![The 40 Best Metal Albums of 1990](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2022/12/attachment-best_metal_albums_1990.jpg?w=980&q=75)
The 40 Best Metal Albums of 1990
A new decade's arrival brings uncertainties in nearly everything. For metal, it would signal the end of the mainstream's embrace and, with it, a tumble mostly back into the underground where all of metal's most sincere intentions started.
By 1990, extremity was being pursued at exhaustive lengths. Musicians challenged themselves to push physical endurance limits to test what sounds mutated out of those speed-picked and blast-fed mashings. With black metal's second wave outburst mostly one year away, this list is almost entirely concerned with thrash and the budding death metal scene worldwide.
There's a few carryovers from the '80s though, but sadly, even a band as mighty as Iron Maiden, faltered and are left looking from the outside in on this list.
The 40 Best Metal Albums of 1990
The Best Metal Album of Each Year Since 1970
More From 94.1 KRNA
![What Eddie Van Halen’s Favorite Black Sabbath Riff Was](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/07/attachment-eddie_van_halen_tony_iommi.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![What Geezer Butler Would Change About His Time in Black Sabbath](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/06/attachment-Geezer-Butler-Question-Mark.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Judas Priest is Coming to Cedar Rapids This Fall – Win Tickets](http://townsquare.media/site/676/files/2024/06/attachment-GettyImages-1439379040.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![10 HARD Rock Bands Whose Biggest Hit Is a Ballad](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/06/attachment-poison_disturbed_ballads.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The 10 Black Sabbath Albums Fans Own the Most (On Discogs)](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/05/attachment-Featured-Images-33.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Setlist + Video – Judas Priest + Sabaton Kick Off North American Tour](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2023/11/attachment-judas_priest_sabaton.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![25 Essential Rock + Metal Albums of the ’90s to Pass On to Your Children](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/03/attachment-Father-Son-90s.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Judas Priest Become First Metal Band to Release Albums 50 Years Apart](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/03/attachment-rob_halford_judas_priest_2023.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The Huge Pop Songwriters Judas Priest Collaborated With on Unreleased Songs](http://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2024/03/attachment-Judas-Priest-Rob-Halford-Question-Mark.jpg?w=980&q=75)