New balances in the late 90s, starting with the affirmation of the Industrial genre: Rammstein on their second work, Strapping Youg Lad with "City" unleash cyber horror, Death SS inaugurate a new phase of their career and even the WASP, back on the scene, displace with a violent and electronic work. The Judas Priest, orphans of Rob Halford, present themselves with Tim "Ripper" Owens and with an album with a modern cut, widely underrated. Meanwhile, Bruce Dickinson calls Adrian Smith and with "Accident of Birth" surpasses the Maiden in sales. On the progressive front, Symphony X smashed everyone with a true masterpiece, while a bizarre group that is not afraid of contamination, Pain of Salvation, appears on the scene, while Dream Theater releases perhaps their most underrated album, "Falling into infinity". Power triumphs with Stratovarius and Gamma Ray, and of the new generation with the stratospheric debuts of Hammerfall and Rhapsody. A sensational confirmation comes from Savatage with "Wake of Magellan", while Emperor, Rotting Christ, Dark Tranquility, and In Flames, each in their own extreme field, show how their music can be elegant.
On the rock front, few releases in my collection but all of a certain depth. Aerosmith placed a real masterpiece (and marked their fate with the ballad "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", absent from the first release of the album) and Green Day continued their excellent path with "Nimrod", placing a moving and unusual "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)". Absolute triumph for Radiohead and The Verve, and an excellent return for Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters. Curious project by Ritchie Blackmore who with his partner Candice Night creates a work strongly influenced by traditional and medieval music: everyone finds it convincing and enjoyable and thinks that it is a good phase in the career of the capricious guitarist... a pity that it will practically become its only business.
BY ENRICO SPINELLI
SAVATAGE Wake of Magellan
BRUCE DICKINSON Accident of Birth
DREAM THEATER Falling into Infinity
SYMPHONY X Divine Wings of Tragedy
DEATH SS Do What Thou Wilt
DARK TRANQUILLITY Mind'I
GAMMA RAY Somewhere Out in Space
HAMMERFALL Glory to the Brave
STRATOVARIUS Visions
PAIN OF SALVATION Entropia
RHAPSODY Legendary Tales
ROTTING CHRIST A Dead Poem
EMPEROR Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
IN FLAMES Whoracle
W.A.S.P. Kill Fuck Die
RAMMSTEIN Sehnsucht
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD City
JUDAS PRIEST Jugulator
ROYAL HUNT Paradox
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT Shadow of the Moon
AEROSMITH Nine Lives
FOO FIGHTERS The Colour and the Shape
RADIOHEAD OK Computer
THE VERVE Urban Hymns
GREEN DAY Nimrod
SAVATAGE Wake of Magellan
BRUCE DICKINSON Accident of Birth
DREAM THEATER Falling into Infinity
SYMPHONY X Divine Wings of Tragedy
DEATH SS Do What Thou Wilt
DARK TRANQUILLITY Mind'I
GAMMA RAY Somewhere Out in Space
HAMMERFALL Glory to the Brave
STRATOVARIUS Visions
PAIN OF SALVATION Entropia
RHAPSODY Legendary Tales
ROTTING CHRIST A Dead Poem
EMPEROR Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
IN FLAMES Whoracle
W.A.S.P. Kill Fuck Die
RAMMSTEIN Sehnsucht
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD City
JUDAS PRIEST Jugulator
ROYAL HUNT Paradox
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT Shadow of the Moon
AEROSMITH Nine Lives
FOO FIGHTERS The Colour and the Shape
RADIOHEAD OK Computer
THE VERVE Urban Hymns
GREEN DAY Nimrod