This is an article about the events of heavy metal in the year 1988.
Amon Amarth (known as Scum until 1992)
Cadaver
Cannibal Corpse
Carnage
Dismember
Eyehategod
Gamma Ray
Mr. Big
Nine Inch Nails
Paradise Lost
Pungent Stench
AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video
Acrophet - Corrupt Minds
Anthrax - State of Euphoria
Armored Saint - Saints Will Conquer
Atrophy - Socialized Hate
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Beowülf - Lost My Head... But I'm Back on the Right Track
Black 'n Blue - In Heat
Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear
Blind Illusion - The Sane Asylum
Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law
Bon Jovi - New Jersey
Britny Fox - Britny Fox
Brocas Helm - Black Death
BulletBoys - BulletBoys
Cacophony - Go Off!
Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction
Celtic Frost - Cold Lake
Cinderella - Long Cold Winter
Cloven Hoof - Dominator
Coroner (band) - Punishment for Decadence
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Cryptic Slaughter - Stream of Consciousness
D.R.I. - 4 of a Kind
Danzig - Danzig
David Lee Roth - Skyscraper
Death - Leprosy
Death Angel - Frolic through the Park
Dokken - Beast from the East
Europe - Out of This World
Fates Warning - No Exit
Lita Ford - Lita
Frehley's Comet - Live+1
Frehley's Comet - Second Sighting
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Girlschool - Take a Bite
Grinder - Dawn for the Living
Guns N' Roses - GN'R Lies
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2
Helstar - A Distant Thunder
Hobbs' Angel of Death - Hobbs' Angel of Death
Hydra Vein - Rather Death Than False Of Faith
Impellitteri - Stand in Line
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn
Judas Priest - Ram It Down
Killer Dwarfs- Big Deal
King Diamond - Them
King Kobra - King Kobra III
Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come
King's X - Out of the Silent Planet
Kiss - Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
KIX - Blow My Fuse
L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns
Lillian Axe - Lillian Axe
Living Colour - Vivid
Manilla Road - Out of the Abyss
Manowar - Kings of Metal
Marty Friedman - Dragon's Kiss
Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What!
Mekong Delta - The Music of Erich Zann
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Ministry - The Land of Rape and Honey
Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death
Motörhead - No Sleep at All (live)
MX Machine - Manic Panic
Napalm Death - From Enslavement to Obliteration
Nuclear Assault - Survive
OLD - Old Lady Drivers
Overkill - Under the Influence
Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest for the Wicked
Pantera - Power Metal
Pestilence - Malleus Maleficarum
Poison - Open Up And Say... Ahh!
Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot
Rage - Perfect Man
Ratt - Reach for the Sky
Raven - Nothing Exceeds Like Excess
Razor - Violent Restitution
Rigor Mortis - Rigor Mortis
Riot - Thundersteel
Running Wild - Port Royal
Running Wild - Ready for Boarding
Sadus - Illusions
Saint Vitus - Mournful Cries
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
Saxon - Destiny
Scanner - Hypertrace
Scorpions - Savage Amusement
Sieges Even - Life Cycle
Slayer - South of Heaven
Sodom - Mortal Way Of Live
Soundgarden - Fopp, Ultramega OK
Stone - Stone
Stryper - In God We Trust
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
Sword - Sweet dreams
Tankard - The Morning After
Testament - The New Order
Tormentor - Anno Domini
Toxik - World Circus
Uncle Slam - Say Uncle
Van Halen - OU812
Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice
Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator
Vinnie Vincent Invasion - All Systems Go
Vio-lence - Eternal Nightmare
Virgin Steele - Age of Consent
Vixen - Vixen
Voivod - Dimension Hatröss
Warrant - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Winger - Winger
Wrathchild - The Biz Suxx
X Japan - Vanishing Vision
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Odyssey
Znöwhite - Act Of God
Disbandments
Warlock
Living Colour's debut album Vivid peaks at #6 on the Billboard 200, due to the success of the Top 20 single "Cult of Personality". The album is certified platinum twice.
The Monsters of Rock tour plays across the U.S. featuring Metallica, Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come.
Kai Hansen leaves Helloween due to conflicts with the bands and troubles with the record company and later forms the band Gamma Ray.
The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years is released.
Mötley Crüe enter rehab.
Billy Sheehan leaves David Lee Roth's solo band and forms Mr. Big, along with Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert, vocalist Eric Martin and drummer Pat Torpey.
Suicidal Tendencies sign to Epic Records and release their highly successful third album How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today, featuring one of their famous songs "Trip at the Brain", which earned airplay on radio stations and MTV.
Glacier release their four-song EP on cassette, featuring guest vocalist, Tim Lachman of fellow Portland band, Gargoyle. His younger brother, Pat Lachman, later played guitar in Halford and was lead vocalist for Damage Plan with Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, both formerly of Pantera.
Chuck Mosley is fired from Faith No More. He is replaced by Mr. Bungle vocalist Mike Patton.
1988 in heavy metal music Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA