The 30 Greatest Metal Debut Albums Of The Last 30 Years

The cover of Slipknot’s self-titled debut album
Slipknot: one of the 30 greatest debut albums of the last 30 years

Metal Hammer magazine is 30 this year. To mark this momentous occasion, we’ll be looking back over the last 30 years in metal – the legendary icons, the classic albums, the epic gigs, the most memorable milestones. Let’s face it, the last 30 years have been nothing if not eventful.

We’re kicking off by looking at the 30 greatest debut albums released during Metal Hammer’s lifetime. Since 1986, literally thousands of bands have taken a metaphorical bow on metal’s stage. Some of them promptly turned around and walked straight off, never to be heard of again. But many more stuck around for the long haul, building hugely successful careers on the back of their opening salvo.

These are the very best debut albums released over the last 30 years. From the feral hard rock of Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction, death metal’s groundbreaking brutality or the industrial revolution of Nine Inch Nails in the late 80s, through the era-defining 90s nu-metal of Korn and Slipknot, right up to current standard-bearers such as Mastodon, Baroness and Babymetal, these are 30 reasons metal – and Metal Hammer – has survived so long.

You may like

30 Legendary Rock Stars Who Have Died In Metal Hammer’s Lifetime

Metal Hammer

Founded in 1983, Metal Hammer is the global home of all things heavy. We have breaking news, exclusive interviews with the biggest bands and names in metal, rock, hardcore, grunge and beyond, expert reviews of the lastest releases and unrivalled insider access to metal's most exciting new scenes and movements. No matter what you're into – be it heavy metal, punk, hardcore, grunge, alternative, goth, industrial, djent or the stuff so bizarre it defies classification – you'll find it all here, backed by the best writers in our game.

Read more
Albums by Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, Gojira and Opeth
Feel old yet? These classic metal albums turn 20 in 2025
Matt Heafy and Matt Tuck pulling scary faces
"We got **** in the press, we got bullied...but we’ve had the same trajectory." Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium are together on the cover of Metal Hammer for the first time ever
Linkin Park/Bruce Dickinson/Bring Me The Horizon/Poppy/Zeal & Ardor
The 20 best metal albums of 2024 - as voted by the readers of Metal Hammer
Korn guitarist Head photographed against a black background
"It was darker than other bands but it really got me to let go of the old and embrace the new." The late 80s alt-metal album that Korn guitarist Head says accidentally invented nu metal
Electric Callboy, Jinjer, Slaughter To Prevail, Bambie Thug and Bloodywood in 2025
The new issue of Metal Hammer features FIVE cover to choose from: Electric Callboy, Jinjer, Slaughter To Prevail, Bambie Thug and Bloodywood!
Ghost Tobias Forge
“It’s the perfect encapsulation of youthful anger… It still sounds feral and savage to this very day”: The cult 1980s classic Ghost frontman Tobias Forge calls the perfect extreme metal album
Latest in
Linkin Park 2024
Linkin Park launch "the best song we've ever made" Up From The Bottom
Vera Farmiga in 2021
The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga announces debut album with her heavy metal band The Yagas
'Emo' Ed Sheeran busking
Watch Ed Sheeran cover Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club on the New York subway while disguised as an emo busker
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
Latest in Features
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
Rick Astley and Rick Wakeman
“Rick Wakeman’s solo albums were just brilliant… when I heard he was doing Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace, I bought 12 tickets”: Prog is the reason Rick Astley became a singer
Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Jim Morrison and Joe Strummer onstage
The greatest gig I've ever seen: 24 writers pick the most memorable live show of their lives
Marillion in 1984
From debauched prog revivalists to pioneers of the internet age: The Marillion albums you should definitely listen to
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
The Mars Volta
“My totalitarian rule might not be cool, but at least we’ve made interesting records. At least we polarise people”: It took The Mars Volta three years and several arguments to make Noctourniquet