#85 January 1994

Welcome to this weeks episode of Heavy Metal History. Our first history episode of 2019! January 1994.

1994 is often derided as the “death” of Heavy Metal, and while it seems like a lot of bands struggled around this time to compete with the massive popularity of Grunge, a whole wave of new music was being birthed into the world, Black Metal makes its ominous and controversial mark on the world, the height of Swedish Melo Death is massively influencing and shaping bands and genres for years to come and while the genre and releases show no signs of stopping some of the releases put out during this time are less than stellar, but there’s also some of the most prolific albums of some bands careers that were put out in 1994.

January of 1994 shows the diversity that is now prevalent in Heavy Metal, bands from all over the world have solidified their status as masters of their genre. Black Sabbath and Dio both put out albums against each other after a falling out due to a reunion show that left Ronnie James Dio feeling unwelcome, that left Black Sabbath to once again use Tony martin and release and album that isn’t the best, but certainly not their worst album in their lengthy discography. The masters of Doom Prong put out one of their most seminal works and unleash a whole new wave of heaviness through unconventional means. Swedish Melodic bands are enrapturing ears all across the world as Dawn and Merciless put forth their own works into the world. And the first black metal band to put out a record in 1994 would be Satyricon, who would actually out out TWO albums in the same year, with Shadowthrone being release later in 1994.

In January the releases I discuss:

• Uncanny – “Splenium for Nyktophobia”

• Merciless – “Unbound”

• Dawn – “Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher”

• Sodom – “Get What You Deserve”

• Prong – “Cleansing”

• Dio – “Strange Highways”

• Black Sabbath – “Cross Purposes”

• Satyricon – “Dark Medieval Times”