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Fifty-two albums and 31 videos from the year metal went to No. 1, death metal split into new forms and Seattle changed what heavy meant. Open any record for its story, the facts, the best tracks and a video.
The full 1991 Vault – every album with its story, facts, best tracks and official video – is part of Premium Membership. €44.99 one-time, no subscription.
Become a Premium MemberAlready a member? Log inIn 1991 heavy music conquered the American charts twice over – first with Metallica's Black Album, then with Seattle. Death metal split into the technical and the brutal, doom and gothic metal found their names, and in Norway a small circle of musicians turned away from death metal altogether.
Facts checked against at least two independent sources. Videos are official uploads from the bands' and labels' channels and load only when you press play.
Every metalhead has a year that changed everything. Tell us what 1991 meant to you – three quick questions about the year and two about this journey. One tap each, and you see the results straight away.
Researched, compiled and written by Erki Laurits for WeMetalheads, with help and suggestions from WeMetalheads members. AI tools were used to assist with research, drafting and fact-checking; every fact was checked against at least two independent sources and reviewed by the author.
Spotted a mistake? Let us know on WeMetalheads – corrections are welcome.
Wikipedia, Discogs, Decibel, Riffology, Loudwire, Louder (Metal Hammer, Classic Rock), Ultimate Classic Rock, Kerrang!, Metal Music Archives, Metal Injection, Spirit of Metal, Diffuser, Stereogum, Blabbermouth, The Quietus, This Day in Metal, Sputnikmusic, Grammy.com, and other music publications, label and band websites.
Album, demo and EP covers: artwork © the respective artists, labels and designers, shown for identification and commentary (images via Spotify and Discogs).
Band photos: Wikimedia Commons, used under the licence named in each caption (Creative Commons or public domain), with the photographer credited.
Videos: official uploads by the artists, their labels or YouTube's auto-generated artist channels, embedded in YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode and loaded only when you press play.
© 2026 Erki Laurits / WeMetalheads. Text may not be republished without permission.