of those early years remained, but was further broadened by virtuosic musicianship, crisp production, and enthralling lyrics which touched upon sci-fi and fantasy themes. Despite its nearly hour long running time, Somewhere Out in Space keeps the listener hooked from beginning to end, never letting up with its triumphant force. While the Americans never “got” power metal widespread (at least not until recent years), the euro market embraced Gamma Ray with open arms and rightfully so. A post-Helloween cash-grab, this was not.

7. Enslaved – Eld

By the late 90s, the Norwegian black metal scene was a far cry from what it was just a few short years earlier. That said, the bands who weathered the storm managed to create some of their most innovative work yet. I say “yet” because for Viking metal overlords Enslaved, Eld was merely the beginning of a vast, sprawling chapter in their epic tome. For album #3, Enslaved expanded upon their fierce, icy black metal sound by incorporating clean Viking-esque vocals, progressive songwriting tropes, and an all around sense of ominous mysticism to their sound. These traits are displayed at length on the opening 16 minute masterpiece, “793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)”. Those of a “trve” disposition were likely taken aback by such musical adventurism within their niche, but with avant-garde black metal right around the corner, and Bathory all but abandoning their early, evil roots, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise.

6. Saxon – Unleash the Beast

Saxon did a lot in the 90s. They continued to tour and record regularly, embracing their elder statesmen status all over the euro fest circuit. One thing they didn’t do was kiss ass to grunge, industrial, nu metal, or any other here today, gone tomorrow trends. Sure, there was the blatant foray into AOR come the late 80s, but after seeing how that worked out (Hint: Their cover of Christopher Cross’s “Ride Like the Wind” was no Top 40 smash.), they went back to their heavy rocking, headbanging ways. Was their output as compelling as their early 80s masterpieces Wheels of Steel (1980), Strong Arm of the Law (1980), and Heavy Metal Thunder (1981)? No, but it kept things rolling. That is until Unleash the Beast. I’m not sure what happened, but Saxon had made their own Painkiller: A balls out, no frills, explosive metal affair that went straight for the jugular, taking everything everyone loved about Saxon and jacking it up on steroids. The band plays with a vengeance, DARING you to throw their name into the decades long Priest vs. Maiden debate, as you should. Every song is a towering anthem, chock full of fiery vocals, crushing riffs, and a thunderous rhythm section to boot.

5. Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

Enslaved weren’t the only Norwegian black metal band continuing to break new ground in the late 90s. So were Emperor, who followed up their legendary In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) with the equally brilliant Anthem to the Welkin at Dusk. While a symphonic black metal album at its core, Anthems doubled down on the progressive flirtations merely hinted at on Nightside. Not only are the arrangements lengthy and complex, but there’s countless time signature changes, smatterings of clean vocals, emphasis on atmosphere (“With Strength I Burn”, “In Longing Spirit”), and even the occasional King Crimson derived freak-out passage (I’m not sure what else I’d label that guitar break in “Ye Entrancemperium”.) Yes, Emperor were killing it in ’97, even without original drummer Faust.

4. Sigh – Hail Horror Hail

With all due respect to Scandinavia, it was Japan that took first place in the black metal race in ’97, and specifically Sigh. Whereas Enslaved and Emperor’s masterworks are firmly rooted in the European metal tradition, Sigh took black metal and turned it on its head, becoming more unconventional with each release from Scorn Defeat (1993) on. By the time they reached Hail Horror Hail, there was no telling what musical horrors this band was capable of. The opening title track rocks as hard as any Motörhead or Venom song…until it doesn’t, interrupted by a barrage of circus music. The remainder of the album is an unhinged amalgamation of black, prog, and doom metal with shocking displays of musicianship more characteristic of classical and jazz interspersed and a healthy dose of anxiety. Is your head spinning yet?

3. Bruce Dickinson – Accident of Birth

Looking for a clinic in accommodating the changing times without fully losing your own creative identity? Look no further than Bruce Dickinson’s Accident of Birth. Armed with former Iron Maiden bandmate Adrian Smith and modern metal hero Roy Z, Dickinson was able to craft an album that paid subtle homage to his classic 80s metal past, while simultaneously being dark and doom-laden enough to appeal to the 90s demographic. Unfortunately, most in America disregarded this effort, as Dickinson had neither grown dreadlocks or started rapping. All kidding aside, Accident of Birth is as compelling as anything Maiden was releasing at the time (I’ll die on the Blaze Bayley hill.), and without a doubt heavier. Try as he might, Steve Harris couldn’t deny that his ex-mates still had the goods.

2. Deceased – Fearless Undead Machines

Deceased has been specializing in “death metal from the grave” since 1985, first striking the underground with a slew of demos and two pulverizing full lengths, Luck of the Corpse (1991) and The Blueprints for Madness (1995). And as wickedly amazing as those albums are (and they are), as the old saying goes, “Third time’s the charm.” Fearless Undead Machines saw Deceased expand upon their pure death metal sound, incorporating tinges of thrash circa ’85 (think Whiplash, Slayer, and so forth) and dark traditional metal à la Mercyful Fate and The Number of the Beast era Maiden. The concept was simple: A collection of songs in homage to the iconic Night of the Living Dead movie. Who better than Deceased, masters of all things deadly and horrific, to take on such a task? Mission accomplished. Every Deceased album smokes, but this one is by and far my favorite.

Scald – Will of Gods Is a Great Power

While every other album on this list was initially released on CD (Some may have even been treated to vinyl pressings.), it just so turns out that the greatest metal album of ’97 was released on an underground label via cassette…in Russia. Initially formed in 1993, Scald took the best of Candlemass and Bathory to create a completely unique sound, showcased on their first and only album, Will of Gods Is a Great Power: Nearly an hour of the finest epic metal you’ll ever hear. It’s one part Viking metal chants, one part colossal doom riffs, and all parts glorious. One can only imagine what the band could’ve accomplished had they not been halted by the untimely passing of frontman Agyl at 24. Boasting a range that went toe to toe with Messiah Marcolin and Geoff Tate in their prime, Agyl’s unique vocal delivery was the icing on the figurative Scald cake, which is not to say anything less about the other players, all masters in their own right. Will may not be the most known album on this list, but from a musical perspective, it is by far the greatest. In case you don’t believe me (and there’s a good chance you don’t), listen for yourself and thank me later.

Honorable Mentions