IoMP 99: Best Metal Albums from the Year 1997
In this laugh-heavy, nostalgia-soaked episode of Influencers of Metal, Collin and Tom fire up their imaginary time machines and rocket straight back to 1997 — the year Tom entered the world and one of the most quietly stacked years in metal history. Despite pretending not to own a TARDIS or DeLorean, the guys manage to revisit an era where metal was morphing, mutating, and experimenting in every direction imaginable.
From the gothic theatrics of Therion, to Devin Townsend’s genre-bending Ocean Machine, to black metal classics from Gorgoroth and Dimmu Borgir, to Strapping Young Lad’s wildly influential City — the year reads like a buffet of extremes. Meanwhile nu-metal was beginning to ramp up, Rammstein dropped Du Hast, HammerFall resurrected power metal, and Papa Roach was somehow allowed into the same room as all of this.
Collin and Tom break down the biggest surprises, the forgotten gems, and the “wait… THAT came out in ’97?!” moments while also spiraling into debates about battle jacket disasters, 90s weirdness, and what it’s like having your birth year start with a 19.
If you want to revisit metal’s most transitional, unpredictable era with two dudes who absolutely should not be trusted with a time machine, this episode is a must-listen.
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