Metal is built on The Riff, but nowhere is it more important than in groove metal. Taking thrash’s propulsive energy as its foundation, the scene emerged in the early 1990s and, thanks to the likes of Pantera, swiftly became one of the dominant sounds of the pre-nu metal era. Its neck-snapping, vertebrae-crunching glory began to diffuse throughout the rest of the scene, bleeding into bands as diverse as Fear Factory, System Of A Down and Meshuggah. Here are the five essential albums you need to get your groove on.
