90s Album Reviews

Featuring members of Soundgarden, Monster Magnet and Devilhead. the 1993 album by Hater isn’t what you might expect.

Combine T. Rex grooves with analog synths, topped with radio friendly hooks and you get Imperial Drag.

The Presidents of the United States of America scored a number one single with Lump off their debut. We revisit their sophomore release II.

Regurgiator's second album Unit came out in 1997, going triple platinum, producing hit singles and winning music awards.

Bush brought Steve Albini on board to produce their sophomore album Razorblade Suitcase, a slump or worth redeeming?

Building by Sense Field packs concise, urgent songs with guitar and vocal hooks that touch on indie, punk, emo and more.

With American Psycho, the Misfits returned with a more metallic sound, but perhaps with too much of a good thing

A little bit of R.E.M. jangle combined with a touch Morrissey-esque vocals give Wake by Emmet Swimming unique flavors.

The self-titled debut by Fountains of Wayne hints at what was to come while still struggling to sound original and find their voice.

Warrior Soul is hard to pin down musically, brash and loud with one foot in the sound of 80s hair metal and the other in 90s alternative.

Moby covers all the ground on Animal Rights - industrial metal, down tempo-dirges, post-punk, ambient - but is it too much?

Positioned between successfully selling albums, The Tragically Hip's moody and sparse 1996 release deserves a deeper listen.

Best known in the U.S. for their 2000 single "Roll On," Australia's The Living End combo of punk, rockabilly and ska brings energy and more.

Low leaves plenty of space and the tempos crawl, a unique sound from an era of stadium ready rock.

After scoring a hit “Fly Me Courageous," Drivin' N Cryin' returned with an ode to the classic rock riffage of AC/DC, Aerosmith & Hendrix.

Steeped in the pop that would guide Toad the Wet Sprocket to success, Bend by The Origin expand the sound with soul, country and psychedelia

Kashmir concocts a sometimes compelling but frustrating combination of sounds and approaches that left us with more questions than answers.

Sect. 8 provides a mixed bag of styles, elements of King’s X progressive hard rock, Stone Temple Pilots grunge swagger, shoegaze and more

Zen Guerrilla have plent of energy and volume on 1999's Trance States in Tongues, but does it come at a cost to the songwriting?

Jim Hanke of Vinyl Emergency stops by to discuss the 1996 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album Now I Got Worry and the death of Prince

The Goo Goo Dolls 1990 album Hold Me Up transitioned the band from energetic pop punk to alternative rock hit makers with mixed results

The Screaming Jets combine the twin guitar attack of Thin Lizzy, southern boogie of Lynyrd Skynyrd and more on 1992's Tear of Thought

Produced by Bob Rock and featuring John Corabi on vocals and guitar, the self-titled 1994 Motley Crue album divided fans and critics

The 1993 sophomore album Human Cannonball by School of Fish left us wanting

Archers of Loaf combined propulsive drums, melodic bass, dissonant guitars, and urgent vocals in short bursts of brilliance on Icky Mettle

The Welcome Mat's 1993 debut Gram packs some power-pop worthy hooks and expert guitar riffage, but we found disagreeement in the results

Summercamp's lone album Pure Juice runs the gamut from syrupy power-pop to grungy thumpers and big rock ballads

Pioneers of the Britpop sound, we revisit the 1994 sophomore album Dog Man Star by The London Suede

1993's Black Tie White Noise shows off David Bowie's penchant for melodic hooks, but the spotless production left us wanting

Carnival Art experiment with new wave, metal and more, rarely staying one idea for very long, for better or worse.

Bon Jovi choruses slam against jazzy verses in Gods Child's 1996 sophomore album Aluminum

The 1995 debut Hello by Poe shifted from moody hip-hop to hymnlike piano to fingerpicking pop-folk with varying results

It was supposed the end of the electric guitar and rise of synths, samples and drum loops - we revisit Delete Yourself by Atari Teenage Riot

Twenty years since being released, we revisit the 1995 debut of Jay Farrar's post-Uncle Tupelo band Son Volt

1993's Earth vs the Wildhearts should work for us - big guitar riffs and power pop melodies. But it doesn't - we try to figure out why

We were unfamiliar with Braid and their much acclaimed 1998 album Frame and Canvas. Does it live up to the hype?