Crate Digging is a recurring feature that takes a deep dive into music history to turn up several albums all music fans should know. In this edition, Baroness singer-guitarist John Baizley shares 10 essential metal albums from the 1990s.
Since forming 20 years ago, Baroness have become one of the most respected and acclaimed acts in modern metal. The band recently released its sixth album, Stone, and is currently headlining a North American tour that runs through a December 1st gig in Philadelphia.
Founding singer-guitarist John Baizley recently caught up with Heavy Consequence to share his 10 essential metal albums of the 1990s. He admitted that he was more of a punk fan during his teen years in the 1990s, and that it wasn’t until the end of the decade and into the new century that he learned to embrace heavy metal.
Most of the albums on his list are LPs that Baizley rediscovered as he formed Baroness in the early 2000s, yet they had a profound influence on him and the music he has gone on to create.
One glance at Baizley’s list will reveal that he has a love for the extreme, but the albums still offer a wide range of sonics from Death to Deftones.
See John Baizley’s picks and descriptions for 10 metal albums from the ’90s that he thinks every fan should own below. Pick up tickets to Baroness’ upcoming tour dates here, and purchase their new album, Stone, here.
Entombed – Left Hand Path (1990)
I’ll preface this one by saying that Entombed was not on my radar as a kid growing up in southwestern rural Virginia. I’m sure that I discovered Entombed probably post-2000, but to say that they were influential on our band would be something of an understatement. I think that, ultimately, what I picked up and what was so crucial to me about Entombed wasn’t that they were at the forefront of a death metal surge, but rather that they were a metal band that — like almost all of the metal bands that I’ve really loved in my life — seemed to have the spirit of punk rock that was sort of alive and well within their ranks. Metal fans reach way outside of their chosen genres to find inspiration. I think Entombed are a very important band in death metal for that reason.
Sepultura – Chaos A.D. (1993)
Sepultura’s Chaos A.D. was hands down the first metal record I ever loved, straight up. Again, I think it’s because it’s kind of a punk record at the same time. I think the coolest thing about Chaos A.D. was in the very early days of Baroness touring, our original guitar player, Tim, and I, when we were up late night, like driving eight hours a night, we could listen to that record over and over and over again. There is something in its songwriting, in its simplicity. What really impressed me was that, at a very early age, I could sort of play their riffs. I loved how it sounded like metal, but it also sounded like all the furious, sort of unchecked energy of punk rock. That is an absolutely classic record for me.