2002 in heavy metal music

Newly formed bands

DevilDriver

Eluveitie

Massacration

Probot

Sturmgeist

Symphony in Peril

Theocracy

Teräsbetoni

Iron Mask

All Shall Perish

Suicide Silence

Welicoruss

Reformed bands

Down

Prong

Trouble

Albums

3 Inches of Blood - Battlecry Under a Winter Sun

The Acacia Strain - ...And Life Is Very Long

Agalloch - The Mantle

Atreyu - Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses

Behemoth - Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)

Beseech - Souls Highway

Black Label Society - 1919 Eternal

Black Sabbath - Past Lives

Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera

Bloodbath - Resurrection Through Carnage

Bon Jovi - Bounce

Cannibal Corpse - Gore Obsessed

Cog - Just Visiting Part One

Cog - Just Visiting Part Two

Def Leppard - X

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP)

Dio - Killing the Dragon

Down - A Bustle in Your Hedgerow

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Fear Factory - Concrete (originally recorded in 1991, but not released until 2002)

Freak Kitchen - Move

HammerFall - Crimson Thunder

Hardline - II

Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness

In Flames - Reroute to Remain

Iron Savior - Condition Red

Isis - "Oceanic"

Kataklysm - Shadows & Dust

Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing

Lacuna Coil - Comalies

Lordi - Get Heavy

Korn - Untouchables

Manowar - Warriors of the World

Mastodon - Remission

Megadeth - Rude Awakening (live)

Megadeth - Still Alive... and Well?

Mercenary - Everblack

Motörhead - Hammered

Nightwish - Century Child

Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been (live)

Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child

Opeth - Deliverance

Otep - Sevas Tra

Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance

Pitchshifter - PSI

Power Quest - Wings of Forever

Protest The Hero - A Calculated Use of Sound

QueenAdreena - Drink Me

Raunchy - Velvet Noise

Rhapsody of Fire - Power of the Dragonflame

Rush - Vapor Trails

Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder

Sentenced - The Cold White Light

Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance

Slechtvalk - The War That Plagues the Lands

Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos

Sonata Arctica - Songs of Silence

Soulfly - 3

Stone Sour - Stone Sour

Symphony X - The Odyssey

System of a Down - Steal This Album!

Threshold - Critical Mass

Týr - How Far To Asgaard

Týr - Ólavur Riddararós

Vanden Plas - Beyond Daylight

Vintersorg - Visions From The Spiral Generator

Visions of Atlantis - Eternal Endless Infinity

WarCry - WarCry, El Sello De Los Tiempos

Winds - Reflections of the I

Disbandments

Alice in Chains

Fear Factory

Godflesh

Megadeth

Events

Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley is found dead from an overdose of heroin.

HIV-stricken former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby dies from a heroin overdose.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine disbands the band after severely injuring his arm leaving him unable to play.

Ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Drowning Pool singer Dave Williams dies on Wednesday August 14, 2002. He was found inside his tour bus, dead of cardiomyopathy.

Dave Lombardo rejoins Slayer.

Tarot bassist Marco Hietala leaves Sinergy and joins Nightwish as their new bassist.

Guitarist Jeff Phillips joins Kittie as a session member, replacing Fallon Bowman. Bassist Talena Atfield quits and is replaced by Jennifer Arroyo.

Mötley Crüe drummer Randy Castillo dies of cancer.