The Best Rock and Heavy Metal Albums of 1999
Contents
Looking for the best rock and heavy metal albums of 1999? Look no further than this list, which includes some of the most iconic records of the genre!
Introduction
The Best Rock and Heavy Metal Albums of 1999 – (The Best Rock and Heavy Metal Albums of 1999)
The year 1999 was a great year for rock and heavy metal music. There were many excellent albums released by both established artists and newcomers. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best rock and heavy metal albums of 1999.
Best Rock Albums
System of a Down- Toxicity
Formed in 1995, System of a Down released their debut album in 1998 to critical acclaim. One year later, they followed up with Toxicity, an even more successful release that saw the band exploring new sounds and themes. Toxicity is a varied and complex album that showcases the band’s songwriting and musical skills. From the thrashy opener “Prison Song” to the atmospheric “Aerials,” the album is packed with memorable tracks. Toxicity is a essential listen for any fan of heavy music.
Foo Fighters- There is Nothing Left to Lose
Foo Fighters’ third album, There is Nothing Left to Lose, was released in 1999 to critical and commercial acclaim. It features the hit singles “Learn to Fly” and “Breakout”, and is the band’s most musically diverse album to date. There is Nothing Left to Lose is a perfect example of the Foo Fighters’ ability to combine catchy pop hooks with heavy metal aggression, and is one of the best rock albums of the 1990s.
Blink 182- Enema of the State
Enema of the State is the third studio album by American rock band Blink-182. It was released on June 1, 1999, by MCA Records. The album marked a change in the sound of the band from their earlier works, featuring greater experimentation with pop and electronic music. It was also their first album to feature Travis Barker on drums. Recording of the album took place over two months in mid-1998 at DML Studios and Downey Sound, following touring and promotion for their previous album, Dude Ranch (1997).
The band began writing songs for Enema of the State during soundchecks on Dude Ranch’s tour bus. They recorded 29 songs over a period of three weeks while still touring. Barker’s girlfriend at the time introduced him to two professional producers who had recently moved to Los Angeles: Jerry Finn and Mark Trombino. The duo were hired to co-produce and manage the recording process; they replaced Scott Raynor as the band’s drummer with Barker. MCA Records label representative Fred Kewley took note of them while attending one of their live shows in San Diego; he later offered them a record contract with MCA.
Enema of the State was an instant commercial success upon release in June 1999 due to strong radio play for its singles “What’s My Age Again?”, “All the Small Things”, and “Adam’s Song”. The record sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Three years after its release, Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 227 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 1994, Tom DeLonge began performing vocals and guitar with Scott Raynor on drums exclusively for about six months until Raynor quit in mid-1995; then Mark Hoppus joined DeLonge along with drummer Travis Barker to form Blink-182 shortly thereafter in August 1992
Green Day- Warning
“Warning” is the sixth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on October 3, 2000 by Reprise Records. The album, produced by Rob Cavallo, was the band’s first album to be recorded following their signing with Reprise after leaving their previous label, Lookout! Records for a multi-million dollar contract in April 1997. The album is noted for its sonic experimentation and political commentary; lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong stated that he desired to create an album that was sophisticatedly childish. Lyrically, the album contains references to middle-class America and consumerism.
The album received mixed reviews from music critics, who praised its experimentalism but criticized its lyrical content. The record debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart selling 215,000 copies in its first week. It has since been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Warning” was preceded by the release of three singles: “Minority”, “Brown Eyed Girl”, and “Waiting”.
Weezer- Pinkerton
Released in September of 1996, two years after their self-titled debut, Pinkerton was not the album Weezer intended to make. The group had spent most of ‘95 touring in support of their first record and by the time they got back to Los Angeles, they were burnt out. Guitarist Brian Bell had been dealing with writer’s block and isn’t featured on any of the record’s twelve songs. Fed up with the band’s dynamic, Cuomo took a solo trip to Japan where he ended up hospitalized with an inflamed wrist.
Best Heavy Metal Albums
1999 was a great year for hard rock and metal music. There were a lot of great albums released that year. Here is a list of the best rock and metal albums of 1999.
Metallica- S&M
Metallica’s S&M is a live album featuring the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, released in November 1999. It sold four million copies in the US and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Slayer- God Hates Us All
Slayer’s God Hates Us All was not only one of the best metal albums of 1999, but it’s one of the best metal albums ever released. The album’s 13 tracks are all incredibly heavy, catchy, and well-written, with highlights like the lead single “Disorder,” the anthemic “Bloodline,” and the crushing title track. God Hates Us All is a perfect example of how to do a metal album right, and it’s without a doubt one of Slayer’s finest moments.
Pantera- Reinventing the Steel
Reinventing the Steel is the tenth and final studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on March 21, 2000 by Elektra Records. The album marked the return of Clean Vocals from former frontman Phil Anselmo after he checked himself into rehab in 1996 following years of heroin abuse, as well as drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott’s first full-length album recording without his brother Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott who was killed onstage in 2004.
Reinventing the Steel received positive reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 10 reviews. AllMusic’s Steve Huey praised Phil Anselmo’s vocal performance and the band’s songwriting, calling it “one of their most focused albums in years”.
Megadeth- Risk
Risk is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on August 31, 1999 by Capitol Records. It is the first Megadeth album not to feature guitarist/songwriter Marty Friedman, who had left the band in mid-1999; Jimmy DeGrasso, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies and Alice in Chains, filled the vacant guitarist position.
The album’s title reflects vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine’s intention to take more risks with the new album, both musically and personnel-wise. This was also Megadeth’s first release since Mustaine’s arm injury that occurred in 2002; as a result, much of Risk was composed by bassist David Ellefson and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso while Mustaine recovered.
Risk received mixed reviews from music critics upon release. However, it was a commercial success, debuting at number 16 on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over 86,000 copies in its first week of release. Three singles were released from the album: “Crush ‘Em”, “Breadline” and “Insomnia”. A tour in support of Risk known as the World Domination Tour commenced shortly after the album’s release and lasted until mid-2000.
Slipknot- Slipknot
Slipknot’s self-titled debut is one of the most essential metal albums of the ’90s, not just for its unrelenting brutality and sheer heaviness, but for the way it expertly blends different subgenres of metal into a cohesive whole. At a time when nu-metal was starting to dominate the airwaves, Slipknot took the best elements of thrash, death metal, hardcore punk, and industrial and wove them together into a frighteningly intense – and surprisingly catchy – masterpiece of metallic mayhem. Tracks like “Wait and Bleed,” “Eyeless,” and “Spit It Out” are as close to perfect as anything in Slipknot’s catalogue, while the nine-minute closer “Snuff” perfectly encapsulates everything that makes this album so great – it’s dark, it’s heavy, it’s angry, and it’s absolutely relentless. In many ways, Slipknot set the standard for all future nu-metal bands to follow, and their debut remains one of the genre’s high watermarks.
