This is a timeline of heavy metal or hard rock, from its beginning in the late 1960s to the present time.
Newly formed bands
MC5
The Amboy Dukes
The Who
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Velvet Underground
Popular songs
The Kinks – "You Really Got Me" & "All Day and All of the Night"
Them – "Gloria"
Newly formed bands
The Doors
Jefferson Airplane
Pink Floyd
Scorpions
Newly formed bands
Cream
Blue Cheer
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Iron Butterfly
The Mothers of Invention
Nazareth
Vanilla Fudge
Albums
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers – Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton UK #6
The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out!
Cream – Fresh Cream UK #6
Popular songs
The Beatles – "Taxman"
The Beatles – "Tomorrow Never Knows"
The 13th Floor Elevators – "You're Gonna Miss Me"
Note: The 13th Floor Elevators coined the term "psychedelic rock" in 1966, the first band ever referred to as psychedelic rock.
Newly formed bands
Budgie
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Genesis
Soft White Underbelly
Steppenwolf
Albums
Cream – Disraeli Gears US #4 UK #5
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow US #3
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced US #5 UK #2
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis Bold As Love US #3 UK #5
The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request US #2 UK #3
Vanilla Fudge – Vanilla Fudge US #6
Popular songs
The Doors – "The End"
The Doors – "Light My Fire"
The Doors – "Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
Jefferson Airplane - "Somebody to Love"
Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit"
Jimi Hendrix – "Hey Joe" UK #6
Jimi Hendrix – "Purple Haze" UK #3
Jimi Hendrix – "The Wind Cries Mary" UK #6
Iron Butterfly – "Possession"
Pink Floyd – "Interstellar Overdrive"
Cream – "Sunshine Of Your Love"
13th Floor Elevators – "Levitation"
Status Quo – "Pictures of Matchstick Men" UK #7
Vanilla Fudge – "You Keep Me Hanging On" US #6
The Who – "I Can See For Miles" US #9 UK #10
Note: Soft White Underbelly is the original name of Blue Öyster Cult, who changed their name in 1971.
Newly formed bands
Accept
Alice Cooper
Argent
Black Sabbath
Deep Purple
King Crimson
Led Zeppelin
Rush
Warpig
Breakout
Yes
Disbandments
Cream
Albums
Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer – Outsideinside
Cream – Wheels of Fire US #1 UK #3
Deep Purple – Shades of Deep Purple
Deep Purple – The Book of Taliesyn
Iron Butterfly – Heavy
Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida US #4
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland US #1 UK #6
MC5 – Kick Out the Jams
The Mothers of Invention - We're Only in It for the Money
Steppenwolf – Steppenwolf US #6 CAN #1
Steppenwolf – Steppenwolf the Second US #3 CAN #2
The Amboy Dukes – Journey to the Center of the Mind
The Jeff Beck Group – Truth
Vanilla Fudge – The Beat Goes On
Vanilla Fudge – Renaissance
Popular songs
The Beatles – "Helter Skelter
The Beatles – "Birthday"
The Beatles – "Yer Blues"
The Beatles – Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Deep Purple – "Hush" US #4
Iron Butterfly – "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – "All Along the Watchtower" UK #5
Events
Blue Cheer's guitarist Leigh Stephens leaves the band after the release of the Outsideinside album. He is replaced by Randy Holden.
Steppenwolf's bass guitarist Rushton Moreve is fired from the band. He will be eventually replaced by Nick St. Nicholas.
Newly formed bands
April Wine
Blackfoot
Gary Moore
Grand Funk Railroad
Hawkwind
Humble Pie
Judas Priest
Mountain
Slade
Steeleye Span
Thin Lizzy
UFO
Uriah Heep
Wishbone Ash
Disbandments
The Jeff Beck Group
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Albums
Alice Cooper – Pretties for You
Blue Cheer – New! Improved!
Blue Cheer – Blue Cheer
Cream – Goodbye US #2 UK #1
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy and the Poor Boys
Deep Purple – Deep Purple
Grand Funk Railroad - On Time
Grand Funk Railroad - Grand Funk
Humble Pie - As Safe as Yesterday Is
Humble Pie - Town and Country
Leslie West – Mountain
Iron Butterfly – Ball
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin US #10 UK #6
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II US #1 UK #1
Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"
Slade - Beginnings
Steppenwolf – At Your Birthday Party US #7
Steppenwolf – Monster
The Stooges – The Stooges
The Jeff Beck Group – Beck-Ola
Vanilla Fudge – Near the Beginning
Vanilla Fudge – Rock & Roll
The Who - Tommy
Yes - Yes
Popular songs
The Beatles – I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Born on the Bayou
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
Led Zeppelin – Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused
Led Zeppelin – Good Times Bad Times
Led Zeppelin – Ramble On
Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love US #4 AUS #1
Pink Floyd – The Nile Song
Events
The hard rock group The Who releases the concept album Tommy, about a deaf, dumb and blind boy who wins a mass following after becoming a pinball guru. The album's consistent themes, plot, story and interlinking songs set the template for many other hard-rock artists to attempt such concept albums.
Deep Purple's lead singer Rod Evans is fired after the recording of Deep Purple and is replaced by Ian Gillan. The band's bass guitarist Nick Simper is replaced next by Roger Glover on the demand of Ian Gillan.
Guitarist Randy Holden leaves Blue Cheer after recording 3 titles of the New! Improved! album. He is replaced by Bruce Stephens.
Due to disagreements with John Kay, lead guitarist Michael Monarch leaves Steppenwolf after the release of the At Your Birthday Party album. He will be replaced later on by Larry Byrom.
Woodstock was held in August 15–18
Pink Floyd releases "the Nile Song"
Newly formed bands
Aerosmith
Cactus
Queen
Disbandments
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Vanilla Fudge (1st Hiatus)
Reformed bands
The Jeff Beck Group
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Albums
Alice Cooper – Easy Action
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath UK #8
Black Sabbath – Paranoid UK #1
Blue Cheer – The Original Human Being
Cactus – Cactus
Deep Purple – Deep Purple in Rock UK #4
Grand Funk Railroad - Closer to Home
Humble Pie - Humble Pie
Iron Butterfly – Metamorphosis
King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson - Lizard
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III US #1 UK #1
Mountain – Climbing!
November – En ny tid är här...
Sir Lord Baltimore – Kingdom Come
Slade – Play it Loud
Status Quo -Dog Of Two Head
Steppenwolf – 7
The Stooges – Fun House
The Jeff Beck Group – Rough and Ready
UFO – UFO 1
Uriah Heep – Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble
Warpig – Warpig
Wishbone Ash – Wishbone Ash
Yes - Time and a Word
Popular songs
Black Sabbath – "Black Sabbath"
Black Sabbath – "Iron Man"
Black Sabbath – "N.I.B."
Black Sabbath – "Paranoid" UK #4
Black Sabbath – "War Pigs"
Black Sabbath – "The Wizard"
Deep Purple – "Black Night" UK #2
Deep Purple – "Child In Time"
Deep Purple – "Speed King"
Jimi Hendrix – "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" UK #1
Led Zeppelin – "Immigrant Song"
Mountain – "Mississippi Queen"
UFO – "C'mon Everybody"(Eddie Cochran cover)
Events
Jimi Hendrix dies at 27 on September 18 in London, England from alcohol and barbiturate abuse.
Newly formed bands
Blue Öyster Cult
Buffalo
Pentagram
Disbandments
Iron Butterfly
Albums
Alice Cooper – Love It to Death
Alice Cooper – Killer
April Wine - April Wine
Black Sabbath – Master of Reality US #8 UK #5
Bloodrock – Bloodrock 2
Blue Cheer – Oh! Pleasant Hope
Breakout - Blues
Budgie – Budgie
Cactus - One Way... or Another
Cactus - Restrictions
Deep Purple – Fireball UK #1
Dust – Dust
Grand Funk Railroad - Survival
Grand Funk Railroad - E Pluribus Funk
Humble Pie - Rock On
James Gang – Thirds
King Crimson - Islands
Led Zeppelin – Untitled fourth album US #2 UK #1
Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride
Mountain - Flowers of Evil
Steppenwolf – For Ladies Only
Thin Lizzy - Thin Lizzy
UFO – UFO 2: Flying
Uriah Heep – Salisbury
Uriah Heep – Look at Yourself
The Who - Who's Next
Wishbone Ash – Pilgrimage
Yes - The Yes Album
Yes - Fragile
Popular songs
Black Sabbath – "After Forever"
Black Sabbath – "Children of the Grave"
Black Sabbath – "Sweet Leaf"
Deep Purple – "Strange Kind of Woman" UK #8
Deep Purple – "Fireball"
Led Zeppelin – "Black Dog"
Led Zeppelin – "Rock and Roll"
Led Zeppelin – "Stairway to Heaven"
The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Events
Joe Walsh leaves James Gang, the band moves to a softer sound under guitarist Domenic Troiano.
Newly formed bands
Beck, Bogert, and Appice
Cirith Ungol
Magnum
Twisted Sister
Van Halen
Disbandments
Blue Cheer
Mountain
Steppenwolf
The Jeff Beck Group
Albums
Alice Cooper – School's Out US #2 UK #4
April Wine - On Record
Black Sabbath – Vol. 4 UK #8
Blue Öyster Cult – Blue Öyster Cult
Budgie – Squawk
Buffalo – Dead Forever...
Cactus - 'Ot 'N' Sweaty
Deep Purple – Machine Head US #7 UK #1
Dust – Hard Attack
Grand Funk Railroad - Phoenix
Humble Pie - Smokin'
The Jeff Beck Group – Jeff Beck Group
Scorpions – Lonesome Crow
Slade - Slayed?
Status Quo -Piledriver
Thin Lizzy - Shades of a Blue Orphanage
Uriah Heep – Demons and Wizards
Uriah Heep – The Magician's Birthday
Wishbone Ash - Argus
Yes - Close to the Edge
Live albums
UFO Live
Popular songs
Alice Cooper – School's Out US #7 UK #1
Deep Purple – Highway Star
Deep Purple – Lazy
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water US #4
Deep Purple – Space Truckin'
Black Sabbath – Snowblind
Status Quo - Paper Plane
Events
Newly formed bands
AC/DC
KISS
Montrose
Disbandments
MC5
UFO Went on hiatus to find a reliable guitarist.
Albums
Aerosmith – Aerosmith
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies US #1 UK #1
Alice Cooper – Muscle of Love US #10
April Wine - Electric Jewels
Beck, Bogert & Appice - Beck, Bogert & Appice
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath UK #4
Blue Öyster Cult – Tyranny and Mutation
Budgie – Never Turn Your Back on a Friend
Buffalo – Volcanic Rock
Deep Purple – Who Do We Think We Are UK #4
Gary Moore - Grinding Stone
Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band
Humble Pie - Eat It
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy US #1 UK #1
Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced 'Leh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
Montrose – Montrose
Nazareth – Loud 'n' Proud UK #10
Status Quo - Hello! UK #1
The Stooges- Raw Power
Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds of the Western World
Queen – Queen I
Uriah Heep – Sweet Freedom
Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
The Who - Quadrophenia
Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
Live albums
Deep Purple – Made in Japan US #6
Popular songs
Deep Purple – Woman From Tokyo
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Led Zeppelin – Over the Hills and Far Away
Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same
Aerosmith – Dream On
Montrose – "Space Station #5"
Status Quo - Caroline
Events
UFO replaces Bernie Marsden with Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker. Ulrich Roth takes Schenker's place in Scorpions.
Ian Gillan and Roger Glover leave Deep Purple, and are replaced by David Coverdale and Trapeze bassist Glenn Hughes.
Newly formed bands
Meat Loaf
Praying Mantis
Y&T
Disbandments
The Moody Blues
Reformed bands
Blue Cheer
Iron Butterfly
Scorpions
Steppenwolf
UFO
Albums
Aerosmith – Get Your Wings
Bad Company - Bad Company (album) US #1 UK #3 CAN #7
Blue Öyster Cult – Secret Treaties
Budgie – In for the Kill!
Buffalo – Only Want You For Your Body
Deep Purple – Burn US #9 UK #3 (introduced Mk. III lineup with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes)
Deep Purple – Stormbringer UK #6
Grand Funk Railroad - Shinin' On
Grand Funk Railroad - All the Girls in the World Beware!!!
Humble Pie - Thunderbox
Iron Butterfly – Scorching Beauty
Judas Priest – Rocka Rolla
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
King Crimson - Red
Kiss – Kiss
Kiss – Hotter Than Hell
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
Montrose – Paper Money
Mountain - Avalanche
Queen – Queen II UK #5 US #49
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack UK #2 US #12
Rush – Rush
Scorpions – Fly to the Rainbow, first album with guitarist Ulrich Roth
Slade - Old New Borrowed and Blue
Slade - Slade in Flame
Status Quo - Quo
Steppenwolf – Slow Flux
Thin Lizzy - Nightlife
UFO – Phenomenon, their first with ex-Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker
Uriah Heep – Wonderworld
Wishbone Ash - There's the Rub
Yes - Relayer
Popular songs
Aerosmith – Same Old Song and Dance
Deep Purple – Burn
Deep Purple – Mistreated
Deep Purple – Soldier of Fortune
Kiss – Cold Gin
Kiss – Deuce
Kiss – Goin' Blind
Kiss – Hotter Than Hell
Kiss – Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll
Kiss – Strutter
Rush – Working Man
UFO – "Doctor Doctor"
UFO – "Rock Bottom"
Events
The drummer John Rutsey of Rush quits and Neil Peart joins as a permanent member.
Sammy Hagar leaves Montrose to go solo.
Newly formed bands
Iron Maiden
Motörhead
Quiet Riot
Rainbow
The Runaways
Riot
Disbandments
Blue Cheer (Hiatus)
Albums
AC/DC – High Voltage AUS #7
AC/DC – T.N.T AUS #1
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare US #9
Angel – Angel
April Wine - Stand Back
Blackfoot - No Reservations
Black Sabbath – Sabotage UK #7
Blue Öyster Cult – On Your Feet or on Your Knees
Budgie – Bandolier
Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
Humble Pie - Street Rats
Iron Butterfly – Sun and Steel
Kiss – Dressed to Kill
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti US #1 UK #1
Montrose – Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose!
Nazareth – Hair of the Dog
Queen – A Night At The Opera UK # 1 US #4
Rainbow – Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Rush – Fly by Night CAN #9
Rush – Caress of Steel
Scorpions – In Trance
Status Quo - On The Level UK #1
Steppenwolf – Hour of the Wolf
Steppenwolf – Skullduggery
Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent
Thin Lizzy - Fighting
UFO – Force It
Uriah Heep – Return to Fantasy UK #7
The Who - The Who by Numbers UK #7
Live albums
Kiss – Alive! US #9
Popular songs
AC/DC – "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"
AC/DC – "T.N.T."
Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion
Aerosmith – Walk This Way
Alice Cooper – "The Black Widow"
Alice Cooper – "Welcome to My Nightmare"
Black Sabbath – Symptom of the Universe
Kiss – C'mon and Love Me
Kiss – Love Her All I Can
Kiss – Rock and Roll All Nite
Kiss – She
Nazareth – Hair of the Dog
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Rainbow – Man on the Silver Mountain
Rush – Fly by Night
Status Quo - Down Down UK #1
Ted Nugent – "Stranglehold"
UFO – "Let It Roll"
Events
Alice Cooper disbands, singer Vincent Furnier has name legally changed to "Alice Cooper" and launches solo career.
Hawkwind bassist Lemmy is fired when a drug arrest causes him to miss tour dates. He subsequently forms Motörhead.
Motörhead's original drummer, Lucas Fox, leaves the band. He is replaced by Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.
Ritchie Blackmore leaves Deep Purple, and is replaced by ex-James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin.
Newly formed bands
Bow Wow/Vow Wow
Diamond Head
Foreigner
Ratt
Rose Tattoo
Running Wild
Saxon
Disbandments
Argent
Deep Purple
Montrose
Steppenwolf
Albums
AC/DC – High Voltage (International)
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap AUS #4
Aerosmith – Rocks US #3
Alice Cooper – Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
April Wine - The Whole World's Goin' Crazy
Blackfoot - Flyin' High
Black Sabbath – Technical Ecstasy
Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune
Budgie – If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules
Buffalo – Mother's Choice
Grand Funk Railroad - Bborn to Die
Grand Funk Railroad - Good Singin', Good Playin'
Heart – Dreamboat Annie
Judas Priest- Sad Wings of Destiny
Kiss – Destroyer
Kiss – Rock and Roll Over
Led Zeppelin – Presence US #1 UK #1
Montrose – Jump on It
Queen – A Day At The Races The Billboard 200 #5
Rainbow – Rising
Rush – 2112 CAN #5
Scorpions – Virgin Killer
Slade - Nobody's Fools
Ted Nugent – Free-for-All
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak UK #10
Thin Lizzy – Johnny the Fox
UFO – No Heavy Petting
Uriah Heep – High and Mighty
Wishbone Ash - New England
Y&T – Yesterday & Today
Live albums
Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same US #2 UK #1
Rush – All the World's a Stage CAN #6
Popular songs
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Aerosmith – Dream On US #6 (re-issue)
Aerosmith – Back in the Saddle
Aerosmith – Last Child
Aerosmith – Rats in the Cellar
Aerosmith – Walk This Way US #10 (re-issue)
Blue Öyster Cult – (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Heart – Magic Man
Heart – Crazy on You
Heart – Dreamboat Annie
Judas Priest- The Ripper
Judas Priest- Tyrant
Judas Priest- Victim of Changes
Kiss – Beth US #7
Kiss – Calling Dr. Love
Kiss – Detroit Rock City
Kiss – Flaming Youth
Kiss – God of Thunder
Kiss – Shout It Out Loud
Rainbow – Stargazer
Rainbow – Starstruck
Ted Nugent – Free-for-All
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
Thin Lizzy – "The Boys Are Back in Town"
Events
Guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke joins Motörhead and Larry Wallis leaves after a month.
Pat Travers promotes the air guitar phenomenon by giving out cardboard guitars at his London shows. Cardboard guitars later become a staple of new wave of British heavy metal audiences.
Newly formed bands
Angel Witch
Def Leppard
Ram Jam
Samson
Trust
Reformed bands
The Moody Blues
Albums
AC/DC – Let There Be Rock
Aerosmith – Draw The Line
Alice Cooper – Lace and Whiskey
April Wine - Forever for Now
Blue Öyster Cult – Spectres
Buffalo – Average Rock 'n' Roller
Heart – Little Queen
Kiss – Love Gun US #4
Judas Priest – Sin After Sin
Motörhead – Motörhead
Queen – News of the World The Billboard 200 #3
Quiet Riot – Quiet Riot
Rush – A Farewell to Kings
Scorpions – Taken by Force
Slade - Whatever Happened to Slade
Ted Nugent – Cat Scratch Fever
Thin Lizzy – Bad Reputation UK #4
UFO – Lights Out
Uriah Heep – Firefly
Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim
Yes - Going for the One
Live albums
Kiss – Alive II US #7
Rainbow – On Stage (Rainbow album) UK #7
Popular songs
AC/DC – Let There Be Rock
Heart – Barracuda
Judas Priest – Diamonds & Rust
Kiss – Christine Sixteen
Kiss – Love Gun
Scorpions – "Sails of Charon"
Ted Nugent – "Cat Scratch Fever"
UFO – "Lights Out"
UFO – "Too Hot To Handle"
Disbandments
Buffalo
Events
Alice Cooper undergoes treatment for alcoholism and begins a period of career decline.
Newly formed bands
Anvil
Dokken
Exciter
Gillan
Girlschool
Avatar/Savatage
T.S.O.L.
Tygers of Pan Tang
Whitesnake
Reformed bands
Blue Cheer (End of the first hiatus)
Albums
AC/DC – Powerage
Alice Cooper – From the Inside
April Wine - First Glance
Black Sabbath – Never Say Die!
Budgie – Impeckable
Gary Moore - Back on the Streets
Heart – Magazine
Heart – Dog & Butterfly
Judas Priest – Stained Class
Magnum - Kingdom of Madness
Queen – Jazz The Billboard 200 #6
Quiet Riot – Quiet Riot II
Rainbow – Long Live Rock 'N' Roll UK #7
Rush – Hemispheres
Ted Nugent – Weekend Warriors
UFO – Obsession
Uriah Heep – Fallen Angel
Van Halen – Van Halen
The Who - Who Are You
Y&T – Struck Down
Yes - Tormato
Live albums
AC/DC – If You Want Blood You've Got It
Blue Öyster Cult – Some Enchanted Evening
Scorpions – Tokyo Tapes(Europe)
Ted Nugent – Double Live Gonzo
Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous UK #2
Popular songs
AC/DC – Riff Raff
AC/DC – Rock 'n' Roll Damnation
Black Sabbath – Never Say Die
Heart – Heartless
Heart – Straight On
Heart – Dog & Butterfly
Judas Priest – Better By You, Better Than Me
Judas Priest – Beyond the Realms of Death
Judas Priest – Stained Class
UFO – "Only You Can Rock Me"
Van Halen – Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
Van Halen – Eruption/You Really Got Me
Van Halen – Jamie's Cryin'
Van Halen – Runnin' with the Devil
Wishbone Ash - No Smoke Without Fire
Events
Brian Robertson exits Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore rejoins in his place.
Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen joins at 15 as a permanent member.
The Who's drummer Keith Moon dies of Clomethiazole overdose on September 6, he was 32.
Scorpions' desire to move to a more commercial type of metal sound causes Ulrich Roth to leave for a solo career. He is replaced with Matthias Jabs.
Newly formed bands
Europe
Gamma
TSA
KAT
Michael Schenker Group
Vicious Rumors
Venom
Witchfinder General
Hanoi Rocks
V8
Salem (UK)
Satan
Disbandments
Blue Cheer (Second hiatus)
Albums
AC/DC – Highway to Hell UK #8
Accept – Accept
Aerosmith – Night in the Ruts
April Wine - Harder ... Faster
Blackfoot – Strikes
Blue Öyster Cult – Mirrors
Judas Priest – Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather
Kiss – Dynasty US #9 (Disco single "I Was Made for Loving You" led to accusations of sellout, band's popularity suffered for several years)
Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door US #1 UK #1
Magnum - Magnum II
Motörhead – Overkill
Motörhead – Bomber
Motörhead – On Parole (unofficial release from sessions recorded in 1975)
Nazareth – No Mean City
The Pat Travers Band – Live! Go for What You Know
Rainbow – Down to Earth UK #6
Saxon – Saxon
Scorpions – Lovedrive
Slade - Return to Base
Ted Nugent – State of Shock
Thin Lizzy – Black Rose: A Rock Legend UK #2
Triumph – Just a Game
Van Halen – Van Halen II US #6
Live albums
Judas Priest – Unleashed in the East UK #10, first U.S. success
Scorpions – Tokyo Tapes (USA)
UFO – Strangers in the Night UK #7
Popular songs
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Judas Priest – Diamonds & Rust(Live)
Judas Priest – The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)(Fleetwood Mac cover)
Judas Priest – Hell Bent for Leather
Judas Priest – Tyrant(Live)
Judas Priest – Victim of Changes(Live)
Kiss – I Was Made for Lovin' You
Motörhead – Overkill
Scorpions – Another Piece of Meat
Scorpions – Lovedrive
Van Halen – Beautiful Girls
Van Halen – Dance the Night Away
Events
Gary Moore again leaves Thin Lizzy, is eventually replaced by sometime Pink Floyd guitarist Snowy White
Joe Perry leaves Aerosmith and forms The Joe Perry Project, is replaced in Aerosmith by Jimmy Crespo. Aerosmith goes into commercial decline.
Ozzy Osbourne is kicked out of Black Sabbath due to problems with drugs and alcohol
Ronnie James Dio becomes the new lead singer of Black Sabbath, is replaced in Rainbow by Graham Bonnet
Michael Schenker departs UFO, replaced by Paul Chapman
Sounds music paper Editor Alan Lewis coins the term "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" when looking for a headline to accompany an article Geoff Barton had written about three young Heavy Metal bands touring together, namely Iron Maiden, Samson and Angelwitch.
Newly Formed Bands
Ángeles del Infierno
Barón Rojo
Blitzkrieg
Exodus
King's X
Los Suaves
Manowar
Metal Church
Overkill
Ozzy Osbourne
Turbo
Disbandments
Led Zeppelin
Reformed bands
Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler replaced by Ronnie James Dio and Geoff Nicholls; Nicholls moved to keyboards when Butler rejoined the band)
Steppenwolf
Albums UK Chart information courtesy of the book Guinness Hits of the 80s
Accept - I'm a Rebel
AC/DC – Back in Black UK #1
Alice Cooper – Flush the Fashion UK #56
Blackfoot - Tomcattin' US #50
Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell UK #9
Blue Öyster Cult – Cultösaurus Erectus UK #12
Cirth Ungol - Frost and Fire
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables UK #36
Def Leppard – On Through the Night UK #15
Diamond Head - "Lightning to the Nations"
Gary Moore - G-Force
Gillan – Glory Road UK #3
Girl – Sheer Greed UK #33
Girlschool – Demolition UK #28
Humble Pie - On to Victory
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden UK #4
Judas Priest – British Steel UK #4
Killing Joke - Killing Joke UK #39
Kiss – Unmasked UK #48
Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group UK #8
Motörhead – Ace of Spades UK #4
Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz UK #7
Phil Lynott – Solo in Soho UK #28
Rush – Permanent Waves UK #3
Sammy Hagar – Danger Zone UK #25
Samson – Head On UK #34
Saxon – Wheels of Steel UK #5
Saxon – Strong Arm of the Law UK#11
Scorpions – Animal Magnetism UK #23
Status Quo – Just Supposin' UK #4
Styx – Paradise Theater UK #8
Ted Nugent – Scream Dream UK #37
Thin Lizzy – Chinatown UK #7
Triumph – Progressions of Power UK #63
Tygers of Pan Tang – Wild Cat UK #18
UFO – No Place to Run UK #11
Uriah Heep – Conquest UK #37
Van Halen –Women and Children First UK #15
Whitesnake – Ready an' Willing UK #6
Wild Horses – Wild Horses UK #38
Wishbone Ash - Just Testing
Yes - Drama
Most Successful Top 20
1 AC/DC - Back In Black
2 Rush - Permanent Waves
3 Gillan - Glory Road
4 Judas Priest - British Steel
5 Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
6 Status Quo - Just Supposin'
7 Motörhead - Ace of Spades
8 Saxon - Wheels of Steel
9 Whitesnake - Ready An' Willing
10 Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
11 Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
12 Styx - Paradise Theater
13 Michael Schenker Group - Michael Schenker Group
14 Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
15 UFO - No Place To Run
16 Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law
17 Blue Öyster Cult - Cultosaurus Erectus
18 Def Leppard - On Through The Night
19 Van Halen - Women and Children First
20 Tygers Of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
Compilation Albums
Killer Watts UK #27
Metal for Muthas Volume 1 UK #16
Metal for Muthas Volume 2 UK #58
Axe Attack Volume 1 UK #15
Monsters of Rock UK #16
Precious Metal UK #60
Live albums
Black Sabbath – Live at Last UK #5 (originally recorded in 1973)
Vardis - 100 mph Live UK #52
Whitesnake – Live...in the Heart of the City UK #5
Popular Songs
AC/DC – "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" UK #15
AC/DC – "You Shook Me All Night Long" UK #38
Angel Witch – "Sweet Danger" UK #75
Black Sabbath – "Neon Knights" UK #22
Black Sabbath – "Die Young" UK #41
Def Leppard – "Hello America" UK #45
Gillan – "Sleeping on the Job" UK #55
Iron Maiden – "Running Free" UK #34
Iron Maiden – "Sanctuary" UK #29
Judas Priest – "Breaking the Law" UK #12
Judas Priest – "Living After Midnight" UK #12
Judas Priest – "United" UK #26
Michael Schenker Group – "Armed and Ready" UK #53
Michael Schenker Group – "Cry for the Nations" UK #56
Motörhead – "Ace of Spades" UK #15
Ozzy Osbourne – "Crazy Train" UK #49
Ozzy Osbourne – "Mr Crowley" UK #46
Phil Lynott – "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" UK #32
Phil Lynott – "King's Call" UK #35
Rush – "The Spirit of Radio" UK #13
Saxon – "Wheels of Steel" UK #20
Saxon – "747 (Strangers in the Night)" UK #13
Saxon – "Strong Arm of the Law" UK #63
Scorpions – "Make It Real" UK #72
Scorpions – "The Zoo" UK #75
Status Quo – "What You're Proposing" UK #2
Status Quo – "Lies" UK #11
Thin Lizzy – "Killer on the Loose" UK #10
Thin Lizzy – "Chinatown" UK #21
Triumph – "I Live for the Weekend" UK #59
UFO – "Young Blood" UK #36
Vardis - "Let's Go" UK #59
Whitesnake – "Ready an' Willing" UK #43
Whitesnake – "Fool for Your Loving" UK #13
Most Successful Top 20
1 Status Quo - What You're Proposing
2 Thin Lizzy - Killer on the Loose
3 Status Quo - Lies
4 Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
5 Judas Priest - Breaking The Law
6 Rush - Spirit of Radio
7 Whitesnake - Fool for Your Loving
8 Saxon – 747 (Strangers in the Night)
9 Motörhead – Ace of Spades
10 AC/DC – Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
11 Saxon - Wheels of Steel
12 Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
13 Black Sabbath - Neon Knights
14 Judas Priest - United
15 Iron Maiden - Sanctuary
16 Philip Lynott - Dear Miss Lonely Hearts
17 Iron Maiden - Running Free
18 Philip Lynott - King's Call
19 UFO - Young Blood
20 AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Events
Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, dies at 33 on February 19 after a binge of heavy drinking.
John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, dies at 32 on September 25, after a binge of heavy drinking. His death was similar to Bon Scott's, and caused Led Zeppelin to disband.
Metal for Muthas - New wave of British heavy metal compilation albums are released. Volume One reaches UK #16 and features the likes of Iron Maiden, Sledgehammer, EF Band, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Praying Mantis, Ethel The Frog, Angel Witch, Samson and Nutz, whilst, Volume Two reaches UK #58 and features the likes of Trespass, Eazy Money, Xero, White Spirit, Dark Star, Horsepower, Red Alert, Chevy and The Raid.
Metal for Muthas Tour, featuring Iron Maiden, Samson and Angel Witch becomes a resounding success, thanks to fan support and rave reviews from music press journalists.
Rainbow headlines the initial Donington Festival 16 August 1980. Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot, and Touch also play. 35,000 fans attend the event.
April 1: Brian Johnson joins AC/DC replacing Bon Scott as lead singer.
Mike Varney founds Shrapnel Records.
Iron Maiden lead guitarist Dennis Stratton leaves and is replaced by Adrian Smith.
Former Pink Floyd guitarist Snowy White joins Thin Lizzy.
Newly formed bands
Anthrax
Dark Angel
Icon
Loudness
Mercyful Fate
Metallica
Mötley Crüe
Pantera
Show-Ya
Slayer
Sodom
Tarantula
Vandenberg
Tokyo Blade
Albums Album Chart Information courtesy of the book Guinesss Hits Of The 80s
Accept - Breaker
AC/DC – For Those About to Rock We Salute You UK #3
Alice Cooper – Special Forces UK #98
April Wine - The Nature of the Beast UK #48
Bernie Marsden - Look At Me Now UK #71
Black Sabbath – Mob Rules UK #12
Blackfoot - Marauder UK #38
Blue Öyster Cult – Fire of Unknown Origin UK #29
Budgie – Nightflight UK #68
Cozy Powell - Tilt UK #58
Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry UK #26
Foreigner - 4 UK #5
Gary Moore - Dirty Fingers
Gillan – Future Shock UK #2
Girlschool – Hit and Run UK #5
Graham Bonnet - Line Up UK #62
Grand Funk Railroad - Grand Funk Lives
Humble Pie - Go for the Throat
Iron Maiden – Killers UK #12
Jim Steinman - Bad for Good UK #7
Judas Priest – Point of Entry UK #14
King Crimson - Discipline
Kiss - The Elder UK #51
Krokus - Hardware UK #44
Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer UK #1
Michael Schenker Group - MSG UK 14
Nazareth - The Fool Circle UK #60
Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman UK #14
Pat Benatar - Precious Time UK #30
Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies UK #60
Rainbow – Difficult to Cure UK #3
Raven - Rock Until You Drop UK #63
Reo Speedwagon - Hi-Infidelity UK #6
Rose Tattoo - Assault And Battery UK #40
Rush – Moving Pictures UK #3
Saxon – Denim and Leather UK #9
Slade - We'll Bring the House Down
Slade - Till Deaf Do Us Part
Status Quo - Never Too Late UK #2
Thin Lizzy – Renegade UK #38
Triumph – Allied Forces UK #64
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound UK #33
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Crazy Nights UK #51
UFO – The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent UK #19
Van Halen – Fair Warning UK #49
Whitesnake – Come an' Get It UK #2
Wishbone Ash - Number the Brave
Most Successful Top 20
1 Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer
2 Status Quo - Never Too Late
3 Gillan - Future Shock
4 Whitesnake - Come an' Get It
5 Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
6 Rush - Moving Pictures
7 AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
8 Girlschool - Hit And Run
9 Foreigner - 4
10 Reo Speedwagon - Hi-Infidelity
11 Jim Steinman - Bad for Good
12 Saxon - Denim And Leather
13 Iron Maiden - Killers
14 Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
15 Judas Priest - Point Of Entry
16 Michael Schenker - MSG
17 Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
18 UFO - The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent
19 Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry
20 Blue Öyster Cult - Fire Of Unknown Origin
Film Soundtrack
Animated Film Heavy Metal features Sammy Hagar, Riggs, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Don Felder, Donald Fagen, Nazareth, Journey, Grand Funk Railroad, Black Sabbath, Trust, and Stevie Nicks.
Live albums
Motörhead – No Sleep 'til Hammersmith UK #1
Rush – Exit...Stage Left UK #6
Popular songs
April Wine - Just Between You And Me UK #52
Billy Squier - The Stroke UK #52
Black Sabbath – "The Mob Rules" UK #46
Foreigner - Urgent UK #54
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero UK #48
Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You UK #8
Gillan - No Laughing in Heaven UK #31
Gillan - Nightmare UK #36
Girlschool - Hit and Run UK #32
Girlschool - C'Mon Let's Go UK #42
Graham Bonnet - Night Games UK #6
Graham Bonnet - Liar UK #51
Iron Maiden – "Purgatory" UK #52
Iron Maiden – "Twilight Zone" UK #31
Jim Steinman - Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through UK #52
Judas Priest – "Don't Go" UK #51
Judas Priest – "Hot Rockin'" UK #60
Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer for Love UK #5
Praying Mantis - Cheated UK #69
Rainbow - I Surrender UK #3
Rainbow - Can't Happen Here UK #20
Reo Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You UK #7
Reo Speedwagon - Take It On The Run UK #19
Rush - Vital Signs UK #41
Rush - Tom Sawyer UK #25
Samson - Riding With The Angels UK #55
Saxon - And the Bands Played On UK #12
Saxon - Never Surrender UK #18
Saxon - Princess Of The Night UK #57
Status Quo - Something 'Bout You Baby I Like UK #9
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Hellbound UK #18
UFO - Lonely Heart UK #41
Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again UK #17
Whitesnake - Would I Lie To You UK #37
Most Successful Top 20
1 Rainbow - I Surrender
2 Meat Loaf with Cher - Dead Ringer for Love
3 Graham Bonnet - Night Games
4 Reo Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
5 Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You
6 Status Quo - Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
7 Saxon - And the Bands Played On
8 Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again
9 Tygers Of Pan Tang - Hellbound
10 Reo Speedwagon - Take It On The Run
11 Saxon - Never Surrender
12 Rainbow - Can't Happen Here
13 Rush - Tom Sawyer
14 Iron Maiden - Twilight Zone
15 Gillan - No Laughing In Heaven
16 Girlschool - Hit And Run
17 Gillan - Nightmare
18 Whitesnake - Would I Lie To You
19 UFO - Lonely Heart
20 Rush - Vital Signs
Compilation Albums
Axe Attack 2 UK #31
Live And Heavy UK #100
Events
Iron Maiden's lead singer Paul Di'Anno leaves band due to heavy drinking and drug usage, and is replaced by Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson.
Eric Carr joins Kiss on drums and makes his songwriting debut with "Under the Rose".
In response to the burgeoning international metal scene, Shrapnel Records releases the U.S. Metal: Unsung Guitar Heroes compilation. Over the course of four volumes, the series gives early exposure to many artists, including Mike Batio, Exciter, Marty Friedman (with Vixen/Hawaii), Derek Frigo, Keel, Manilla Road, Shawn Lane, The Rods, Vicious Rumors, Virgin Steele, Wild Dogs, and Lyle Workman.
Monsters of Rock Festival features AC/DC with support from Whitesnake, Blue Öyster Cult, Slade, Blackfoot and More.
Kerrang! magazine launches its first issue June 1981.
Newly formed bands
Armored Saint
Death Angel
Dio
Flotsam and Jetsam
Kreator
Possessed
Queensrÿche
Tankard (band)
Vixen/Hawaii
Warlock
W.A.S.P.
X Japan
Disbandments
Praying Mantis
Reformed bands
Vanilla Fudge
Albums UK Chart Info courtesy of the book Guinness Hits of the 80s
Aerosmith - Rock in a Hard Place
Accept - Restless and Wild
Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin
April Wine - Power Play
Bad Company - Rough Diamonds UK #15
Bernie Torme - Turn Out the Lights UK #50
Budgie – Deliver Us from Evil UK #62
Cheap Trick - One On One UK #95
Diamond Head - Living On Borrowed Time UK #24
Gary Moore - Corridors of Power UK #30
Gillan - Magic UK #17
Girl - Wasted Youth UK #92
Girlschool - Screaming Blue Murder UK #27
Heart – Private Audition UK #77
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast UK #1
Journey - Escape UK #32
Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance UK #11
King Crimson - Beat
Kiss – Creatures of the Night UK #22
Krokus - One Vice at a Time UK #28
Magnum - Chase the Dragon UK #17
Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack UK #19
Motörhead – Iron Fist UK #6
Rainbow – Straight Between the Eyes UK #5
Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven UK #2
The Rods - Wild Dogs UK #75
Rush – Signals UK #3
Sammy Hagar - Standing Hampton UK #84
Scorpions – Blackout UK #11
Spider - Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies UK #75
Status Quo - 1+9+8+2 UK #1
Survivor - Eye of the Tiger UK #1
Tank - Filth Hounds of Hades UK #33
Twisted Sister – Under the Blade UK #70
Tygers of Pan Tang - The Cage UK #13
UFO – Mechanix UK #8
Uriah Heep – Abominog UK #34
Van Halen – Diver Down UK #36
Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners UK #9
Wishbone Ash - Twin Barrels Burning
Y&T – Black Tiger UK #53
Most Successful Top 20
1 Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
2 Status Quo - 1+9+8+2
3 Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
4 Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven
5 Rush - Signals
6 Rainbow – Straight Between the Eyes
7 Motörhead - Iron Fist
8 UFO – Mechanix
9 Whitesnake - Saints And Sinners
10 Scorpions - Blackout
11 Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
12 Tygers Of Pan Tang - The Cage
13 Bad Company - Rough Diamonds
14 Magnum - Chase The Dragon
15 Gillan - Magic
16 Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack
17 Kiss - Creatures of the Night
18 Diamond Head - Living on Borrowed Time
19 Girlschool - Screaming Blue Murder
20 Krokus - One Vice at a Time
Compilation Album
Kiss - Killers UK #42
Led Zeppelin - Coda UK #4
Status Quo - From the Makers of... UK #4
Thin Lizzy - Adventures Of UK #6
Live albums
Blackfoot - Highway Song Live UK #14
Blue Öyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live UK #39
Michael Schenker Group - One Night at Budokan UK #5
Ozzy Osbourne - Talk of the Devil UK #21
Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed UK #5
Popular songs
Asia - Heat Of The Moment UK #46
Asia - Only Time Will Tell UK #54
Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love UK #57
Diamond Head - In The Heat Of The Night UK #67
Iron Maiden – "The Number of the Beast" UK #18
Iron Maiden – "Run to the Hills" UK #7
Journey - Don't Stop Believin' UK #62
Journey - Who's Crying Now UK #46
Judas Priest – "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" UK #66
Michael Schenker Group - Dancer UK #52
Motörhead - Iron Fist UK #29
Rainbow - Stone Cold UK #34
Rainbow - Street of Dreams UK #52
Robert Plant - Burning Down One Side UK #73
Robert Plant - Big Log UK #11
Rush - New World Man UK #42
Rush - Subdivisions UK #53
Rush - Countdown UK #36
Sammy Hagar - Piece Of My Heart UK #67
Scorpions – "No One Like You" UK #65
Spider - Why D'Ya Lie to Me UK #65
Status Quo - "Dear John" UK #10
Status Quo - "She Don't Fool Me" UK #36
Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger" UK #1
Tygers of Pan Tang - "Rendezvous" UK #49
Tygers of Pan Tang - "Paris by Air" UK #63
UFO - "Let It Rain" UK #62
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again UK #34
Most Popular Top 20
1 Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
2 Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills
3 Status Quo - Dear John
4 Robert Plant - Big Log
5 Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
6 Motörhead - Iron Fist
7 Rainbow - Stone Cold
8 Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
9 Rush - Countdown
10 Status Quo - She Don't Fool Me
11 Rush - New World Man
12 Asia - Heat Of The Moment
13 Journey - Who's Crying Now
14 Tygers Of Pan Tang - Rendezvous
15 Rainbow - Street of Dreams
16 Michael Schenker Group - Dancer
17 Rush - Subdivisions
18 Asia - Only Time Will Tell
19 Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love
20 UFO - Let It Rain
Events
Iron Maiden's first album with Bruce Dickinson, The Number of the Beast, becomes the first heavy metal album to reach No.1 in the U.K. music charts.
Drummer Clive Burr is fired from Iron Maiden for his unreliability and replaced by Nicko McBrain.
Motörhead's guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke leaves the band and is replaced by ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson.
Judas Priest's single "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" becomes the first heavy metal single to break into the Billboard U.S. Top 20 Singles.
Ace Frehley leaves Kiss and is replaced by Vinnie Vincent. Last tour in make-up
Megaforce Records founded.
Metal Blade Records formed by Brian Slagel and released through it first compilation album Metal Massacre. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as Metallica, Ratt, Armored Saint, and many more.
Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads dies in an aeroplane accident on March 19.
Ronnie James Dio leaves Black Sabbath, and is replaced by former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. Dio forms Dio with Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice, former Rainbow and Wild Horses bassist Jimmy Bain, and Sweet Savage guitarist Vivian Campbell.
Snowy White leaves Thin Lizzy, and is replaced by John Sykes.
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne get married and become the first Solo Heavy Metal Singer and Manager to get married.
Klaus Meine recorded Blackout album for Scorpions after recovering from a serious throat surgery.
Monsters of Rock Festival features as headliner Status Quo with support from Gillan, Saxon, Hawkwind, Uriah Heep and Anvil.
Newly formed bands
Alcatrazz
Bathory
Bon Jovi
Cinderella
The Cult
Death
D'erlanger
Fastway
Fates Warning
L.A. Guns
Lita Ford
Megadeth
Melvins
Metal Church
Poison
Testament
Waysted
White Lion
Raging Slab
Disbandments
Riot
The Who
Albums
AC/DC – Flick of the Switch UK #4 AUS #3
Accept – Balls to the Wall
Alcatrazz – No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll
Alice Cooper – DaDa
Anvil – Forged in Fire
Blackfoot - Siogo US #82
Black Sabbath – Born Again UK #4
Blue Öyster Cult – The Revolution by Night
Def Leppard – Pyromania US #2
Dio – Holy Diver
Europe – Europe
Gary Moore - Victims of the Future
Grand Funk Railroad - What's Funk?
Heart – Passionworks
Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind UK #3
Kiss – Lick It Up UK #7
Krokus – Headhunter
Loudness -- The Law of Devil's Land
Magnum - The Eleventh Hour
Manilla Road – Crystal Logic
Manowar – Into Glory Ride
Metallica – Kill 'Em All
Mercyful Fate – Melissa
Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil
Motörhead – Another Perfect Day
Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon
Pantera – Metal Magic
Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche (EP)
Quiet Riot – Metal Health US #1
Rainbow – Bent out of Shape
Ratt – Ratt (EP)
Savatage - Sirens
Saxon – Power & the Glory
Slade - The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome
Slayer – Show No Mercy
Steeler – Steeler, debuts Yngwie J. Malmsteen and Ron Keel
Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal Tendencies
Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning UK #4 (their heaviest and final album, with ex-Tygers of Pan Tang guitarist John Sykes)
Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll
UFO – Making Contact
Uriah Heep - Head First
Y&T - "Mean Streak"
Yes - 90125
Popular songs
Europe – Seven Doors Hotel
Dio – Don't Talk to Strangers
Dio – Holy Diver
Dio – Rainbow in the Dark
Dio – Shame On The Night
Dio – Stand Up And Shout
Dio – Straight Through The Heart
Iron Maiden – Flight of Icarus
Iron Maiden – Revelations
Iron Maiden – The Trooper
Judas Priest – Freewheel Burning
Kiss – Lick It Up
Metallica – The Four Horsemen
Metallica – Jump in the Fire
Metallica – Seek & Destroy
Metallica – Whiplash
Metallica – Hit The Lights
Mötley Crüe – "Looks That Kill"
Mötley Crüe – "Shout at the Devil"
Mötley Crüe – "Too Young to Fall in Love"
Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon
Quiet Riot – Cum on Feel the Noize
Quiet Riot – Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
Slayer – Black Magic
Slayer – Metal Storm/Face the Slayer
Suicidal Tendencies – I Saw Your Mommy
Suicidal Tendencies – Institutionalized
Events
At the end of the year, drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist Brian Robertson leave Motörhead. The band is reborn with a new, four-piece line-up (Kilmister/Campbell/Burston/Gill).
Dave Mustaine, lead guitar player for Metallica, is fired for drug/alcohol abuse, and is replaced by Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett
Yngwie Malmsteen debuts with Steeler, then leaves to form Alcatrazz with Graham Bonnet, and finally goes solo and is replaced in Alcatrazz by Steve Vai.
"Heavy Metal Day" at the 1983 US Festival features headliner Van Halen, with support from Scorpions, Triumph, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and Quiet Riot sets a United States single-day concert attendance record.
Kiss publicly remove their makeup on MTV and experience a slight resurgence in their career
Quiet Riot's Metal Health becomes the first heavy metal album to reach No.1 in the Billboard United States music charts and is followed by albums by Twisted Sister, and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil Becomes a huge hit marking one of the turning points into commercialisation of Heavy Metal. Often called "The Breakthrough Metal album".
Monsters Of Rock Festival features Headliner Whitesnake with support from Meat Loaf, ZZ Top, Twisted Sister, Dio and Diamond Head.
Metal Forces mag launches its first issue Autumn 1983
Newly formed bands
Annihilator
Atheist
Blind Guardian
Celtic Frost
Gwar
Helloween
King Kobra
Mayhem
Morbid Angel
Nuclear Assault
Obituary
Sadus
Sepultura
Soundgarden
Steve Vai (solo)
Stratovarius
The Quireboys
Warrant
Disbandments
Rainbow
Thin Lizzy
Vanilla Fudge(2nd Hiatus)
Albums
Anthrax – Fistful of Metal
April Wine - Animal Grace
Bathory – Bathory
Blackfoot - Vertical Smiles
Blue Cheer – The Beast Is Back
Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi
Cirth Ungol - King of the Dead
Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers UK #5
Dio – The Last in Line UK #4
Dokken – Tooth and Nail
Iron Maiden – Powerslave UK #2
Judas Priest – Defenders of the Faith
King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
Kiss – Animalize
Loudness – Disillusion
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Rising Force
Manowar – Hail to England
Manowar – Sign of the Hammer
Metallica – Ride the Lightning
Mercyful Fate – Don't Break the Oath
Motörhead – No Remorse
Pantera – Projects in the Jungle
Queensrÿche – The Warning
Quiet Riot – Condition Critical
Ratt – Out of the Cellar US #7
Rush – Grace Under Pressure US #10 UK #5 CAN #4
Saxon – Crusader
Scorpions – Love at First Sting US #6 GER #6
Spinal Tap – This Is Spinal Tap
Steve Vai – Flex-Able
Ted Nugent – Penetrator
Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry
Van Halen – 1984 US #2
Voivod – War and Pain
W.A.S.P. – W.A.S.P.
Whitesnake – Slide It In UK #9
Y&T - "In Rock We Trust"
Live albums
Slayer – Live Undead
Popular songs
Anthrax – Deathrider
Anthrax – Metal Thrashing Mad
Dio – Egypt (The Chains Are On)
Dio – The Last in Line
Dio – We Rock (Dio song)|We Rock
Iron Maiden – 2 Minutes to Midnight
Iron Maiden – Aces High
Iron Maiden – Powerslave
Iron Maiden – Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Judas Priest – Love Bites
Judas Priest – The Sentinel
Judas Priest – Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Metallica – Creeping Death
Metallica – Fade to Black
Metallica – For Whom the Bell Tolls
Metallica – Fight Fire With Fire
Ratt – Round and Round
Scorpions – Big City Nights
Scorpions – Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorpions – Still Loving You
Van Halen – Hot for Teacher
Van Halen – Jump
Van Halen – Panama
Events
Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car accident on December 31.
Iron Maiden Embarks on the World Slavery Tour which begun in Warsaw Poland. They were the first ever band to bring a full production show into Eastern Bloc Europe. It was also their first visit to South America because of their performance at the first Rock in Rio Supporting Queen
This is Spinal Tap film released.
Monsters Of Rock Festival features Headliner Ac/dc with support from Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Y&T, Accept and Mötley Crüe.
Newly formed bands
Acid Reign
Aria
Atrocity
Carcass
Majesty/Dream Theater
Gogmagog
Guns N' Roses
Iced Earth
King Diamond
Macabre
Slave Raider
Stone Temple Pilots
Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.)
White Zombie
Disbandments
Mercyful Fate
Albums
AC/DC – Fly on the Wall UK #7 AUS #4
Accept – Metal Heart
Aerosmith – Done With Mirrors, original lineup reunites
Alcatrazz – Disturbing the Peace, with Steve Vai
Anthrax – Spreading the Disease
Black Flag – Loose Nut, In My Head
Blue Öyster Cult – Club Ninja
Bon Jovi – 7800° Fahrenheit
The Cult – Love UK #4
Dio – Sacred Heart UK #4
Dokken – Under Lock and Key
Exodus – Bonded by Blood
Gary Moore - Run for Cover
Heart – Heart
Helloween – Walls of Jericho
Kreator – Endless Pain"
Loudness – Thunder in the East
Loudness -- Odin EP
Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night
Manilla Road – Open the Gates
Megadeth – Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Metal Church – Metal Church
Mötley Crüe – Theatre of Pain US #6
Mountain - Go for Your Life
Overkill – Feel The Fire
Pantera – I Am the Night
Pentagram - Pentagram
Possessed – Seven Churches
Ratt – Invasion of Your Privacy US #7
Rush – Power Windows US #10 CAN #5
Savatage - Power of the Night
Saxon – Innocence Is No Excuse
Slade - Rogues Gallery
Slade - Crackers - The Christmas Party Album
Slayer – Hell Awaits
Twisted Sister - Come Out and Play
UFO – Misdemeanor
Uriah Heep - Equator
Voivod – Rrröööaaarrr
W.A.S.P. -- "The Last Command"
Watchtower – Energetic Disassembly
Wishbone Ash - Raw to the Bone
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Marching Out
Y&T – Down for the Count
Live albums
Iron Maiden – Live After Death UK #2
Scorpions – World Wide Live GER #4
Popular songs
Anthrax – Armed and Dangerous
Anthrax – Madhouse
Heart – What About Love?
Heart – Never
Heart – These Dreams
Heart – Nothin' At All
Heart – If Looks Could Kill
Dio – Hungry For Heaven
Dio – King Of Rock and Roll
Dio – Rock 'n' Roll Children
Dio – Sacred Heart
Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills (live)
Megadeth – Mechanix
Metal Church – Gods of Wrath
Mötley Crüe – Home Sweet Home
Mötley Crüe – Smokin' in the Boys Room
Savatage – In the Dream
Slayer – Hell Awaits
Events
Van Halen's former singer David Lee Roth left the band for solo career and Sammy Hagar replaced him.
Ex-Mercyful Fate members form King Diamond.
Monsters Of Rock Festival features Headliner ZZ Top, with support from Marillion, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Ratt and Magnum.
Newly formed bands
Bolt Thrower
Bonfire
Cacophony
Darkthrone
Faster Pussycat
Grave
Immolation
Joe Satriani
Manic Street Preachers
M.O.D. (Method Of Destruction)
Pestilence
Primus
Prong
Rata Blanca
Skid Row
Terrorizer
Albums
AC/DC – Who Made Who
Accept – Russian Roulette
Alice Cooper – Constrictor
April Wine - Walking Through Fire
Black Sabbath – Seventh Star
Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet US #1 UK #6
Candlemass – Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Cinderella – Night Songs US #3
Cirth Ungol - One Foot in Hell
David Lee Roth – Eat 'Em and Smile US #4
Europe – The Final Countdown US #8 UK #9
Fates Warning – Awaken the Guardian
Iron Maiden – Somewhere in Time UK #3
Judas Priest – Turbo
King Diamond – Fatal Portrait
Kreator – Pleasure to Kill
Loudness -- Lightning Strikes
Magnum - Vigilante
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Trilogy
Megadeth – Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
Metallica – Master of Puppets
Motörhead – Orgasmatron
Ozzy Osbourne – The Ultimate Sin US #6 UK #8
Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged In US #3
Queen - A Kind of Magic
Queensrÿche – Rage for Order
Ratt – Dancing Undercover
Savatage - Fight for the Rock
Saxon – Rock the Nations
Slayer – Reign in Blood
Ted Nugent – Little Miss Dangerous
Tesla – Mechanical Resonance
Van Halen – 5150 US #1
W.A.S.P. -- Inside the Electric Circus
Live albums
Dio – Intermission
Rainbow – Finyl Vinyl
UFO – Misdemeanor Tour Live
Popular songs
Anthrax – The Enemy
Iron Maiden – Stranger in a Strange Land
Iron Maiden – Wasted Years
Judas Priest – Locked In
Judas Priest – Turbo Lover
Megadeth – Peace Sells
Megadeth – Wake Up Dead
Megadeth – Good Mourning/Black Friday
Metal Church – Start the Fire
Metal Church – Watch the Children Pray
Metallica – Master of Puppets
Metallica – Battery
Metallica – Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Metallica – Disposable Heroes
Slayer – Angel of Death
Slayer – Raining Blood
Events
KNAC airs on radio airplay in Los Angeles, California for the first time.
Metallica's bassist Cliff Burton dies at the age of 24 on September 27 in a bus accident in Sweden. Jason Newsted from Phoenix band Flotsam and Jetsam is hired after auditions are held.
The success of Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet ushers in the era of glam metal. The album went on to sell 28 million copies worldwide, and is currently the 21st best-selling studio album of all time.
Monsters Of Rock Festival features Headliner Ozzy Osbourne with support from Scorpions, Def Leppard, Motörhead, Bad News and Warlock.
Metal Hammer mag launches its first issue for the UK market, October 1986
Newly formed bands
Alchemist
Alice in Chains
Apocrypha
Asphyx
Assück
Autopsy
Cynic
Danzig
Deicide
Entombed
Extremoduro
Meshuggah
Nirvana
Nocturnus
Porcupine Tree
Primordial
Reincidentes
Rotting Christ
Samael
Therion
Disbandments
Twisted Sister
Reformed bands
Vanilla Fudge
Albums
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation
Alice Cooper – Raise Your Fist and Yell
Anthrax – Among the Living
Anthrax – I'm the Man (EP)
Anvil – Strength of Steel
Black Sabbath – The Eternal Idol
The Cult – Electric UK #4
Death – Scream Bloody Gore
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence
Deep Purple – The House of Blue Light UK #10
Def Leppard – Hysteria US #1 UK #1
Dio – Dream Evil UK #8
Dokken – Back for the Attack
Exodus – Pleasures of the Flesh
Gary Moore - Wild Frontier
Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction US #1 UK #5
Heart – Bad Animals
Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1
King Diamond – Abigail
Kiss – Crazy Nights UK #4
Kreator – Terrible Certainty
Loudness -- Hurricane Eyes
Manowar – Fighting the World
Mayhem – Deathcrush
Melvins – Gluey Porch Treatments
Metal Church – The Dark
Mötley Crüe – Girls, Girls, Girls US #2
Motörhead – Rock 'n' Roll
Napalm Death – Scum
Overkill – Taking Over
Pentagram - Day of Reckoning
Rush – Hold Your Fire UK #10
Joe Satriani – Surfing with the Alien
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
Slade - You Boyz Make Big Noize
Soundgarden – Screaming Life (EP)
Steppenwolf – Rock & Roll Rebels
Suicidal Tendencies – Join the Army
Testament – The Legacy
Twisted Sister - Love is for Suckers
White Lion – Pride
Y&T – Contagious
Warlock – Triumph and Agony
Whitesnake – Whitesnake US #2 UK #8
White Zombie – Soul-Crusher
Yes - Big Generator
Live albums
Judas Priest – Priest...Live!
Ozzy Osbourne – Tribute US #6
Popular songs
Anthrax – Caught in a Mosh
Anthrax – I Am the Law
Anthrax – Indians
Anthrax – I'm the Man
Dio – All The Fools Sailed Away
Dio – Dream Evil
Guns N' Roses – Paradise City
Guns N' Roses – Sweet Child o' Mine
Guns N' Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
Heart – Alone
Heart – Who Will You Run To
Heart – There's the Girl
Heart – I Want You So Bad
Helloween – A Tale That Wasn't Right
Helloween – Future World
Helloween – Halloween
Judas Priest – Parental Guidance
Kreator – Behind the Mirror
Mötley Crüe – Girls, Girls, Girls
Mötley Crüe – Wild Side
Mötley Crüe – You're All I Need
Savatage – Hall of the Mountain King
Savatage – 24 Hours Ago
Suicidal Tendencies – Possessed to Skate
Suicidal Tendencies – War Inside My Head
Testament – Over the Wall
Warlock – All We Are
Events
Bon Jovi headlines the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, England on a bill which includes Dio, Metallica, Anthrax, W.A.S.P. and Cinderella.
Motörhead's drummer Pete Gill leaves the band and Phil Taylor returns.
Mötley Crüe – Girls, Girls, Girls Debuts at #5 in the Billboard charts.'
Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction goes on to become the best selling debut album of all time with over 28 million copies sold to date.
Newly formed bands
Acheron
Badlands
The Big F
Biohazard
Buckethead
B'z
Cadaver
Cannibal Corpse
Carnage
Cryptopsy
Deftones
Dismember
Electric Boys
Gorefest
Hermética
Mr. Big
Nine Inch Nails
Paradise Lost
Saigon Kick
Soziedad Alkoholika
The Almighty
Tiamat
Disbandments
Warlock
V8
Vanilla Fudge(3rd Hiatus)
Reformed bands
Riot
Albums
AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video UK #2 AUS #2
Anthrax – State of Euphoria
Anvil – Pound for Pound
Jason Becker – Perpetual Burn
Blind Guardian – Battalions of Fear
Blue Öyster Cult – Imaginos
Bolt Thrower – In Battle There Is No Law
Bon Jovi – New Jersey US #1 UK #1
Cinderella – Long Cold Winter US #10
David Lee Roth – Skyscraper US #6
Danzig – Danzig
Death – Leprosy
Death Angel – Frolic through the Park
Dokken – Beast from the East
Guns N' Roses – G N' R Lies US #2
Gwar – Hell-O
Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2 GER #5
Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son UK #1
Judas Priest – Ram It Down
King Diamond – "Them"
Kingdom Come – Kingdom Come
Living Colour – Vivid US #6
Loudness -- Jealously EP
Magnum - Wings of Heaven
Yngwie Malmsteen – Odyssey
Manowar – Kings of Metal
Megadeth – So Far, So Good... So What!
Metallica – ...And Justice for All US #6 UK #4
Overkill – Under the Influence
Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest for the Wicked
Pantera – Power Metal
Poison – Open Up and Say... Ahh! US #2
Prong – Force Fed
Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime
Ratt – Reach for the Sky'
Riot – Thundersteel
Saxon – Destiny
Scorpions – Savage Amusement US #5 GER #4
Slayer – South of Heaven
Soundgarden – Ultramega OK
Suicidal Tendencies – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
Ted Nugent – If You Can't Lick 'Em...Lick 'Em
Testament – The New Order
UFO – Ain't Misbehavin'
Van Halen – OU812 US #1
Winger – Winger
Live albums
Motörhead – Nö Sleep at All
Popular songs
Anthrax – Antisocial
Anthrax – Be All, End All
Anthrax – Make Me Laugh
Def Leppard - Love Bites
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me
Helloween – Eagle Fly Free
Helloween – I Want Out
Helloween – Dr. Stein
Helloween – Keeper Of The Seven Keys
Iron Maiden – Can I Play with Madness UK #3
Iron Maiden – The Clairvoyant UK #6
Iron Maiden – The Evil That Men Do UK #5
Judas Priest – Blood Red Skies
Judas Priest – Johnny B. Goode
Judas Priest – Ram It Down
Living Colour - Cult of Personality
Megadeth – In My Darkest Hour
Megadeth – Liar
Megadeth – Mary Jane
Metallica – One
Metallica – Harvester of Sorrow
Metallica – The Shortest Straw
Metallica – Dyers Eve
Metallica – Blackened
Slayer – Dissident Aggressor
Slayer – Mandatory Suicide
Slayer – South of Heaven
Suicidal Tendencies – Pledge Your Allegiance
Suicidal Tendencies – Surf and Slam
Suicidal Tendencies – Trip at the Brain
Testament – Trial by Fire
Events
Iron Maiden headlines the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, England to the largest crowd in the venue's history (107,000), on a bill which includes Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns n' Roses and Helloween. Two fans were accidentally crushed to death during Guns N' Roses performance of "It's So Easy".
Bon Jovi's album New Jersey sets the record for the hard rock album to spawn the most Top 10 singles, with five singles charting on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in United States
Metallica's ...And Justice for All receives a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance, but lose to the non-metal act Jethro Tull.
Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar On Me....is the number one rock song for the year
Newly formed bands
Axel Rudi Pell
Bruce Dickinson
The Black Crowes
Comecon
Dark Tranquillity
Doro (former Warlock singer)
Dungeon
Edge of Sanity
Gamma Ray
Living Sacrifice
Luna Sea
Marilyn Manson
Platero y Tú
Ramp
Sentenced
Slaughter
The Gathering
Therapy?
The Wildhearts
Type O Negative
Ugly Kid Joe
Unanimated
Disbandments
Cacophony
Dokken
Albums
Accept – Eat the Heat
Aerosmith - Pump
Alice Cooper – Trash UK #2
Autopsy – Severed Survival
Axel Rudi Pell - Wild Obsession
The Big F – The Big F
Black Sabbath – Headless Cross
Blind Guardian – Follow the Blind
Blue Murder – Blue Murder
Bolt Thrower – Realm Of Chaos
The Cult – Sonic Temple US #10 UK #3
Dream Theater – When Dream and Day Unite
Exodus – Fabulous Disaster
Extreme – Extreme
Faith No More – The Real Thing
Gary Moore - After the War
Great White – ...Twice Shy US #9
King Diamond – Conspiracy
Kiss – Hot in the Shade
Kreator – Extreme Aggression
Loudness -- Soldier of Fortune
Melvins – Ozma
Macabre – Gloom
Metal Church – Blessing in Disguise
Mr. Big – Mr. Big
Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood US #1 UK #4
Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine
Nirvana - Bleach
Overkill – The Years of Decay
Richie Kotzen – Richie Kotzen
Rush – Presto CAN #7
Joe Satriani – Flying in a Blue Dream
Savatage - Gutter Ballet
Sepultura – Beneath the Remains
Skid Row – Skid Row US #6
Soundgarden – Louder Than Love
Stratovarius – Fright Night
Suicidal Tendencies – Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu
Testament – Practice What You Preach
Uriah Heep - Raging Silence
W.A.S.P. – The Headless Children
White Lion – Big Game
Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue US #10 UK #10
White Zombie – Make Them Die Slowly
X Japan – Blue Blood
Live albums
Anvil – Past and Present – Live in Concert
Iron Maiden – Maiden England
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Trial By Fire: Live in Leningrad
Primus – Suck on This
Rush – A Show of Hands
Saxon – Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies
Popular songs
The Big F – Doctor Vine
The Big F – Kill the Cowboy
Blind Guardian – Valhalla
Dream Theater – Afterlife
Dream Theater – Status Seeker
Exodus – Low Rider
Exodus – The Toxic Waltz
Iron Maiden – Infinite Dreams UK #6
Kreator – Betrayer
Metal Church – Badlands
Metal Church – Fake Healer
Megadeth – Hook in Mouth
Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood
Mötley Crüe – Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Mötley Crüe – Kickstart My Heart
Mötley Crüe – Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
Mötley Crüe – Without You
Savatage – Gutter Ballet
Savatage – When the Crowds Are Gone
Skid Row – 18 and Life
Skid Row – I Remember You
Skid Row – Piece of Me
Skid Row – Youth Gone Wild
Sodom – Agent Orange
Sodom – Ausgebombt
Suicidal Tendencies – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
Suicidal Tendencies – Waking the Dead
Testament – The Ballad
Testament – Practice What You Preach
Events
Primus records their live album Suck on This at Berkeley Square in Berkeley, California on February 25 and March 5.
Marty Friedman joins Megadeth.
Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, The Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Skid Row take part in the Moscow Music Peace Festival on August 12 & August 13, 1989.
Guitarist Kai Hansen left Helloween due to excessive touring and musical differences and replaced by Roland Grapow. A short while after, Kai announced that he was starting his own group, called Gamma Ray.
Bon Jovi headlined a outdoor concert at Milton Keynes Bowl which saw support from Europe, Skid Row and Vixen.
Newly formed bands
Allegiance
Amorphis
Anathema
At the Gates
Body Count
Clutch
Converge
Fear Factory
Hypocrisy
In Flames
Infectious Grooves
Krisiun
Kyuss
Monstrosity
Opeth
Pearl Jam
SepticFlesh
Tool
Disbandments
Icon
Quiet Riot
Reformed bands
Praying Mantis
Albums
AC/DC – The Razors Edge US #2 UK #4 AUS #3
Alice in Chains – Facelift
Annihilator – Never, Neverland
Anthrax – Persistence of Time
Black Sabbath – Tyr
Blind Guardian – Tales from the Twilight World
Blue Cheer – Highlights and Lowlives
Bruce Dickinson – Tattooed Millionaire
Cannibal Corpse – Eaten Back to Life
Death – Spiritual Healing
Death Angel – Act III
Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
Dio – Lock Up the Wolves
Entombed – Left Hand Path
Exodus – Impact Is Imminent
Extreme – Pornograffiti US #10
Gamma Ray – Heading for Tomorrow
Gary Moore - Still got the Blues
Gwar – Scumdogs of the Universe
Heart – Brigade
Iron Maiden – No Prayer for the Dying UK #2
Judas Priest – Painkiller
King Diamond – The Eye
Richie Kotzen – Fever Dream
Kreator – Coma of Souls
Living Colour – Time's Up
Magnum - Goodnight L.A.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Eclipse
Megadeth – Rust in Peace UK #8
Monster Magnet – Monster Magnet
Pantera – Cowboys from Hell
Paradise Lost – Lost Paradise
Primus – Frizzle Fry
Prong – Beg to Differ
Queensrÿche – Empire US #7
Ratt – Detonator
Sadus – Swallowed in Black
Scorpions – Crazy World GER #1
Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss
Slaughter – Stick It to Ya
Steppenwolf – Rise & Shine
Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare
Suicidal Tendencies – Lights...Camera...Revolution!
Testament – Souls of Black
Y&T - "Ten"
Live albums
Death Angel – Fall from Grace
King Diamond – In Concert 1987: Abigail
Rainbow – Live in Germany 1976
Saxon – Greatest Hits Live
Popular songs
Anthrax – Got the Time
Anthrax – In My World
Anthrax – Keep It in the Family
Exodus – The Lunatic Parade
Exodus – Objection Overruled
Heart – All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You
Heart – I Didn't Want to Need You
Heart – Stranded
Heart – Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger
Iron Maiden – Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter UK #1
Iron Maiden – Holy Smoke UK #3
Iron Maiden – Tailgunner
Judas Priest – Metal Meltdown
Judas Priest – Painkiller
Megadeth – Hangar 18
Megadeth – Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
Megadeth – Tornado of Souls
Scorpions – Wind of Change
Scorpions – Hit Between The Eyes
Scorpions – Send me an Angel
Slayer – Dead Skin Mask
Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss
Slayer – War Ensemble
Suicidal Tendencies – Alone
Suicidal Tendencies – Lovely
Suicidal Tendencies – Send Me Your Money
Suicidal Tendencies – You Can't Bring Me Down
Testament – Greenhouse Effect
Testament – Souls of Black
Testament – The Legacy
Events
A lawsuit alleges that the Judas Priest song "Better By You, Better Than Me" was the cause of two Nevada teenagers' suicides. Judas Priest win the trial and were acquitted.
Faith No More's The Real Thing, carried by the single Epic, cracks the Billboard Top 10.
Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in a helicopter crash on August 27 in Wisconsin.
Guitarist Adrian Smith agrees to leave Iron Maiden and is replaced by former Gillan and White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers.
The Heavy metal music festival Wacken Open Air is first performed with bands of German origin like Motoslug and Wizzard.
Monsters Of Rock Festival returns after taking a break in 1989, due to the 2 deaths, that occurred during Guns n' Roses set in 1988. Features Headliner Whitesnake, plus support from Aerosmith, Poison, Quireboys and Thunder.
Newly formed bands
Behemoth
Belphegor
Burzum
Cradle of Filth
Crematory
Crowbar
Down
Emperor
Enslaved
Hank Williams III
Illdisposed
Kamelot
Machine Head
Nevermore
Rage Against the Machine
Disbandments
Death Angel
Vanilla Fudge(4th Hiatus)
Reformed bands
Vanilla Fudge
Albums
Alice Cooper – Hey Stoopid UK #4
Anthrax – Attack of the Killer B's
At the Gates – Gardens of Grief
Axel Rudi Pell - Nasty Reputation
Blue Cheer – Dining With the Sharks
Bolt Thrower – War Master
Cannibal Corpse – Butchered at Birth
Cirth Ungol - Paradise Lost
Darkthrone – Soulside Journey
Death – Human
Entombed – Clandestine
The Cult – Ceremony UK #9
Gamma Ray – Sigh No More
Guns N' Roses – Use Your Illusion I US #2 UK #2
Guns N' Roses – Use Your Illusion II US #1 UK #1
Great White – Hooked
Helloween – Pink Bubbles Go Ape
Iced Earth – Iced Earth
Infectious Grooves – The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves
Richie Kotzen – Electric Joy
Kyuss – Wretch
Loudness -- Slap in the Face EP
Loudness -- On the Prowl
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection
Melvins – Bullhead
Meshuggah – Contradictions Collapse
Metal Church – The Human Factor
Metallica – Metallica US #1 UK #1
Monster Magnet – Spine of God
Mötley Crüe – Decade of Decadence US #2
Motörhead – 1916
Mr. Big – Lean into It
Nirvana - Nevermind
Overkill – Horrorscope
Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears US #7
Paradise Lost – Gothic
Pearl Jam - Ten
Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese
Prong – Prove You Wrong
Queen - Innuendo UK #1
Rush – Roll the Bones US #3 UK #10
Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera
Saxon – Solid Ball of Rock
Sepultura – Arise
Skid Row – Slave to the Grind US #1
Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger
Type O Negative – Slow, Deep and Hard
Uriah Heep - Different World
Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge US #1
Yes - Union
Live albums
Exodus – Good Friendly Violent Fun
Heart – Rock the House Live!
Queensrÿche – Operation: Livecrime This was recorded in three different cites in Wisconsin
Slayer – Decade of Aggression
Popular songs
Anthrax and Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
Guns N' Roses – November Rain
Guns N' Roses – Civil War
Guns N' Roses – Don't Cry
Guns N' Roses – Estranged
Guns N' Roses – You Could Be Mine
Iced Earth – Iced Earth
Judas Priest – A Touch of Evil
Judas Priest – Leather Rebel
Metal Church – Date with Poverty
Metal Church – In Harm's Way
Metal Church – In Mourning
Metal Church – The Human Factor
Metallica – Enter Sandman
Metallica – The Unforgiven
Metallica – Wherever I May Roam
Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
Metallica – Sad But True
Mötley Crüe – Anarchy in the U.K.
Mötley Crüe – Home Sweet Home '91
Mötley Crüe – Primal Scream
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears
Ozzy Osbourne – Time After Time
Ozzy Osbourne – Road To Nowhere
Savatage – Jesus Saves
Skid Row – In a Darkened Room
Skid Row – Monkey Business
Skid Row – Quicksand Jesus
Skid Row – Slave to the Grind
Skid Row – Wasted Time
Sodom – The Saw Is the Law
Events
Anthrax's collaboration with Chuck D for a recording of "Bring The Noise" and subsequent joint tour with Public Enemy launch rap metal.
Skid Row's second album Slave to the Grind becomes the first and only 1990s classic heavy metal album to debut at No.1 in the Billboard music charts in the 1990s.
Metallica's self-titled Black Album becomes the first thrash metal album to hit No.1 in the Billboard music charts, after they streamlined their sound and hired Bob Rock to produce their album.
Queen singer Freddie Mercury dies of AIDS induced bronchial pneumonia.
Skid Row, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica's albums all debut #1, at that time they were all in tour together.
Kiss Drummer – Eric Carr dies on November 24, 1991, Eric Carr died at the age of 41 of complications from cancer. As a tribute, the group's 1992 release Revenge featured what is said to be the only drum solo Carr ever recorded with the band, which was titled "Carr Jam 1981".
AC/DC headlines the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, England on a bill which includes Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and The Black Crowes.
Steve Clark, the co-lead guitarist of Def Leppard, died at the age of 30 on January 8, 1991 from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.
Izzy Stradlin leaves Guns N' Roses.
Newly formed bands
Alarum
Amon Amarth
Edguy
Esoteric
Groundswell/Three Days Grace
Moonspell
Vision of Disorder
Albums
Alice in Chains – Dirt US #6
Alice in Chains – Sap (EP)
Anvil – Worth the Weight
At the Gates – The Red in the Sky Is Ours
Axel Rudi Pell - Eternal Prisoner
Black Sabbath – Dehumaniser
Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond
Body Count – Body Count
Bolt Thrower – The IVth Crusade
Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith US #5 UK #1
Cannibal Corpse – Tomb of the Mutilated
Darkthrone – A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Def Leppard – Adrenalize US #1 UK #1
Dream Theater – Images and Words
Exodus – Force of Habit
Faith No More – Angel Dust US #10 UK #2
Fear Factory – Soul of a New Machine
Gary Moore - After Hours
Iced Earth – Night of the Stormrider
Iron Maiden – Fear of the Dark UK #1
Kiss – Revenge US #6 UK #10
Kreator – Renewal
Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun
Loudness -- Loudness (album)
Magnum - Sleepwalking
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Fire and Ice
Manowar – The Triumph of Steel
Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists
Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction US #2 UK #5
Melvins – Lysol
Ministry – Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs
Monster Magnet – Tab (EP)
Motörhead – March ör Die
Nine Inch Nails – Broken (EP) US #7
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Paradise Lost – Shades of God
Primus – Miscellaneous Debris (EP)
Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
Sadus – A Vision of Misery
Saxon – Forever Free
Spinal Tap – Break Like the Wind
Suicidal Tendencies – The Art of Rebellion
Testament – The Ritual
Tool- Opiate
UFO – High Stakes & Dangerous Men
Ugly Kid Joe – America's Least Wanted
W.A.S.P. -- The Crimson Idol
White Zombie – La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1
Live albums
AC/DC – Live UK #5 AUS #1
UFO – Lights Out in Tokyo Live
Popular songs
Dream Theater – Pull Me Under
Exodus – Thorn in My Side
Iron Maiden – Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead UK #2
Iron Maiden – From Here to Eternity
Judas Priest – Night Crawler
Kiss – God Gave Rock N' Roll to You II
Megadeth – Foreclosure of a Dream
Megadeth – Skin o' My Teeth
Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name
Suicidal Tendencies – Asleep at the Wheel
Suicidal Tendencies – I'll Hate You Better
Suicidal Tendencies – Monopoly on Sorrow
Suicidal Tendencies – Nobody Hears
Testament – Electric Crown
Testament – Return to Serenity
Events
Motörhead's drummer Phil Taylor finally leaves after recording "Ain't No Nice Guy" for the March ör Die album. The drummer on that album is Tommy Aldridge, who was replaced by Mikkey Dee after recording the album.
In April, The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert is held. Top heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Extreme and the heavy metal parody band Spinal Tap perform, as well as heavy metal/hard rock legends such as Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and Roger Daltrey (The Who).
Iron Maiden headlines the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, England on a bill which includes Skid Row, Thunder, Slayer, W.A.S.P. and The Almighty.
Newly formed bands
Apocalyptica
Children of Bodom
Coal Chamber
Dark Funeral
Dimmu Borgir
Fight
HammerFall
Korn
Korpiklaani
Mournful Congregation
Mushroomhead
Nile
Rhapsody of Fire
Theatre of Tragedy
Disbandments
Judas Priest(Hiatus)
Reformed bands
Mercyful Fate
Albums
Accept – Objection Overruled
Aerosmith - Get a Grip
Annihilator – Set the World on Fire
Anthrax – Sound of White Noise US #7
April Wine - Attitude
At the Gates – With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness
The Big F – Is
Cannibal Corpse – Hammer Smashed Face (EP)
Cynic – Focus
Darkthrone – Under a Funeral Moon
Death – Individual Thought Patterns
Deep Purple - The Battle Rages On...
Dio – Strange Highways
Entombed – Wolverine Blues
Gamma Ray – Insanity and Genius
Guns N' Roses – "The Spaghetti Incident?" US #4 UK #2
Heart – Desire Walks On
Helloween – Chameleon
Infectious Grooves – Sarsippius' Ark
Living Colour – Stain
Macabre – Sinister Slaughter
Magnum - Keeping the Nite Light Burning
Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against the Soul
Melvins – Houdini
Mercyful Fate – In the Shadows
Monster Magnet – Superjudge
Motörhead – Bastards
Mr. Big – Bump Ahead
Nirvana - In Utero
Overkill – I Hear Black
Paradise Lost – Icon
Pearl Jam - Vs.
Primus – Pork Soda US #7
Rush – Counterparts US #2 CAN #6
Savatage - Edge of Thorns
Scorpions – Face the Heat GER #4
Sepultura – Chaos A.D.
Suicidal Tendencies – Still Cyco After All These Years (re-recording of Suicidal Tendencies' self-titled debut album, originally recorded in 1989–1990)
Tool – Undertow
Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses
Steve Vai – Sex and Religion
X Japan – Art of Life
Live albums
Dream Theater – Live at the Marquee
Iron Maiden – A Real Live One UK #3
Iron Maiden – A Real Dead One
Iron Maiden – Live at Donington
Kiss – Alive III US #9
Mayhem – Live in Leipzig
Metallica – Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Van Halen – Live: Right Here, Right Now US #5
Popular songs
Anthrax – Black Lodge
Anthrax – Only
Anthrax – Room for One More
The Big F – Patience Peregrine
Dream Theater – Another Day
Dream Theater – Take the Time
Heart – Will You Be There (In the Morning)
Iron Maiden – Fear of the Dark (Live) UK #8
Iron Maiden – Hallowed Be Thy Name (Live) UK #9
Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
Megadeth – Symphony of Destruction
Savatage – Edge of Thorns
Savatage – Sleep
Sodom – Aber bitte mit Sahne
Events
Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson leaves the band to pursue his solo career. He would be replaced the following year by Blaze Bayley.
Dokken reforms and tours without a new album.
Helloween drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg was having difficulties coping with personal and career-related demands and asked for time off for an unspecified period, he was replaced by Uli Kusch.
Rob Halford of Judas Priest leaves the band to start his own project Fight.
Aerosmith headlines the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, England on a bill which includes Extreme, Sepultura, Pantera, Therapy? and Pride and Glory.
Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske was fired from the band for personal reasons and musical differences, he was replaced by Andi Deris.
Newly formed bands
Abscess
Amen
Deströyer 666
Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Glenn Tipton
Heavenly
Lacuna Coil
Lamb of God
Rammstein
Slash's Snakepit
Strapping Young Lad
Static-X
Symphony X
The Killer Barbies
Xandria
Disbandments
Hermética
Nirvana
Reformed bands
Rainbow
Albums
Accept – Death Row
Alice Cooper – The Last Temptation UK #6
Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies EP US #1
April Wine - Frigate
At the Gates – Terminal Spirit Disease
Axel Rudi Pell - Between the Walls
Blackfoot - After the Reign
Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes
Blue Öyster Cult – Cult Classic
Body Count – Born Dead
Bolt Thrower – ...For Victory
Bruce Dickinson – Balls to Picasso
Cannibal Corpse – The Bleeding
Cryptopsy – Blasphemy Made Flesh
The Cult – The Cult
Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger
Dream Theater – Awake
Helloween – Master of the Rings
Hermética – Victimas del Vaciamiento
Infectious Grooves – Groove Family Cyco
King's X – Dogman
Korn – Korn
Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley
Loudness -- Heavy Metal Hippies
Machine Head – Burn My Eyes
Magnum - Rock Art
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – The Seventh Sign
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Melvins – Stoner Witch
Megadeth – Youthanasia US #4 UK #6
Mercyful Fate – Time
Metal Church – Hanging in the Balance
Mötley Crüe – Mötley Crüe US #7
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral US #2 UK #9
Overkill – W.F.O.
Pantera – Far Beyond Driven US #1
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Pentagram - Be Forewarned
Prong – Cleansing
Queensrÿche – Promised Land US #3
Samael – Ceremony of Opposites
Satyricon – Dark Medieval Times
Satyricon – The Shadowthrone
Savatage - Handful of Rain
Slayer – Divine Intervention US #8
Soundgarden – Superunknown US #1 UK #4
Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal for Life
Symphony X – Symphony X
Testament – Low
The 3rd and the Mortal – Sorrow (EP)
The 3rd and the Mortal – Tears Laid in Earth
Whitesnake – Whitesnake's Greatest Hits UK #4
Yes - Talk
Live albums
Anthrax – Live: The Island Years Originally recorded in 1991 and 1992
Popular songs
Bruce Dickinson – Tears of the Dragon
Cradle of Filth – The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Cradle of Filth – The Black Goddess Rises
Dream Theater – Caught in a Web
Dream Theater – Lie
Helloween – Sole Survivor
Helloween – Perfect Gentleman
Korn – Blind
Marilyn Manson – Get Your Gunn
Marilyn Manson – Lunchbox
Mayhem – Freezing Moon
Megadeth – À Tout le Monde
Megadeth – Train of Consequences
Megadeth – The Killing Road
Mötley Crüe – Hooligan's Holiday
Mötley Crüe – Misunderstood
Nine Inch Nails – Mr. Self Destruct
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
Pantera – Becoming
Pantera – I'm Broken
Savatage – Handful of Rain
Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
Soundgarden – Spoonman
Slayer – Dittohead
Slayer – Serenity in Murder
Suicidal Tendencies – I Wouldn't Mind
Suicidal Tendencies – Love Vs. Loneliness
Suicidal Tendencies – What You Need's a Friend
Testament – Low
Testament – Dog Faced Gods
Events
Far Beyond Driven by Pantera debut's at No 1 on the U.S. British and Australian charts.
Soundgarden wins two Grammys; Best Hard Rock Performance for "Black Hole Sun" and Best Metal Performance for "Spoonman".
Varg Vikernes is convicted and sentenced to 21 years in prison for murdering former Mayhem guitarist Euronymous
Newly formed bands
After Forever
Agalloch
Almafuerte
Autumn
Ayreon
Buckcherry
Ensiferum
Godsmack
Hibernus Mortis
Kittie
Limp Bizkit
Moonsorrow
Pumpjack
Slipknot
Staind
Tricky Beans/Tricky Means/Sonata Arctica
System of a Down
Trapt
Vanishing Point
Disbandments
The Big F
The Cult
Groundswell/Three Days Grace
Kyuss (in October)
Living Colour (in January)
Metal Church (until 1998)
Reformed bands
UFO
Albums
AC/DC – Ballbreaker US #4 UK #6 AUS #1
Alice in Chains – Alice in Chains US #1
Anthrax – Stomp 442
At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul
Black Sabbath – Forbidden
Blind Guardian – Imaginations From the Other Side
Bon Jovi – These Days US #9 UK #1
Darkthrone – Panzerfaust
Death – Symbolic
Deftones – Adrenaline
Dokken - Dysfunctional
Down – NOLA
Fear Factory – Demanufacture
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free
Gary Moore - Blues for Greeny
Grip Inc. - "Power of Inner Strength"
Iced Earth – Burnt Offerings
Iron Maiden – The X Factor UK #8
Kamelot – Eternity
King Crimson - THRAK
King Diamond – The Spider's Lullabye
Kreator – Cause for Conflict
Kyuss – ...And the Circus Leaves Town
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Magnum Opus
Marilyn Manson – Smells Like Children
Megadeth – Hidden Treasures
Meshuggah – Destroy Erase Improve
Monster Magnet – Dopes to Infinity
Motörhead – Sacrifice
Mushroomhead – Mushroomhead
Nevermore – Nevermore
Opeth - Orchid
Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzmosis US #4
Paradise Lost – Draconian Times
Rainbow – Stranger in Us All
Rammstein – Herzeleid GER #6
Samael – Rebellion
Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
Saxon – Dogs of War
Skid Row – Subhuman Race
Soundgarden – Songs from the Superunknown
Stratovarius – Fourth Dimension
Symphony X – The Damnation Game
Ted Nugent – Spirit of the Wild
The 3rd and the Mortal – Nightswan (EP)
UFO – Walk on Water
Uriah Heep - Sea of Light
Steve Vai – Alien Love Secrets (EP)
Van Halen – Balance US #1 UK #8
Vision of Disorder – Still (EP) (EP)
W.A.S.P. -- Still Not Black Enough
White Zombie – Astro Creep: 2000 US #6
Y&T - "Musically Incorrect"
Live albums
Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes Live
Heart – The Road Home
Mayhem – Dawn of the Black Hearts
Overkill – Wrecking Your Neck
Scorpions – Live Bites
Testament – Live at the Fillmore
Popular songs
Anthrax – Fueled
Dream Theater – The Silent Man
Gamma Ray – Land Of The Free
Iron Maiden – Man on the Edge UK #10
Kreator – Isolation
Kreator – Lost
Megadeth – A Tout le Monde
Savatage – Chance
Savatage – Dead Winter Dead
Savatage – Doesn't Matter Anyway
Skid Row – Breakin' Down
Skid Row – Into Another
Skid Row – My Enemy
Events
Richey Edwards, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of Manic Street Preachers, is reported missing on February 1 after departing his hotel in London as him and bandmate James Dean Bradfield were set to fly out on a promotional tour in the United States. Edwards' car was subsequently found near the Severn Bridge, a popular suicide spot between England and Wales however, his body has never been found.
Motörhead's guitarist Michael "Würzel" Burston leaves the band.
MTV abruptly canceled the music television program Headbanger's Ball in January 1995.
After a series of private tragedies, drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg felt unable to cope with life and committed suicide, to honor his memory, guitarist Roland Grapow bought his Drum kit.
Los Angeles-based heavy metal radio station KNAC goes off the air and is replaced by KBUE.
Newly formed bands
3 Doors Down
Arch Enemy
Control Denied
Decapitated
God Forbid
Gojira
Letzte Instanz
Linkin Park
Lordi
Mudvayne
Nightwish
Norther
Pain
Saurom
Segression
Shadows Fall
SHOCKLET
Skillet
Slapshock
Spineshank
Tristania
Within Temptation
Disbandments
Down
Skid Row
Reformed bands
Judas Priest(Back from Hiatus with new singer Tim "Ripper" Owens)
Kiss (back in full makeup and costume with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss)
Albums
Accept – Predator
Alice in Chains – Unplugged US #6
Anvil – Plugged in Permanent
Apocalyptica - Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
Arch Enemy – Black Earth
Axel Rudi Pell - Black Moon Pyramid
Bruce Dickinson – Skunkworks
Cannibal Corpse – Vile
Cryptopsy – None So Vile
Darkthrone – Total Death
Deep Purple - Purpendicular
Def Leppard – Slang UK #5
Dio – Angry Machines
Helloween – The Time of the Oath
Iced Earth – The Dark Saga
King Diamond – The Graveyard
Korn – Life Is Peachy US #3
Manowar – Louder Than Hell
Melvins – Stag
Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar US #3
Mercyful Fate – Into the Unknown
Metallica – Load US #1 UK #1
Ministry – Filth Pig
Motörhead – Overnight Sensation
Mountain - Man's World
Mushroomhead – Superbuick
Neurosis – Through Silver in Blood
Nevermore – The Politics of Ecstasy
Opeth - Morningrise
Overkill – The Killing Kind
Pantera – The Great Southern Trendkill US #2 UK #9
Prong – Rude Awakening
Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire US #1 UK #4
Rush – Test for Echo US #5 CAN #3
Satyricon – Nemesis Divina
Scorpions – Pure Instinct GER #8
Sepultura – Roots UK #4
Slayer – Undisputed Attitude
Soundgarden – Down on the Upside US #2 UK #7
Staind – Tormented
Steve Vai – Fire Garden
Therion – Theli
The 3rd and the Mortal – Painting on Glass
Tool – Ænima US #2
Type O Negative – October Rust
Van Halen – Best Of – Volume I US #1
Vision of Disorder – Vision of Disorder
Wishbone Ash - Illuminations
Yes - Keys to Ascension
Live albums
Gamma Ray – Alive '95
Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed – Part II
Popular songs
Anthrax – Nothing
Arch Enemy – Bury Me an Angel
Helloween – The Time of the Oath
Helloween – Power
Iced Earth – I Died For You
Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
Marilyn Manson – Tourniquet
Metallica – Bleeding Me
Pantera – Drag the Waters
Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade
Savatage – One Child
Sepultura – Roots Bloody Roots
Slayer – Gemini
Therion – To Mega Therion
Newly formed bands
2wo
Alien Crime Syndicate
American Head Charge
Atargatis
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Dir En Grey
Disturbed
Finntroll
Hardcore Superstar
Hate Eternal
Lostprophets
Nonpoint
Pig Destroyer
Primal Fear
Soulfly
Turisas
Disbandments
Allegiance
Prong
Soundgarden
Skindred
X Japan
Reformed bands
Albums
Aerosmith – Nine Lives US #1 UK #4
Anvil – Absolutely No Alternative
Axel Rudi Pell - Magic
Black Sabbath – Reunion
Body Count – Violent Demise: The Last Days
Bruce Dickinson – Accident of Birth
Children of Bodom – Something Wild
Coal Chamber - Coal Chamber
Deftones – Around The Fur
Dimmu Borgir – Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Dream Theater – Falling into Infinity
Dokken – Shadowlife
Edguy - Kingdom of Madness
Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Entombed – DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth
Gamma Ray – Somewhere Out in Space
Gary Moore - Dark Days in Paradise
Glenn Tipton – Baptism of Fire
Grip Inc. - "Nemesis"
HammerFall - Glory to the Brave
Hatebreed – Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire
Immortal – Blizzard Beasts
In Flames – Whoracle
Judas Priest – Jugulator
Kamelot – Dominion
Kreator – Outcast
Loudness -- Ghetto Machine
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Facing the Animal
Limp Bizkit – Three Dollar Bill, Y'All
Mayhem – Wolf's Lair Abyss
Melvins – Honky
Megadeth – Cryptic Writings US #10
Metallica – ReLoad US #1 UK #1
Mötley Crüe – Generation Swine US #4
Nightwish - Angels Fall First
Overkill – From the Underground and Below
Paradise Lost – One Second
Queensrÿche – Hear in the Now Frontier
Rammstein – Sehnsucht GER #1
Rhapsody – Legendary Tales
Savatage - The Wake of Magellan
Saxon – Unleash the Beast
Sodom – 'Til Death Do Us Unite
Soundgarden – A-Sides
Stratovarius – Visions
Symphony X – The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Testament – Demonic
The 3rd and the Mortal – In This Room
The 3rd and the Mortal – Streams (EP)
W.A.S.P. -- Kill Fuck Die
Y&T - ”Endangered Species"
Yes - Keys to Ascension 2
Yes - Open Your Eyes
Live albums
AC/DC – Live from the Atlantic Studios
Exodus – Another Lesson in Violence
Manowar – Hell on Wheels
Pantera – Official Live: 101 Proof
Saxon – Donnington: The Live Tracks
Popular songs
Aerosmith – Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)
Aerosmith – Hole in My Soul
Aerosmith – Pink
Bruce Dickinson – Man of Sorrows
Bruce Dickinson – Accident of Birth
Bruce Dickinson – Road To Hell
Children of Bodom – Red Light in My Eyes, Pt. 1
Children of Bodom – Deadnight Warrior
Coal Chamber - Loco
Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove It)
Dimmu Borgir – Mourning Palace
Dimmu Borgir – Master of Disharmony
In Flames – Episode 666
Judas Priest – Bullet Train
Judas Priest – Burn in Hell
Korn – Good God
Kreator – Leave This World Behind
Limp Bizkit – Counterfeit
Megadeth – Almost Honest
Megadeth – She-Wolf
Megadeth – Trust
Metallica – Fuel
Metallica – The Memory Remains
Metallica – The Unforgiven II
Metallica – Better Than You
Mötley Crüe – Afraid
Mötley Crüe – Beauty
Rammstein – Engel
Rammstein – Du hast
Stratovarius – Black Diamond
Symphony X – Of Sins and Shadows
Events
Black Sabbath reunites with the original line-up between Black Sabbath and Never Say Die!.
Tim "Ripper" Owens becomes the lead singer of Judas Priest.
Newly formed bands
All That Remains
Anaal Nathrakh
Andrew WK
Atreyu
Beseech
Black Label Society
Bobaflex
Chimaira
Demons and Wizards
Freedom Call
The Giraffes
Kult ov Azazel
Liquid Tension Experiment
Metalium
Mnemic
Origin
Rebaelliun
Týr
Unearth
Disbandments
Faith No More
Reformed bands
Metal Church
Albums
Amon Amarth – Once Sent from the Golden Hall
Anthrax – Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Apocalyptica - Inquisition Symphony
Arch Enemy – Stigmata
Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans of Time
Blind Guardian – Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Blue Öyster Cult – Heaven Forbid
Bolt Thrower – Mercenary
Bruce Dickinson – The Chemical Wedding
Cannibal Corpse – Gallery of Suicide
Cryptopsy – Whisper Supremacy
Death – The Sound of Perseverance
Deep Purple - Abandon
Edguy – Vain Glory Opera
Fear Factory – Obsolete
Godsmack – Godsmack
HammerFall – Legacy of Kings
Helloween – Better Than Raw
Iced Earth – Something Wicked This Way Comes
Iron Maiden – Virtual XI UK #14
Kamelot – Siége Perilous
King Diamond – Voodoo
Kiss – Psycho Circus US #3
Korn – Follow the Leader US #1 UK #5
Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid tension experiment
Loudness -- Dragon
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in Em, Opus 1
Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals US #1 UK #5
Mercyful Fate – Dead Again
Meshuggah – Chaosphere
Metallica – Garage Inc. US #2
Monster Magnet – Powertrip
Motörhead – Snake Bite Love
Nashville Pussy – Let Them Eat Pussy
Nightwish - Oceanborn
Nile – Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka
Primal Fear - "Primal Fear"
Queens of the Stone Age – Queens of the Stone Age
Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe US #5
Slayer – Diabolus in Musica
Soulfly – Soulfly
Spineshank – Strictly Diesel
Stratovarius – Destiny FIN #1
Suicidal Tendencies – Six the Hard Way (EP)
Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus
System of a Down – System of a Down
Uriah Heep - Sonic Origami
Van Halen – Van Halen III US #4
Vision of Disorder – Imprint
Live albums
Black Sabbath – Reunion
Dio – Inferno: Last in Live
Dream Theater – Once in a LIVEtime
Judas Priest – '98 Live Meltdown
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Double Live!
Rush – Different Stages
Saxon – BBC Sessions / Live at Reading Festival '86 Originally recorded in 1986
Popular songs
Blind Guardian – Mirror Mirror
Bruce Dickinson – Chemical Wedding
Bruce Dickinson – The Tower
Bruce Dickinson – Trumpets of Jericho
Godsmack – Voodoo
Helloween – Push
Iron Maiden – The Clansman
Iron Maiden – Futureal
Kiss – Psycho Circus
Korn – Freak on a Leash
Korn – Got the Life
Limp Bizkit – Faith (George Michael cover)
Marilyn Manson – The Dope Show
Marilyn Manson – Rock Is Dead
Marilyn Manson – I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)
Marilyn Manson – Coma White
Megadeth – Use the Man
Metallica – Die, Die My Darling
Metallica – Turn the Page
Metallica – Whiskey in the Jar
Monster Magnet – Space Lord
Monster Magnet – Powertrip
Mötley Crüe – Bitter Pill
Nile – Ramses Bringer of War
Rob Zombie – Dragula
Rob Zombie – Superbeast
Rob Zombie – Living Dead Girl
Savatage – Turns to Me
Slayer – Stain of Mind
Soulfly – Eye for an Eye
System of a Down – Sugar
System of a Down – Spiders
Van Halen – Without You
Events
After three years off the air, the Los Angeles heavy metal radio station KNAC returns as an internet based radio station.
Newly formed bands
3 Inches of Blood
Assjack
Avantasia
Avenged Sevenfold
Beautiful Creatures
Bleeding Through
Burning Brides
Crossfade
DragonForce
Dream Evil
Five Pointe O
Grand Magus
Killswitch Engage
Loaded
Luca Turilli (solo band)
A Perfect Circle
Protest the Hero
Psycroptic
Sabaton
Voyager
Disbandments
Death
Mercyful Fate
Mötley Crüe (reformed in 2004)
Liquid Tension Experiment
Reformed bands
The Cult
Skid Row
Vanilla Fudge
The Who as a five-piece band with Pete Townshend on lead guitar.
Albums
Agalloch – Pale Folklore
Alice in Chains – Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
Alice in Chains – Music Bank
Amon Amarth – The Avenger
Anvil – Speed of Sound
Arch Enemy – Burning Bridges
Black Label Society – Sonic Brew
Cannibal Corpse – Bloodthirst
Children of Bodom – Hatebreeder
Control Denied – The Fragile Art of Existence
Darkthrone – Ravishing Grimness
Drain STH – Freaks of Nature
Dream Theater – Scenes From A Memory
Dokken – Erase the Slate
Dungeon – Resurrection
Edguy – Theater of Salvation
Finntroll – Midnattens Widunder
Gamma Ray – Power Plant
Gary Moore - A Different Beat
God Forbid – Reject the Sickness
Grip Inc. - "Solidify"
Kamelot – The Fourth Legacy
Korn – Issues US #1
Kreator – Endorama
Lamb Of God – Burn the Priest
Limp Bizkit -Significant Other US #1 UK #10
Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid Tension Experiment 2".
Loudness -- Engine
Luca Turilli – King of the Nordic Twilight
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Alchemy
Megadeth – Risk
Melvins – The Maggot
Mercyful Fate – 9
Metalium – Millennium Metal – Chapter One
Ministry – Dark Side of the Spoon
Mushroomhead – M3
Nevermore – Dreaming Neon Black
Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile US #1 UK #10
Opeth – Still Life
Overkill – Necroshine
Paradise Lost – Host
Pentagram - Review Your Choices
Powerman 5000 – Tonight the Stars Revolt!
Primal Fear - "Jaws of Death".
Queensrÿche – Q2K
Rage Against the Machine – The Battle of Los Angeles US #1
Satyricon – Rebel Extravaganza
Saxon – Metalhead
Scorpions – Eye II Eye GER #6
Slipknot – Slipknot
Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
Staind – Dysfunction
Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip
Steve Vai – The Ultra Zone
Suicidal Tendencies – Freedumb
Testament – The Gathering
Type O Negative – World Coming Down
Vision of Disorder – For the Bleeders
W.A.S.P. -- Helldorado
Yes - The Ladder
Live albums
Children of Bodom – Tokyo Warhearts
Iced Earth – Alive in Athens
Manowar – Hell on Stage
Mayhem – Mediolanum Capta Est
Metallica – S&M US #2
Motörhead – Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
Rammstein – Live Aus Berlin
Popular songs
Arch Enemy – The Immortal
Children of Bodom – Downfall
Dream Theater – Home
Korn – Falling Away From Me
Korn – Make Me Bad
Korn – Somebody Someone
Kreator – Chosen Few
Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff
Limp Bizkit – Re-Arranged
Limp Bizkit – Nookie
Megadeth – Crush 'Em
Megadeth – Insomnia
Megadeth – Prince of Darkness
Powerman 5000 – When Worlds Collide
Rage Against the Machine – Guerrilla Radio
Rage Against the Machine – Testify
Slipknot – (sic)
Slipknot – Spit It Out
Slipknot – Surfacing
Slipknot – Wait and Bleed
Sonata Arctica – Replica
Sonata Arctica – Kingdom for a Heart
Staind – Home
Staind – Just Go
Staind – Mudshovel
Static-X – Push It
Events
Vocalist Blaze Bayley is asked to leave Iron Maiden, following which they are rejoined by Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith, creating their current six-piece line up.
During Edguy's Theater of Salvation tour, Tobias Sammet began to write down his ideas for a metal opera recruiting well-known metal musicians like Michael Kiske, Andre Matos, Kai Hansen, Rob Rock, Timo Tolkki, Markus Grosskopf and more.
Newly formed bands
As I Lay Dying
Between the Buried and Me
Byzantine
Circus Maximus
Crashdïet
The Darkness
Deathstars
Halford
Mastodon
Nightrage
Revocation (band)
Steel Panther
Sylosis
Thunderstone
Trivium
Visions of Atlantis
Volbeat
Wolfmother
Disbandments
Rage Against the Machine
Primus
Albums
A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
AC/DC – Stiff Upper Lip US #7 AUS #3
Alice Cooper – Brutal Planet
Apocalyptica - Cult
Axel Rudi Pell - The Masquerade Ball
Black Label Society – Stronger Than Death
Children of Bodom – Follow the Reaper
Cryptopsy – ...And Then You'll Beg
Decapitated – Winds of Creation
Deftones – White Pony US #3
Demons and Wizards - Demons and Wizards
Dio – Magica
Disturbed – The Sickness
Edguy – The Savage Poetry
Godsmack – Awake US #5
Halford – Resurrection
HammerFall - Renegade
Helloween – The Dark Ride
In Flames – Clayman
Infectious Grooves – Mas Borracho
Iron Maiden – Brave New World UK #7
King Crimson - the construKction of light
King Diamond – House of God
Lamb of God – New American Gospel
Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water US #1 UK #1
Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory US #2
Macabre – Dahmer
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – War to End All Wars
Marilyn Manson – Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Mayhem – Grand Declaration of War
Melvins – The Crybaby
Metalium – State of Triumph – Chapter Two
Monster Magnet – God Says No
Motörhead – We Are Motörhead
Mudvayne - L.D. 50
Nevermore – Dead Heart in a Dead World
Nightwish - Wishmaster
Nile – Black Seeds of Vengeance
Origin – Origin
Overkill – Bloodletting
Pantera – Reinventing The Steel US #4
Racer X – Technical Difficulties
Rage Against the Machine – Renegades
Rhapsody – Dawn of Victory
Scorpions – Moment of Glory GER #3
Soulfly – Primitive
Spineshank – The Height of Callousness
Static-X – The Death Trip Continues
Stratovarius – Infinite FIN #1
Suicidal Tendencies – Free Your Soul and Save My Mind
Symphony X – V: The New Mythology Suite
UFO – Covenant
Live albums
Alice in Chains – Live
Cannibal Corpse – Live Cannibalism
Saxon – Live at Donnington 1980 Originally recorded in 1980
Popular songs
A Perfect Circle - Judith
Children of Bodom – Hate Me!
Deftones – Change (In the House of Flies)
Deftones – Digital Bath
Deftones – Elite
Disturbed – Down With the Sickness
Dream Theater – Through Her Eyes
Godsmack – Awake
Godsmack – Greed
Iron Maiden – Blood Brothers
Iron Maiden – Brave New World
Iron Maiden – The Wicker Man UK #9
Limp Bizkit – Boiler
Limp Bizkit – Hot Dog
Limp Bizkit – My Generation
Limp Bizkit – My Way
Limp Bizkit – Rolling
Limp Bizkit – Take a Look Around
Linkin Park – Crawling
Linkin Park – In the End
Linkin Park – One Step Closer
Marilyn Manson – Disposable Teens
Metallica - I Disappear
Megadeth – Breadline
Mötley Crüe – Hell on High Heels
Mötley Crüe – New Tattoo
Mudvayne - Dig
Pantera – Revolution Is My Name
Events
Metallica releases the song "I Disappear" that was never released on any studio albums and appears on the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack.
Living Colour reforms with the Stain line-up.
Newly formed bands
Audioslave
Ambeon
Black Majesty
Black Stone Cherry
Indorphine
Jet
Power Quest
Serenity
Shinedown
Sirenia
Suicidal Angels
Reformed bands
Death Angel
Down
Rush
Albums
Aerosmith – Just Push PlayUS #2 UK #7
After Forever – Decipher
Alice Cooper – Dragontown
Alice in Chains – Greatest Hits
Amon Amarth – The Crusher
Anaal Nathrakh – The Codex Necro
Anvil – Plenty of Power
April Wine - Back to the Mansion
Arch Enemy – Wages of Sin
Avantasia – The Metal Opera
Avenged Sevenfold – Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
Blue Öyster Cult – Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Bolt Thrower – Honour – Valour – Pride
Chimaira – Pass Out of Existence
The Cult – Beyond Good and Evil
Darkthrone – Plaguewielder
Drowning Pool – Sinner
Edguy – Mandrake
Ensiferum – Ensiferum
Fear Factory – Digimortal
Finntroll – Jaktens Tid
Gary Moore - Bback to the Blues
Gamma Ray – No World Order
God Forbid – Determination
Gojira – Terra Incognita
Iced Earth – Horror Show
Judas Priest – Demolition
Kamelot – Karma
Kreator – Violent Revolution
Lostprophets - The Fake Sound of Progress
Loudness -- Pandemonium
Loudness -- Spiritual Canoe
Machine Head - Supercharger
Megadeth – The World Needs a Hero
Melvins – Electroretard
Opeth – Blackwater Park
Ozzy Osbourne – Down To Earth US #4
Paradise Lost – Believe in Nothing
Pentagram - Sub-Basement
Primal Fear -- "Nuclear Fire"
Psycroptic – The Isle of Disenchantment
Rammstein – Mutter GER #1
Rhapsody – Rain of a Thousand Flames
Rob Zombie – The Sinister Urge US #8
Savatage - Poets and Madmen
Saxon – Killing Ground
Slayer – God Hates Us All
Slipknot – Iowa US #3 UK #1
Staind – Break the Cycle US #1 UK #1
Sonata Arctica - Silence
Static-X – Machine
System of a Down – Toxicity US #1
Tool – Lateralus US #1
Unearth – The Stings of Conscience
Vision of Disorder – From Bliss to Devastation
W.A.S.P. -- Unholy Terror
Yes - Magnification
Live albums
Black Label Society – Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live!! +5
Death – Live in L.A. (Death & Raw)
Death – Live in Eindhoven
Dream Theater – Live Scenes from New York
Halford – Live Insurrection
Mayhem – Live In Marseille
Queensrÿche – Live Evolution
Scorpions – Acoustica
Popular songs
Arch Enemy – Ravenous
Deftones – Back to School (Mini Maggit)
Drowning Pool – Bodies (Let the Bodies Hit the Floor)
Iron Maiden – Dream of Mirrors
Judas Priest – Feed on Me
Judas Priest – Machine Man
Marilyn Manson – The Fight Song
Marilyn Manson – The Nobodies
Megadeth – Dread and the Fugitive Mind
Megadeth – Moto Psycho
Megadeth – Return to Hangar
Opeth - The Drapery Falls
Rammstein – Feuer Frei
Rammstein – Ich Will
Rammstein – Links 2-3-4
Rammstein – Mein Herz Brennt
Rammstein – Mutter
Rammstein – Sonne
Slipknot – The Heretic Anthem
Slipknot – Left Behind
Staind – For You
Staind – It's Been Awhile
Staind – Outside
Static-X – Cold
System of a Down - Chop Suey!
System of a Down - Toxicity
Tool - Parabola
Tool - Schism
Tool - Lateralus
Events
Death guitarist Chuck Schuldiner dies at 34 on December 13 of brain cancer.
Metallica bassist Jason Newsted (who joined after Cliff Burton's death) officially left the band and joined Voivod.
Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory becomes a sleeper hit a year after its release, outselling all other records in 2001
Guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch were fired from Helloween, both start their own band Masterplan
Newly formed bands
The Acacia Strain
Angtoria
The Bronx
Delain
Despised Icon
DevilDriver
Eluveitie
Heidevolk
Parkway Drive
Probot
Sahara Dust/Epica
Suicide Silence
Synthetic Breed
Velvet Revolver
Winds of Plague
Disbandments
Alice in Chains (until 2005)
The Cult
Fear Factory (until 2003)
Megadeth (until 2004)
Vision of Disorder (until 2008)
Reformed bands
Prong
Albums
Agalloch – The Mantle
Amon Amarth – Versus the World
Anvil – Still Going Strong
Atreyu – Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
Avantasia – The Metal Opera Part II
Audioslave – Audioslave US #7
Axel Rudi Pell - Shadow Zone
Between The Buried And Me – Between The Buried And Me
Black Label Society – 1919 Eternal
Blind Guardian – A Night at the Opera
Cannibal Corpse – Gore Obsessed
Cannibal Corpse – Worm Infested (EP)
Decapitated – Nihility
Def Leppard – X
Dio – Killing the Dragon
Disturbed – Believe US #1
Dokken – Long Way Home
Down – Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
Dream Evil - Dragonslayer
Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Dungeon – A Rise to Power
Fear Factory – Concrete (recorded 1991, released 2002)
Five Pointe O – Untitled
Freedom Call – Eternity
Gary Moore - Scars
Halford – Crucible
HammerFall – Crimson Thunder
Hatebreed – Perseverance
Humble Pie - Back on Track
King Diamond – Abigail II: The Revenge
Korn – Untouchables US #2 UK #4
Loudness -- Biosphere
Luca Turilli – Prophet of the Last Eclipse
Magnum - Breath of Life
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Attack!!
Manowar – Warriors of the World
Mastodon – Remission
Melvins – Hostile Ambient Takeover
Meshuggah – Nothing
Metalium – Hero Nation – Chapter Three
Motörhead – Hammered
Mountain - Mystic Fire
Mudvayne - The End of All Things to Come
Nightwish - Century Child
Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines
Norther – Dreams of Endless War
Opeth – Deliverance
Origin – Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas
Paradise Lost – Symbol of Life
Pentagram - Show 'Em How
Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
Power Quest – Wings of Forever
Primal Fear -- "Black Sun"
Protest The Hero – A Calculated Use of Sound
Rhapsody – Power of the Dragonflame
Rush – Vapor Trails US #6 CAN #3
Satyricon – Satyricon
Soulfly – 3
Symphony X – The Odyssey
System of a Down – Steal This Album!
Ted Nugent – Craveman
Thunderstone – Thunderstone
Trapt – Trapt
Týr – How Far to Asgaard
UFO – Sharks
Vanilla Fudge – The Return
W.A.S.P. -- Dying for the World
Live albums
Black Sabbath – Past Lives
Iron Maiden – Rock in Rio
Megadeth – Rude Awakening
Overkill – Wrecking Everything
Prong – 100% Live
Popular songs
Dio – Along Comes A Spider
Dio – Better In The Dark
Dio – Killing The Dragon
Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Dungeon – Insanity's Fall
Dungeon – Stormchaser
Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills (Live) UK #9
Ko?n – Alone I Break
Ko?n – Here to Stay
Ko?n – Thoughtless
Lostprophets - The Fake Sound of Progress
Mudvayne - Not Falling
Opeth – Deliverance
Porcupine Tree – Blackest Eyes
Porcupine Tree – Trains
Porcupine Tree – Strip the Soul
Slipknot – My Plague
Events
Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley dies on April 5 at 34 from an overdose of heroin.
The Who bassist John Entwistle dies on June 27 at 57 from a cocaine-induced heart attack.
Ex – Freedom Call guitarist Sascha Gerstner enter Helloween after the dismissal of Roland Grapow
Newly formed bands
Battlecross
Crystal Viper
Deathgaze
Leaves' Eyes
Lord
Ne Obliviscaris
Nothing More
Parkway Drive
Powerwolf
Skeletonwitch
The Sword
Disbandments
Coal Chamber (until 2011)
Five pointe o
Pantera
Segression (until 2009)
Reformed bands
Fear Factory
Primus
Judas Priest
Albums
Alice Cooper – The Eyes of Alice Cooper
Anaal Nathrakh – When Fire Rains Down from the Sky, Mankind Will Reap As It Has Sown
Anthrax – We've Come for You All
Apocalyptica - Reflections
Arch Enemy – Anthems of Rebellion
As I Lay Dying – Frail Words Collapse
Avenged Sevenfold – Waking the Fallen
Between The Buried And Me – The Silent Circus
Black Label Society – The Blessed Hellride
Cannibal Corpse – 15 Year Killing Spree
Cryptopsy – None So Live
Children Of Bodom – Hate Crew Deathroll FIN #1
Chimaira – The Impossibility of Reason
Deep Purple - Bananas
Deftones – Deftones US #2 UK #7
Darkthrone – Hate Them
DevilDriver – DevilDriver
Dragonforce – Valley of the Damned
Dream Evil - Evilized
Dream Theater – Train of Thought
Epica – The Phantom Agony
Finntroll – Visor om Slutet
Godsmack – Faceless US #1
Gojira – The Link
Hatebreed – The Rise of Brutality
Helloween – Rabbit Don't Come Easy
Iron Maiden – Dance of Death UK #2
Kamelot – Epica
King Crimson - The Power to Believe
King Diamond – The Puppet Master
Korn – Take a Look in the Mirror US #9
Lamb Of God – As the Palaces Burn
Limp Bizkit – Results May Vary US #3 UK #7
Linkin Park – Meteora US #1 UK #1
Living Colour – Collideøscope
Lord – A Personal Journey
Machine Head – Through the Ashes of Empires
Marilyn Manson – The Golden Age of Grotesque US #1 UK #4
Macabre – Murder Metal
Metallica – St. Anger US #1 UK #1
Ministry – Animositisomina
Nevermore – Enemies of Reality
Nightrage – Sweet Vengeance
Norther – Mirror of Madness
Opeth – Damnation
Overkill – Killbox 13
Pentagram - Last Rites
Prong – Scorpio Rising
Psycroptic – The Scepter of the Ancients
Queensrÿche – Tribe
Serenity – War of Ages
Shadows Fall – The War Within
Sonata Arctica – Winterheart's Guild
Spineshank – Self-Destructive Pattern
Staind – 14 Shades of Grey US #1 UK #16
Static-X – Shadow Zone
Trivium – Ember to Inferno
Type O Negative – Life Is Killing Me
Týr – Eric the Red
Live albums
Gamma Ray – Skeletons in the Closet
Heart – Alive In Seattle
Judas Priest – Live in London
Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won US #1 UK #5 (recorded May 1972)
Motörhead – Live At Brixton Academy The Complete Concert
Rush – Rush in Rio
UFO – Live on Earth
Vanilla Fudge – The Return – Live in Germany Part 1
Vanilla Fudge – Rocks the Universe – Live in Germany Part 2
Vanilla Fudge – The Real Deal – Vanilla Fudge Live
Popular songs
Anthrax – Safe Home
Anthrax – Taking the Music Back
Anthrax – What Doesn't Die
Arch Enemy - We Will Rise
Avenged Sevenfold – Second Heartbeat
Avenged Sevenfold – Unholy Confessions
Deftones – Minerva
Dream Theater – As I Am
Dream Theater – Stream of Consciousness
Godsmack – I Stand Alone
Godsmack – Re-Align
Godsmack – Straight Out of Line
Iron Maiden – Dance of Death
Iron Maiden – No More Lies
Iron Maiden – Rainmaker
Iron Maiden – Wildest Dreams UK #6
Korn – Did My Time
Korn – Right Now
Korn – Y'All Want a Single
Limp Bizkit – Behind Blue Eyes
Limp Bizkit – Eat You Alive
Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit
Linkin Park – Faint
Linkin Park – From the Inside
Linkin Park – Numb
Linkin Park – Somewhere I Belong
Lostprophets - Burn Burn
Machine Head – Imperium
Marilyn Manson - mOBSCENE
Marilyn Manson - This Is the New Shit
Metallica – St. Anger
Shadows Fall - The Light That Blinds
Skid Row – Ghost
Skid Row – I Remember You Two
Skid Row – New Generation
Sonata Arctica – Broken
Staind – Price to Play
Staind – So Far Away
Static-X – The Only
Events
Fear Factory reforms with all original members except for the former guitarist Dino Cazares.
Metallica hires new bassist Robert Trujillo (from Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne).
MTV2 resurrected the old Heavy metal, Rock television program Headbangers' Ball.
Judas Priest reunites with frontman Rob Halford.
Tim "Ripper" Owens becomes Iced Earth front-man after Matt Barlow departure from the band.
Newly formed bands
Alestorm (Battleheart)
Architects
Alter Bridge
Auf Der Maur (solo)
Airbourne
Be'lakor
Black Tide
Bring Me the Horizon
Claim the Throne
Enforcer
Evile
Saving Abel
Scale the Summit
Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders
Texas Hippie Coalition
Threat Signal
Warbringer
Wintersun
Disbandments
Spineshank
Reformed bands
Megadeth (without David Ellefson)
Mötley Crüe
Albums
3 Inches of Blood – Advance and Vanquish
Aerosmith – Honkin' on Bobo
Amon Amarth – Fate of Norns
Anaal Nathrakh – Domine Non Es Dignus
Anvil – Back to Basics
Atreyu – The Curse
Axel Rudi Pell - Kings and Queens
Black Label Society – Hangover Music Vol. VI
Byzantine – The Fundamental Component
Cannibal Corpse – The Wretched Spawn
Damageplan – New Found Power
Darkthrone – Sardonic Wrath
Death Angel – The Art of Dying
Decapitated – The Negation
Dio – Master of the Moon
Dokken – Hell to Pay
DragonForce – Sonic Firestorm
Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal
Dungeon – One Step Beyond
Edguy – Hellfire Club
Ensiferum – Iron
Exodus – Tempo of the Damned
Fear Factory – Archetype
Finntroll – Nattfödd
Gary Moore - Power of the Blues
God Forbid – Gone Forever
Godsmack – The Other Side EP US #5
Grip Inc. - "Incorporated"
Guns N' Roses – Greatest Hits US #3 UK #1
Heart – Jupiters Darling
Iced Earth – The Glorious Burden
Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache
Korn – Greatest Hits, Volume 1 US #4
Lamb Of God – Ashes of the Wake
Lostprophets - Start Something UK #4
Loudness -- Terror
Magnum - Brand New Morning
Marilyn Manson – Lest We Forget: The Best Of US #9 UK #4
Mastodon – Leviathan
Mayhem – Chimera
Megadeth – The System Has Failed
Metal Church – The Weight of the World
Metalium – As One – Chapter Four
Ministry – Houses of the Molé
Monster Magnet – Monolithic Baby!
Motörhead – Inferno
Nightwish – Once
Norther – Death Unlimited
Orphaned Land – Mabool
Power Quest – Neverworld
Primal Fear -- "Devil's Ground".
Probot – Probot
Rammstein – Reise, Reise GER #1
Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret
Rush – Feedback EP CAN #5
Saxon – Lionheart
Scorpions – Unbreakable GER #4
Skeletonwitch – At One with the Shadows
Slipknot – Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) US #2 UK #5
Sonata Arctica – Reckoning Night
Soulfly – Prophecy
Static-X – Beneath, Between, Beyond
Thunderstone – The Burning
Twisted Sister - Still Hungry
UFO – You Are Here
Unearth – The Oncoming Storm
Van Halen – The Best of Both Worlds US #3
Velvet Revolver – Contraband US #1
W.A.S.P. – The Neon God: Part 1 – The Rise
W.A.S.P. – The Neon God: Part 2 – The Demise
Wintersun – Wintersun
Within Temptation – The Silent Force
Live albums
Anthrax – Music of Mass Destruction
Disturbed – Music as a Weapon II
Dream Theater – Live at Budokan
King Diamond – Deadly Lullabyes
Queensrÿche – The Art of Live
Popular songs
Dir En Grey - Saku
DragonForce - Fury of the Storm
Exodus – War Is My Shepherd
Fear Factory – Cyberwaste
Fear Factory – Archetype
Fear Factory – Bite the Hand That Bleeds
Iced Earth – When The Eagle Cries
Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest
Lostprophets - Last Train Home UK #8
Lostprophets - Wake Up (Make a Move)
Megadeth – Blackmail the Universe
Megadeth – Die Dead Enough
Megadeth – Of Mice and Men
Nightwish – Nemo
Nightwish – Wish I Had an Angel
Rammstein – Mein Teil
Rammstein – Amerika
Rammstein – Keine Lust
Slipknot – The Blister Exists
Slipknot – Duality
Slipknot – Vermilion
Slipknot – Vermilion Pt. 2
Sonata Arctica – Don't Say a Word
Within Temptation – Stand My Ground
Events
Pantera lead guitarist Dimebag Darrell is murdered at 38 on December 8 by Nathan Gale while performing a Damageplan concert in Ohio.
The book: Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal Was released talking about the history and key points in heavy metal. Authored by Ian Christe
Van Halen reunites with Sammy Hagar (who was replaced in 1996) and toured without a new album.
Newly formed bands
Anew Revolution
Ava Inferi
Bang Camaro
Beyond Fear
Chaos Divine
Darker Half
Five Finger Death Punch
Ghost Brigade
Ithilien
Motionless in White
Periphery
Powerglove
Pride Tiger
We Came as Romans
Wretched
Disbandments
Dungeon
Living Sacrifice
Albums
Alice Cooper – Dirty Diamonds
Alice in Chains – The Essential Alice in Chains
Apocalyptica - Apocalyptica
Arch Enemy – Doomsday Machine
As I Lay Dying – Shadows Are Security
Audioslave – Out of Exile US #1 UK #5
Avenged Sevenfold – City of Evil
Between The Buried And Me – Alaska
Black Label Society – Mafia
Bolt Thrower – Those Once Loyal
Bruce Dickinson – Tyranny of Souls
Bullet for My Valentine – The Poison
Byzantine – ...And They Shall Take Up Serpents
Candlemass – Candlemass
Children of Bodom – Are You Dead Yet? FIN #1
Chimaira – Chimaira
Circus Maximus – The 1st Chapter
Deep Purple - Rapture of the Deep
Deftones – B-Sides & Rarities
Demons and Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
DevilDriver – The Fury of Our Maker's Hand
Dir En Grey - Withering to Death.
Disturbed – Ten Thousand Fists US #1
Dream Theater – Octavarium
Epica – Consign to Oblivion
Exodus – Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Fear Factory – Transgression
Gamma Ray – Majestic
God Forbid – IV: Constitution of Treason
Gojira – From Mars to Sirius
HammerFall – Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy
Immolation – Harnessing Ruin
Judas Priest – Angel of Retribution
Kamelot – The Black Halo
Korn – See You on the Other Side US #3
Kreator – Enemy of God
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Unleash the Fury
Meshuggah – Catch Thirtythree
Metalium – Demons of Insanity – Chapter Five
Mötley Crüe – Red, White & Crüe US #6
Mournful Congregation – The Monad of Creation
Mudvayne - Lost and Found
Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor
Nightrage – Descent into Chaos
Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth US #1 UK #3
Opeth – Ghost Reveries
Origin – Echoes of Decimation
Overkill – ReliXIV
Paradise Lost – Paradise Lost
Porcupine Tree – Deadwing
Power Quest – Magic Never Dies
Primal Fear -- "Seven Seals".
Primordial – The Gathering Wilderness
Priestess – Hello Master
Protest the Hero – Kezia
Rammstein – Rosenrot GER #1
Runemagick – Envenom
Sabaton – Primo Victoria
Soulfly – Dark Ages
Staind – Chapter V US #1
Static-X – Start a War
Steve Vai – Real Illusions: Reflections
Strapping Young Lad – Alien
System of a Down – Hypnotize US #1
System of a Down – Mezmerize US #1 UK #2
Thunderstone – Tools of Destruction
Trivium – Ascendancy
Volbeat – The Strength / The Sound / The Songs
Winds of Plague – A Cold Day in Hell
Live albums
Anthrax – Alive 2: The Music
Death – Live in Cottbus '98
Dio – Evil or Divine - Live in New York City Originally recorded during the Killing the Dragon tour in 2002
Exodus – Live at the DNA 2004
Iron Maiden – Death on the Road
Lamb of God – Killadelphia
Rush – R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour
Slipknot – 9.0 Live
Testament – Live in London
Popular songs
Arch Enemy - My Apocalypse
Arch Enemy - Nemesis
Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country
Avenged Sevenfold – M.I.A.
Avenged Sevenfold – Seize the Day
Children of Bodom - Trashed, Lost & Strungout
DevilDriver - Hold Back the Day
Disturbed - Stricken
Dream Theater – Octavarium
Dream Theater – The Root of All Evil
HammerFall – Blood Bound
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (Live) UK 3
Iron Maiden – The Trooper 2005 (Live) UK 5
Judas Priest – Judas Rising
Judas Priest – Revolution
Korn – Coming Undone
Korn – Twisted Transistor
Megadeth – The Scorpion
Mötley Crüe – If I Die Tomorrow
Mötley Crüe – Sick Love Song
Mudvayne - Determined
Mudvayne - Forget to Remember
Mudvayne - Happy?
Opeth – Ghost of Perdition
Opeth – The Grand Conjuration
Porcupine Tree – Shallow
Rammstein – Rosenrot
Slipknot – Before I Forget
Slipknot – The Nameless
Staind – Falling
Staind – King of all Excuses
Staind – Right Here
System of a Down – B.Y.O.B.
System of a Down – Lonely Day
Thunderstone – Tool of the Devil
Within Temptation – Angels
Events
Static-X lead guitarist Tripp Eisen was arrested in February for "lewd conduct against children."
Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch leaves the band after becoming a born again Christian and having conflicts with the band's subject matter.
Former Vader drummer Docent dies.
System of a Down is the first band since the Beatles to have two albums debut at #1 in the same year.
After Grammy Awards, #1 hits, and 3 out of 5 albums debuting at #1, System of a Down goes on an indefinite hiatus.
Newly formed bands
Black Veil Brides
Dethklok
Hellyeah
In Hearts Wake
Thy Art Is Murder
The Virginmarys
Whitechapel
Disbandments
The 22-20s
Fear Factory
Albums
After the Burial – Forging a Future Self
Agalloch – Ashes Against the Grain
Amon Amarth – With Oden on Our Side
Amorphis – Eclipse
April Wine - Roughly Speaking
Architects – Nightmares
Atreyu – A Death-Grip on Yesterday US #9
Audioslave – Revelations US #2
Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
Benighted – Identisick
Black Label Society – Shot to Hell
Budgie – You're All Living in Cuckooland
Body Count – Murder 4 Hire
Cactus - Cactus V
Cannibal Corpse – Kill
Darkthrone – The Cult Is Alive
Decapitated – Organic Hallucinosis
Def Leppard – Yeah!
Deftones – Saturday Night Wrist US #10
Dismember – The God That Never Was
DragonForce – Inhuman Rampage
Dream Evil - United
Dungeon – The Final Chapter
Edguy – Rocket Ride
Eluveitie – Spirit
Evergrey – Monday Morning Apocalypse
Gary Moore - Old New Ballads Blues
Glenn Tipton, John Entwistle and Cozy Powell – Edge of the World
Godsmack – IV US #1
HammerFall – Threshold
Hatebreed – Supremacy
In Flames – Come Clarity
Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life and Death US #9 UK #4
Krisiun – AssassiNation
Lamb of God – Sacrament US #8
Lostprophets - Liberation Transmission UK #1
Loudness -- Breaking the Taboo
Luca Turilli – The Infinite Wonders of Creation
Mastodon – Blood Mountain
Melvins – (A) Senile Animal
Ministry – Rio Grande Blood
Motörhead – Kiss of Death
Norther – Till Death Unites Us
Psycroptic – Symbols of Failure
Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime II
Rhapsody of Fire – Triumph or Agony
Rob Zombie – Educated Horses US #5
Sabaton – Attero Dominatus
Sadus – Out for Blood
Joe Satriani – Super Colossal
Satyricon – Now, Diabolical
Sepultura – Dante XXI
Sikth – Death of a Dead Day
Slayer – Christ Illusion US #5
The Sword – Age of Winters
Threat Signal – Under Reprisal
Tool – 10,000 Days US #1 UK #4
Trivium – The Crusade UK #7
Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas
Týr – Ragnarok
UFO – The Monkey Puzzle
Underoath – Define the Great Line US #2
Unearth – III: In the Eyes of Fire
Wishbone Ash - Clan Destiny
Live albums
Children of Bodom – Chaos Ridden Years – Stockholm Knockout Live
Dio – Holy Diver - Live
Dream Theater – Score
Gigantour (The album features performances by Megadeth, Dream Theater, Anthrax, Fear Factory, Life of Agony, Nevermore, Dry Kill Logic, Symphony X and Bobaflex)
Rainbow – Live in Munich 1977
Rush – Grace Under Pressure Tour
Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed – Part III
Popular songs
Avenged Sevenfold – Beast and the Harlot
Avenged Sevenfold – Burn It Down
Deftones – Hole in the Earth
Deftones – Mein
Dir En Grey - Agitated Screams of Maggots
DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames
Edguy – Superheroes
Godsmack – Speak
Godsmack – The Enemy
In Flames - Take This Life
Iron Maiden – Different World UK #3
Iron Maiden – The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
Lamb of God - Redneck
Megadeth – Gears of War
Satyricon – K.I.N.G.
Skid Row – Shut Up Baby, I Love You
Skid Row – Strength
Slayer – Cult
Slayer – Eyes of the Insane
Slayer – Jihad
Tool - Vicarious
Trivium - Detonation
Events
Alice in Chains reunite with the Jar of Flies line-up and singer William DuVall replaces the late Layne Staley.
Adult Swim on August 6, 2006 premiered Metalocalypse a show following the fictitious metal band Dethklok.
The Cult reunites for the second time after a five-year hiatus.
Due to trademark issues Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody change their name to Rhapsody of Fire.
Slipknot wins their first Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song "Before I Forget".
Finnish hard rock band Lordi wins Eurovision 2006 with Hard Rock Hallelujah scoring 292 points
Newly formed bands
Animals as Leaders
Cavalera Conspiracy
Dragony
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Iwrestledabearonce
Kvelertak
Liquid Trio Experiment
Monuments
Skin
Tesseract
Unleash the Archers
Unlocking the Truth
Disbandments
Arcturus
A Perfect Murder
The Devin Townsend Band
I Killed the Prom Queen
Liquid Trio Experiment
Reverend Bizarre
Strapping Young Lad
Send More Paramedics
Mendeed
Pungent Stench
With Passion
Nodes of Ranvier
Reformed bands
Artillery
Carcass
Crashdiet
Emperor (for a few shows)
Extreme
Rage Against the Machine
Sacred Reich
Spinal Tap
X Japan
Albums
3 Inches of Blood – Fire Up the Blades
Airbourne – Runnin' Wild
Amorphis – Silent Waters
Anaal Nathrakh – Hell Is Empty and All the Devils Are Here
Anvil – This Is Thirteen
Apocalyptica - Worlds Collide
Arch Enemy – Rise of the Tyrant
Architects – Ruin
As I Lay Dying – An Ocean Between Us US #8
Atreyu – Lead Sails Paper Anchor US #8
Avenged Sevenfold – Avenged Sevenfold US #4
Axel Rudi Pell - Diamonds Unlocked
Benighted – Icon
Between The Buried And Me – Colors
Black Sabbath – The Dio Years
Blue Cheer – What Doesn't Kill You
Bon Jovi – Lost Highway US #1 UK #2
Chimaira – Resurrection
Circus Maximus – Isolate
Darkthrone – F.O.A.D.
Dethklok – The Dethalbum
DevilDriver – The Last Kind Words
Dir En Grey - The Marrow of a Bone
Down – Down III: Over the Under
Dream Theater – Systematic Chaos
Ensiferum – Victory Songs
Entombed – Serpent Saints
Epica – The Divine Conspiracy
Exodus – The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A
Five Finger Death Punch – The Way of the Fist
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free II
Gary Moore - Close as You Get
Godsmack – Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack
Hellyeah -- "Hellyeah (album)"
Helloween – Gambling with the Devil
Iced Earth – Framing Armageddon
Kamelot – Ghost Opera
King Diamond – Give Me Your Soul...Please
Korn – Untitled album US #2
Linkin Park – Minutes to Midnight US #1 UK #1
Liquid Trio Experiment – Spontaneous combustion
Lord – Ascendence
Machine Head – The Blackening
Magnum - Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
Manowar – Gods of War
Marilyn Manson – Eat Me, Drink Me US #8 UK #8
Mayhem – Ordo ad Chao
Megadeth – United Abominations US #8
Metalium – Nothing to Undo – Chapter Six
Ministry – The Last Sucker
Mountain - Masters of War
Nightwish – Dark Passion Play
Nile – Ithyphallic
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero US #2 UK #6
Opeth – The Roundhouse Tapes
Overkill – Immortalis
Ozzy Osbourne – Black Rain US #3 UK #10
Paradise Lost – In Requiem
Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
Primal Fear -- "New Religion"
Prong – Power of the Damager
Queensrÿche – Take Cover
Rush – Snakes & Arrows US #3 CAN #3
Sabaton – Metalizer
Saxon – The Inner Sanctum
Scorpions – Humanity: Hour I GER #9
Sirenia – Nine Destinies and a Downfall
Skeletonwitch – Beyond the Permafrost
Sonata Arctica – Unia
Static-X – Cannibal
Symphony X – Paradise Lost
Ted Nugent – Love Grenade
Thunderstone – Evolution 4.0
Type O Negative – Dead Again
Vanilla Fudge – Out Through the in Door
Velvet Revolver – Libertad US #5 UK #6
Volbeat – Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil DEN #1
W.A.S.P. -- Dominator
Within Temptation – The Heart of Everything
Live albums
Anthrax – Caught in a Mosh: BBC Live in Concert Recorded in February and August 1987
Black Sabbath – Live at Hammersmith Odeon Originally recorded during the New Years weekend of 1981–82
Heart – Dreamboat Annie Live
Manowar – Gods of War Live
Megadeth – That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires
Motörhead – Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith
Queensrÿche – Mindcrime at the Moore
UFO – Live Throughout the Years
Vanilla Fudge – Good Good Rockin' – Live at Rockpalast
Extended plays
Black Veil Brides - Sex & Hollywood
Popular songs
As I Lay Dying - Nothing Left
Avenged Sevenfold – Afterlife
Avenged Sevenfold - Almost Easy
Black Sabbath – Ear In The Wall
Black Sabbath – Shadow Of The Wind
Black Sabbath – The Devil Cried
DevilDriver - Clouds Over California
Dream Theater – Constant Motion
Epica - Never Enough
Exodus – Funeral Hymn
Exodus – Riot Act
Korn – Evolution
Linkin Park – Given Up
Machine Head - Halo
Machine Head - Aesthetics of Hate
Megadeth – À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)
Megadeth – Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms
Megadeth – Washington is Next!
Nightwish - Amaranth
Sonata Arctica – Paid in Full
Thunderstone – Face in the Mirror
Type O Negative – The Profit of Doom
Within Temptation – What Have You Done
Events
Wayne Knupp, original vocalist for Devourment died on September 15.
Pat Mason of Arsonists Get All The Girls died on the morning of November 30, his 21st birthday.
Extreme reunite for the third time, announcing plans for a world tour next year, as well as a new studio album, which will be their first since 1995's Waiting for the Punchline.
Led Zeppelin get back together one more time for one concert in London.
In Sorte Diaboli (Dimmu Borgir) becomes the first extreme metal album ever to hit the #1 in a Record chart, achieving that position in Norway.
Andreas Sydow leaves Darkane, being replaced by Jens Broman.
Witold Kieltyka, drummer for Decapitated, is killed in a car crash in October.
Vocalist, Damo and manager, Andy of The Red Shore, died in December.
Anette Olzon joins Nightwish as their new lead vocalist.
Peter Lindgren leaves Opeth.
Jani Liimatainen is fired from Sonata Arctica and replaced by Elias Viljanen.
Jacob Bredahl leaves Hatesphere.
Mark St. John, guitarist of Kiss in 1984, dies in April.
The song Final Six from Slayer won in the Best Metal Performance category at the 50th Grammy Awards.
Meiju Enho leaves Ensiferum.
Paul Raven, bassist for Ministry and former Killing Joke bassist, dies in October.
Kevin DuBrow, lead singer for Quiet Riot, dies in November.
Matt Barlow returns as lead singer of Iced Earth.
Ramallah disbands.
Matte Modin is fired from Dark Funeral, for disrupting their live performance schedule through deceit, according to the band. He is replaced by Nils Fjällström of Aeon, who is given the stage name "Dominator".
Gaahl and King ov Hell part ways from Gorgoroth founding member Infernus with the intention of using the band's name and assets themselves, igniting the Gorgoroth name dispute.
Newly formed bands
Aldious
Avalanche/Amaranthe
Battle Beast
Chickenfoot
Empires of Eden
Exhorder
Ghost
Twelve Foot Ninja
Disbandments
Alabama Thunderpussy
Beneath the Sky
Byzantine
Celtic Frost
Dead to Fall
Demigod
The Duskfall
From Autumn To Ashes
Himsa
Knorkator
Mercyful Fate
Ministry
Sieges Even
SikTh
Spineshank in February
Still Remains
The Red Death
The Agony Scene
Remove the Veil
Reformed bands
At the Gates (for a few shows)
Carcass (for touring)
Einherjer (for touring)
Forbidden (for a few shows)
Krokus
Liquid Tension Experiment (for touring)
Living Sacrifice
Mercyful Fate
Spineshank in August
Vision of Disorder
Albums
AC/DC – Black Ice US #1 UK #1 AUS #1
After the Burial – Rareform
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God
Avantasia – The Scarecrow
Axel Rudi Pell - Tales of the Crown
Bullet for My Valentine – Scream Aim Fire US #4 UK #5
Byzantine – Oblivion Beckons
Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted
Children of Bodom – Blooddrunk FIN #1
Cradle of Filth – Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Darkthrone – Dark Thrones and Black Flags
Death Angel – Killing Season
Def Leppard – Songs from the Sparkle Lounge US #5 UK #10
Dir En Grey - Uroboros
Disturbed – Indestructible US #1
Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again
DragonForce – Ultra Beatdown
Edguy – Tinnitus Sanctus
Eluveitie – Slania
Gary Moore - Bad for You Baby
Gojira – The Way of All Flesh
Guns N' Roses – Chinese Democracy US #3 UK #2
Heidevolk – Walhalla Wacht
Iced Earth – The Crucible of Man
In Flames – A Sense of Purpose
Judas Priest – Nostradamus
Korpiklaani – Korven Kuningas
Loudness -- Metal Mad
Metalium – Incubus – Chapter Seven
Metallica – Death Magnetic US #1 UK #1
Melvins – Nude with Boots
Meshuggah – obZen
Mötley Crüe – Saints of Los Angeles US #4
Motörhead – Motörizer
Opeth – Watershed
Origin – Antithesis
Power Quest – Master of Illusion
Protest the Hero – Fortress CAN #1
Psycroptic – Ob(Servant)
Revocation (band) – Empire of the Obscene
Sabaton – The Art of War
Satyricon – The Age of Nero
Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone US #1 UK #2
Soulfly – Conquer
Staind – The Illusion of Progress US #3
The Sword – Gods of the Earth
Testament – The Formation of Damnation
Texas Hippie Coalition – Pride of Texas
Trivium – Shogun
Týr – Land
Underoath – Lost in the Sound of Separation US #8
Unearth – The March
Uriah Heep - Wake the Sleeper
Volbeat – Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood DEN #1
Warbringer – War Without End
Whitechapel – This Is Exile
Whitesnake – Good to Be Bad UK #5
Yngwie Malmsteen – Perpetual Flame
Winds of Plague – Decimate the Weak
Live albums
Gamma Ray – Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome
Rush – Snakes & Arrows Live CAN #8
Vanilla Fudge – Orchestral Fudge (live)
Vanilla Fudge – When Two Worlds Collide
Popular songs
AC/DC - Rock 'n' Roll Train
Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God
Bullet for My Valentine - Waking the Demon
Cavalera Conspiracy - Sanctuary
Dir En Grey - Glass Skin
DragonForce – Heroes of Our Time
Dream Theater – Forsaken
Edguy – Ministry of Saints
Eluveitie – Inis Mona
In Flames - The Mirror's Truth
Judas Priest – Nostradamus
Judas Priest – Prophecy
Judas Priest – Visions
Meshuggah – Bleed
Meshuggah – Combustion
Metallica – All Nightmare Long
Metallica – My Apocalypse
Metallica – The Day That Never Comes
Mötley Crüe – Mutherfucker of the Year
Mötley Crüe – Saints of Los Angeles
Mötley Crüe – White Trash Circus
Opeth – Burden
Opeth – Porcelain Heart
Sabaton – Cliffs of Gallipoli
Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot – Dead Memories
Slipknot – Psychosocial
Slipknot – Snuff
Slipknot – Sulfur
Trivium – Down from the Sky
Events
Chris Broderick joins Megadeth.
Iron Maiden Rerelease their 1985 Live album; Live After Death
Newly formed bands
Charred Walls of the Damned
Heart of a Coward
Huntress
Liquid Trio Experiment 2
Northlane
Woe, Is Me
Disbandments
After Forever
God Seed
Gorefest
Liquid Trio Experiment 2
Metal Church
Nothingface
Reformed bands
Fear Factory
Segression
Albums
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue US #5
Amorphis – Skyforger
Anaal Nathrakh – In the Constellation of the Black Widow
Animals as Leaders – Animals as Leaders
Arch Enemy – The Root of All Evil
Architects – Hollow Crown
Atreyu – Congregation of the Damned
Bon Jovi – The Circle US #1 UK #2
Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague
Chimaira – The Infection
Cradle of Filth – Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Def Leppard – Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
Delain – April Rain
DevilDriver – Pray for Villains
Dream Theater – Black Clouds & Silver Linings US #6
Dethklok – Deathalbum II
Eluveitie – Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion
Ensiferum – From Afar
Epica – Design Your Universe
Five Finger Death Punch – War Is The Answer US #7
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Oracles
Iwrestledabearonce – It's All Happening
Halestorm – Halestorm
Halford – Halford III: Winter Songs
HammerFall - No Sacrifice, No Victory
Hatebreed – Hatebreed
Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know US #8
Liquid Trio Experiment 2 – When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago
Kiss – Sonic Boom US #2
Korpiklaani – Karkelo
Kreator – Hordes of Chaos
Lacuna Coil – Shallow Life
Lamb Of God – Wrath US #2
Living Colour – The Chair in the Doorway
Loudness -- The Everlasting
Lord – Set in Stone
Marilyn Manson – The High End of Low US #4
Magnum - Into the Valley of the Moonking
Mastodon – Crack the Skye
Megadeth – Endgame US #9
Metalium – Grounded – Chapter Eight
Napalm Death – Time Waits for No Slave
Nile – Those Whom the Gods Detest
Paradise Lost – Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us
Porcupine Tree – The Incident
Primal Fear -- "16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)"
Queensrÿche – American Soldier
Rammstein – Liebe ist fur alle da GER #1
Saxon – Into the Labyrinth
Seventh Void – Heaven Is Gone
Sirenia – The 13th Floor
Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire
Slapshock – Carino Brutal
Slayer – World Painted Blood
Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays
Static-X – Cult of Static
Steel Panther – Feel the Steel
Stratovarius – Polaris
Threat Signal – Vigilance
Thunderstone – Dirt Metal
Tim "Ripper" Owens – Play My Game
Týr – By the Light of the Northern Star
UFO – The Visitor
Uriah Heep - Celebration
Warbringer – Waking into Nightmares
W.A.S.P. -- Babylon
We Came as Romans – To Plant a Seed
Winds of Plague – The Great Stone War
Wolf – Ravenous
Yngwie Malmsteen – High Impact
Live albums
Death Angel – Sonic German Beatdown - Live in Germany
Edguy – Fucking with Fire: Live
Iron Maiden – Flight 666
Judas Priest – A Touch of Evil: Live
Metallica – Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México
Testament – Live at Eindhoven '87 Was originally recorded in 1987 during the tour for their debut album "The Legacy"
Popular songs
Alice in Chains - Check My Brain
Animals as Leaders – CAFO
Dream Theater – A Rite of Passage
Dream Theater – Wither
Epica – Unleashed
Five Finger Death Punch - Hard to See
Mastodon - Oblivion
Megadeth – 1,320'
Megadeth – The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed With a Kiss
Megadeth – Head Crusher
Porcupine Tree – Time Flies
Rammstein – Pussy
Slayer – Hate Worldwide
Slayer – Psychopathy Red
Slayer – World Painted Blood
Slipknot – Snuff
Slipknot – Sulfur
Sonata Arctica - Flag in the Ground
Sonata Arctica - The Last Amazing Grays
Steel Panther – Death to All But Metal
Stratovarius – Deep Unknown
Stratovarius – Higher We Go
Thunderstone – I Almighty
Events
Metallica's 2008 album, Death Magnetic is nominated for four Grammy categories, winning Best Recording Package and Best Metal Performance for "My Apocalypse".
Metallica is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4.
Evile bassist Mike Alexander fell ill and died at the age of 32 on October 5 in Luleå, Sweden.
Ronnie James Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer on November 25, and is treated at the Mayo Clinic.
James "The Rev" Sullivan, the drummer of Avenged Sevenfold, dies from an accidental drug overdose on December 28.
Bon Jovi releases The Circle which debuts at number 1 on the Billboard 200.
Newly formed bands
Babymetal
Black Country Communion
Butcher Babies
Darkc3ll
Gloryhammer
King Parrot
Sarah Jezebel Deva (solo)
Wayne Static (solo)
Disbandments
Alchemist
Despised Icon
Dio
Heaven & Hell
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Revolution Renaissance
Static-X
Type O Negative (Due to Peter Steele's death)
Reformed bands
Accept
Albums
AC/DC – Iron Man 2 (soundtrack) US #4 UK #1 AUS #2
Accept – Blood of the Nations GER #4
After the Burial – In Dreams
Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Airbourne – No Guts. No Glory.
All That Remains – For We Are Many US #10
Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony
As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise US #10
Avantasia – The Wicked Symphony
Avantasia – Angel of Babylon
Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare US #1 UK #5
Axel Rudi Pell - The Crest
Bad City – Welcome to the Wasteland
Battlecross – Push Pull Destroy
Black Label Society – Order of the Black US #4
Black Veil Brides - "We Stitch These Wounds"
Bring Me the Horizon – There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret. AUS #1
Bullet for My Valentine – Fever US #3 UK #5
Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
CRASHDÏET – Generation Wild
Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth
Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
Death Angel – Relentless Retribution
Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra
Disturbed – Asylum US #1 UK #7
Deftones – Diamond Eyes US #6
Dream Evil - In the Night
Eluveitie – Everything Remains (As It Never Was)
Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Fear Factory – Mechanize
Freedom Call – Legend of the Shadowking
Gamma Ray – To the Metal!
Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Godsmack – The Oracle US #1
Grave Digger – The Clans Will Rise Again
Halford – Halford IV: Made of Metal
Heart – Red Velvet Car
Heidevolk – Uit oude grond
Hellyeah -- Stampede
Helloween – 7 Sinners
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier US #4 UK #1
Kamelot – Poetry for the Poisoned
Keel – Streets of Rock & Roll
Korn – Korn III: Remember Who You Are US #2
Krokus – Hoodoo (album)
Loudness -- King of Pain
Manowar – Battle Hymns MMXI
Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
Motionless in White – Fearless
Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns US #1 UK #2
Lostprophets - The Betrayed UK #3
Motörhead – The Wörld Is Yours
Mr. Big – What If...
Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy
Ozzy Osbourne – Scream US #4
Overkill – Ironbound
Periphery – Periphery
Ratt – Infestation
Rhapsody of Fire – The Frozen Tears of Angels
Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe 2 US #8
Sabaton – Coat of Arms
Scorpions – Sting in the Tail GER #2
Slash – Slash US #3
Soulfly – Omen
Stone Sour – Audio Secrecy
Suicidal Tendencies – No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family (contains re-recordings of songs from Join the Army as well as covers of No Mercy songs and previously unreleased songs)
The Sword – Warp Riders
Texas Hippie Coalition – Rollin
Thy Art Is Murder – The Adversary
Volbeat – Beyond Hell/Above Heaven DEN #1
Whitechapel – A New Era of Corruption
Y&T - ”Facemelter"
Young Guns - All Our Kings Are Dead
Live albums
The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria featuring Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer
Dio – Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 both shows were recorded in their respective years
Down – Diary of a Mad Band: Europe in the Year of VI
DragonForce – Twilight Dementia
Halford – Live in Anaheim (Original Soundtrack) Originally recorded in 2003
Megadeth – Rust in Peace Live
Meshuggah – Alive
Judas Priest – British Steel - 30th Anniversary - Live
Popular songs
Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare (song)
Avenged Sevenfold – Save Me
Avenged Sevenfold – So Far Away
Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Deftones – Rocket Skates
Deftones – Sextape
Deftones – You've Seen the Butcher
Exodus – Downfall
Exodus – Hammer and Life
Godsmack – Crying Like a Bitch
Iron Maiden – Coming Home
Iron Maiden – El Dorado
Iron Maiden – Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
Iron Maiden – The Talisman
Megadeth – Dialectic Chaos/This Day We Fight!
Megadeth – The Right to Go Insane
Megadeth – Sudden Death
Periphery – Icarus Lives
Rush – Caravan
Scorpions – Lorelei
Scorpions – The Best Is Yet to Come
Scorpions – The Good Die Young
Scorpions – SLY
Slayer – World Painted Blood
Events
Soundgarden reunites on New Year's Day.
Bassist and lead singer of Type O Negative, Peter Steele age 48 dies of heart failure on April 14, 2010.
Ronnie James Dio dies of stomach cancer at the age of 67 on May 16, 2010.
On June 16, "The Big Four of Thrash Metal", Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica, play together for the first time at the Sonisphere Festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland.
Judas Priest wins the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance of "Dissident Aggressor."
Iron Maiden's The Final Frontier reaches No. 1 in the U.K. for the first time since 1992's Fear of the Dark. This album also marked Iron Maiden's highest ever chart position in the United States, debuting at No. 4. Overall the release peaked at No. 1 in 28 countries.
Original Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson rejoins the band after departing in 2002.
After 25 years, Mike Portnoy leaves Dream Theater on September 8, 2010.
Scorpions announce that they will retire after touring in support of final album Sting in the Tail.
AC/DC headline Download festival, marking their return to Donington for the first time in 19 years, since 1991's Monsters of Rock. Also Rage Against the Machine and Aerosmith to headline.
Paul Gray of Slipknot dies on May 24, 2010 of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl.
Michael Kiske formed the rock band Unisonic and began touring again after 17 years.
Newly formed bands
Adrenaline Mob
Hacktivist
Killer Be Killed
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody
Thrown into Exile
Twilight Force
Disbandments
Anal Cunt (Due to Seth Putnam's death)
Atreyu (until 2014)
Disturbed (until 2015)
Luca Turilli (solo band after split from Rhapsody of Fire and formation of Luca Turilli's Rhapsody)
Mercyful Fate (On Hiatus)
Metalium
Nevermore (On Hiatus)
Rage Against the Machine (On Hiatus)
Silverchair (On Hiatus)
Iron Butterfly (after the death of Original Member Lee Dorman.)
Reformed bands
Black Sabbath
Byzantine
Coal Chamber
Ministry
Mercyful Fate
System of a Down
Albums
Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare UK #7
Amaranthe – Amaranthe
Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising
Amorphis – The Beginning of Times
Anaal Nathrakh – Passion
Animals as Leaders – Weightless
Anthrax – Worship Music US #12
Anvil – Juggernaut of Justice
Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions
Asking Alexandria – Reckless & Relentless US #9
Battlecross – Pursuit of Honor
Black Label Society – The Song Remains Not the Same
Black Veil Brides – Set the World on Fire
Bonfire – Branded
Carnifex – Until I Feel Nothing
Cavalera Conspiracy – Blunt Force Trauma
Chaos Divine – The Human Connection
Children of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever FIN #1
Chimaira – The Age of Hell
Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand
DevilDriver – Beast
Disturbed – The Lost Children
Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events US #8
Edguy - Age of the Joker
Emmure – Speaker of the Dead
Falling In Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You
Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist US #3
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Agony
Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
HammerFall - Infected
Iced Earth – Dystopia
Iwrestledabearonce – Ruining It for Everybody
Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
Korn – The Path of Totality US #10
Korpiklaani – Ukon Wacka
Limp Bizkit – Gold Cobra
Lou Reed and Metallica – Lulu
Machine Head – Unto the Locust
Magnum - The Visitation
Mastodon – The Hunter US #10
Megadeth – Thirteen US #11
The Misfits – The Devil's Rain
Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Opeth – Heritage
Origin – Entity
Power Quest – Blood Alliance
Powerwolf – Blood of the Saints
Protest The Hero – Scurrilous CAN #8
Queensrÿche – Dedicated to Chaos
Rhapsody of Fire – From Chaos to Eternity
Riot – Immortal Soul
Saxon – Call to Arms
Scar Symmetry – The Unseen Empire
Scorpions – Comeblack
Segression – Never Dead
Sepultura – Kairos
Sirenia – The Enigma of Life
Skeletonwitch – Forever Abomination
Staind – Staind US #5
Steel Panther – Balls Out
Stratovarius – Elysium FIN #1
Suicide Silence – The Black Crown
Symphony X – Iconoclast
Tesseract – One
Trivium – In Waves
Turisas - Stand Up and Fight
Týr – The Lay of Thrym
Uriah Heep – Into the Wild
Voyager – The Meaning of I
Wayne Static – Pighammer
Whitesnake – Forevermore
Wishbone Ash - Elegant Stealth
Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
Yes - Fly from Here
Live albums
Avantasia – The Flying Opera Recorded in the 2008 Wacken Open Air and Masters of Rock Festival
Mastodon – Live at the Aragon
Paradise Lost – Draconian Times MMXI
Rush – Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland
Sabaton – World War Live: Battle of the Baltic Sea
Scorpions – Live 2011: Get Your Sting & Blackout
Sonata Arctica – Live in Finland
Extended plays
Black Veil Brides - Rebels
Popular songs
Amaranthe – Hunger
Amaranthe – Amaranthine
Amon Amarth – War of the Gods
Amon Amarth – Destroyer of the Universe
Anthrax – The Devil You Know
Anthrax – Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't
Arch Enemy – Yesterday is Dead and Gone
Chaos Divine – One Door
Chimaira – Year of the Snake
DevilDriver – Dead to Rights
Dream Theater – On the Backs of Angels
Edguy - Robin Hood
Falling In Reverse - Raised By Wolves
Falling In Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You
Falling In Reverse - I'm Not A Vampire
Falling In Reverse - Good Girls Bad Guys
Falling In Reverse - Pick Up The Phone
Five Finger Death Punch – Under and Over It
Five Finger Death Punch – Remember Everything
HammerFall – One More Time
Heart of a Coward – Shade
Iced Earth – Dystopia
Korn – Get Up!
Korn – Narcissistic Cannibal
Machine Head – Locust
Mastodon – Black Tongue
Mastodon – Curl of the Burl
Megadeth – Never Dead
Megadeth – Public Enemy No. 1
Nightwish – Storytime
Periphery – Jetpacks Was Yes!
Powerwolf – We Drink Your Blood
Powerwolf – Night of the Werewolves
Powerwolf – Murder at Midnight
Sabaton – Screaming Eagles
Segression – Blood Lace, Black Day
Sirenia – The End of It All
Staind – Eyes Wide Open
Staind – Not Again
Steel Panther – 17 Girls In a Row
Symphony X – The End of Innocence
Symphony X – Electric Messiah
Tesseract – Nascent
Turisas – Stand Up and Fight
Trivium – In Waves
Trivium – Built to Fall
Within Temptation – Where Is the Edge
Within Temptation – Faster
Within Temptation – Sinéad
Within Temptation – Shot in the Dark
Events
Helloween founder Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray joins ex-Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske in his new band Unisonic.
On August 17 founding Rhapsody of Fire guitarist Luca Turilli leaves the band and as a friendly split decides to start his own Rhapsody band under the name Luca Turilli's Rhapsody.
Newly formed bands
Ashes of Ares
Black Star Riders
Device
Devil You Know
Newsted
Seven Deadly
Disbandments
Staind (until 2014)
Reformed bands
Metal Church
Static-X Wayne Static and his solo band got rights to the name and converted the solo band to Static-X
Albums
Accept – Stalingrad GER #6
Adrenaline Mob – Omertà
Aerosmith - Music from Another Dimension!
Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas
As I Lay Dying – Awakened
Axel Rudi Pell - Circle of the Oath
Baroness – Yellow & Green
Becoming the Archetype – I Am
Between the Buried and Me – The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Cannibal Corpse – Torture
Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity
Circus Maximus – Nine
Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
Cradle of Filth – The Manticore and Other Horrors
Death – Vivus!
Deftones – Koi No Yokan
Delain – We Are the Others
The Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud
Dethklok – Dethalbum III
Dokken – Broken Bones
DragonForce – The Power Within
Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme
Eluveitie – Helvetios
Emmure – Slave to the Game
Ensiferum – Unsung Heroes
Enslaved – RIITIIR
Epica – Requiem for the Indifferent
The Faceless – Autotheism
Fear Factory – The Industrialist
Freedom Call – Land of the Crimson Dawn
Goatwhore – Blood for the Master
Gojira – L'Enfant Sauvage
Hacktivist – Hacktivist (EP)
Halestorm – The Strange Case Of...
Heart – Fanatic
Heart of a Coward – Hope and Hinderance
Heidevolk – Batavi
Hellyeah -- Band of Brothers
High on Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis
Huntress – Spell Eater
Job for a Cowboy – Demonocracy
Kamelot – Silverthorn
Katatonia – Dead End Kings
Kiss – Monster US #3
Korpiklaani – Manala
Kreator – Phantom Antichrist GER #5
Lamb of God – Resolution US #3
Linkin Park – Living Things US #1 UK #1
Lostprophets - Weapons UK #9
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody – Ascending to Infinity
Magnum - On the 13th Day
Manowar – The Lord of Steel
Marilyn Manson – Born Villain US #10
Melvins – Freak Puke
Meshuggah – Koloss US #17
Ministry – Relapse
Motionless in White – Infamous
Ne Obliviscaris – Portal of I
Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay
Nile – At the Gate of Sethu
Overkill – The Electric Age
Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol
Periphery – Periphery II: This Time It's Personal
Pig Destroyer – Book Burner
Primal Fear -- Unbreakable
Prong – Carved Into Stone
Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression
Revocation – Teratogenesis
Rush – Clockwork Angels US #2 CAN #1
Sabaton – Carolus Rex
Slash – Apocalyptic Love US #4
Sonata Arctica – Stones Grow Her Name
Soulfly – Enslaved
Soundgarden – King Animal US #5
Spineshank – Anger Denial Acceptance
Stone Sour – House of Gold & Bones – Part 1
The Sword – Apocryphon
Sylosis – Monolith
Testament – Dark Roots of Earth
Texas Hippie Coalition – Peacemaker
Thy Art Is Murder – Hate
Torche – Harmonicraft
UFO – Seven Deadly
Unisonic – Unisonic
Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth US #2 UK #6
Whitechapel – Whitechapel
Xandria – Neverworld's End
Young Guns - Bones
Live albums
AC/DC – Live at River Plate
Death – Vivus!
Gamma Ray – Skeletons & Majesties Live
Godsmack – Live & Inspired
Iron Maiden – En Vivo!
Machine Head – Machine Fucking Head Live
Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder - Live: Eagles Over Wacken
Slipknot – (sic)nesses – Live at Download Festival 2009 The Video was released in 2009 while the album on CD was released as a Special Edition Disc 2 of the Antennas to Hell compilation album
Popular songs
Accept – Shadow Soldiers
Accept – Stalingrad
Accept – Twist of Fate
Amaranthe – 1.000.000 Lightyears
Anthrax – I'm Alive
Avenged Sevenfold – Carry On
Deftones – Leathers
Deftones – Swerve City
Deftones – Tempest
Dream Theater – Build Me Up, Break Me Down
Five Finger Death Punch – Coming Down
Five Finger Death Punch – The Pride
Gojira – L'Enfant Sauvage
Hacktivist – Unlike Us UK #2
Iron Maiden – Blood Brothers (live)
Kreator – Phantom Antichrist
Megadeth – Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
Meshuggah – Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion
Meshuggah – Demiurge
Meshuggah – Do Not Look Down
Meshuggah – I am Colossus
Mötley Crüe – Sex
Periphery – Make Total Destroy
Periphery – Scarlet
Sonata Arctica – I Have a Right
Testament – Native Blood
Testament – True American Hate
Events
Following the firing of Geoff Tate from Queensrÿche, Tate formed a band consisting of musicians from his solo career and titled it "Queensrÿche", despite Queensrÿche already existing with Todd La Torre as the singer. Tate believed he still owned the legal rights to the name "Queensrÿche", and following a preliminary court hearing, both band's are temporarily allowed to use the name "Queensrÿche" until the next court hearing in November 2013. Both versions of Queensrÿche have since released new albums and are touring under the same name as of April 2013.
Tony Iommi Lead Guitarist of the band Black Sabbath was diagnosed with the early stages of Lymphoma on January 9.
Drummer Dan Zimmermann of Gamma Ray leaves the band after fifteen year stable lineup. New drummer Michael Ehré.
Ian Watkins, lead vocalist of Lostprophets, was arrested and charged with child sex offences in December.
A Black Veil Brides song called "Unbroken" appeared on the soundtrack to the movie The Avengers on May 1, and is the only track released by Black Veil Brides solely on a compilation album.
Newly formed bands
Band-Maid
DVSR
Lindemann
Disbandments
Lostprophets
Static X
Power Quest (until 2016)
Albums
After the Burial – Wolves Within
Airbourne – Black Dog Barking
Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here US #2
All Hell Breaks Loose – Black Star Riders
Amaranthe – The Nexus
Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods
Amorphis – Circle
Anvil – Hope in Hell
Ashes of Ares – Ashes of Ares
Asking Alexandria – From Death to Destiny US #5
August Burns Red – Rescue & Restore US #9
Avantasia – The Mystery of Time GER #2
Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King US #1 UK #1
Battle Beast – Battle Beast
Battlecross – War of Will
The Black Dahlia Murder – Everblack
Black Sabbath – 13 US #1 UK #1
Black Veil Brides – Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones US #7
Bring Me the Horizon – Sempiternal UK #3 AUS #1
Bullet for My Valentine – Temper Temper
Butcher Babies – Goliath
Byzantine – Byzantine
Carcass – Surgical Steel
Children of Bodom – Halo of Blood
Chimaira – Crown of Phantoms
Christopher Lee – Charlemagne: The Omens of Death
A Day to Remember – Common Courtesy
Darkane – The Sinister Supremacy
Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance
Death Angel – The Dream Calls for Blood
Deafheaven – Sunbather
Deep Purple – Now What?!
Device – Device
DevilDriver – Winter Kills
The Devil Wears Prada 8:18
Dream Theater – Dream Theater US #7
Enforcer – Death by Fire
Eyes Set to Kill – Masks
Falling In Reverse - Fashionably Late
Finntroll – Blodsvept
Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1 US #2
Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2 US #2
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Labyrinth
Ghost – Infestissumam US #28
Gloryhammer – Tales from the Kingdom of Fife
Gwar – Battle Maximus
Hatebreed – The Divinity of Purpose
Heart of a Coward – Severance
Helloween – Straight Out of Hell GER #4
Huntress – Starbound Beast
Iwrestledabearonce – Late For Nothing
Inquisition – Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
Intronaut – Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words with Tones)
Ithilien - From Ashes to the Frozen Land
James LaBrie – Impermanent Resonance
Killswitch Engage – Disarm the Descent US #7
Korn – The Paradigm Shift US #8
Lord – Digital Lies
Love and Death – Between Here & Lost
Megadeth – Super Collider US #6
Metal Church – Generation Nothing
Ministry – From Beer to Eternity
Monster Magnet – Last Patrol
Motörhead – Aftershock
Newsted – Heavy Metal Music
Newsted – Metal (EP)
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks US #3 UK #2
Norma Jean – Wrongdoers
Powerwolf – Preachers of the Night
Protest the Hero – Volition CAN #7
Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate – Frequency Unknown
Queensrÿche with Todd La Torre – Queensrÿche
Rhapsody of Fire – Dark Wings of Steel
Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor US #7
Satyricon – Satyricon
Saxon – Sacrifice
Sepultura – The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Must Be the Heart
Sirenia – Perils of the Deep Blue
Soilwork – The Living Infinite
Soulfly – Savages
Stone Sour – House of Gold & Bones – Part 2
Stratovarius – Nemesis
Suicidal Tendencies – 13
Tesseract – Altered State
Trivium – Vengeance Falls
Turisas – Turisas2013
Týr – Valkyrja
Volbeat – Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies US #9 CAN #1 DEN #1
We Came as Romans – Tracing Back Roots US #8
Live albums
Black Label Society – Unblackened
Black Sabbath – Live... Gathered in Their Masses
Deep Purple – The Now What?! Live Tapes
Dream Theater – Live at Luna Park
Iced Earth – Live in Ancient Kourion
Judas Priest – Epitaph
Kreator – Dying Alive
Mastodon – Live At Brixton
Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction: Live
Rainbow – Black Masquerade
Rush – Clockwork Angels Tour
Scorpions – MTV Unplugged – Live in Athens
Testament – Dark Roots of Thrash
Popular songs
After the Burial – A Wolf Amongst Ravens
Amaranthe – The Nexus
Amaranthe – Burn with Me
Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King
Black Sabbath – End of the Beginning
Black Sabbath – God Is Dead?
Black Sabbath – Loner
Black Veil Brides – In The End
Bullet for My Valentine – Riot
Device – Vilify
Dream Theater – The Enemy Inside
Falling In Reverse - Alone
Falling In Reverse - Fashionably Late
Five Finger Death Punch – Battle Born
Five Finger Death Punch – Lift Me Up (feat. Rob Halford)
Ghost – Secular Haze
Ghost – Year Zero
Helloween – Burning Sun
Helloween – Hold Me in Your Arms
Helloween – Nabatea
Helloween – Waiting for the Thunder
Killswitch Engage – In Due Time
Korn – Love & Meth
Korn – Never Never
Korn – Spike In My Veins
Megadeth – Super Collider
Powerwolf – Sacred & Wild
Powerwolf – In the Name of God
Saxon – Night of the Wolf
Saxon – Warriors of the Road
Sevendust – Decay
Sonata Arctica – Alone In Heaven
Stratovarius – Unbreakable
Stratovarius – Halcyon Days
Tesseract – Of Mind: Nocturne
Trivium – Brave This Storm
Trivium – Strife
Turisas – For Your Own Good
Turisas – Ten More Miles
Volbeat – Room 24 (feat. King Diamond)
Within Temptation – Paradise (What About Us?) (feat. Tarja Turunen)
Events
After his car crash in 2008, original Deftones bassist Chi Cheng went into a coma. In April 2013 he died in hospital.
As part of the 2013 legs of their Maiden England World Tour, Iron Maiden will perform at their record breaking fifth Download Festival, their third performance at the Rock in Rio festival, as well as their very first show in Paraguay.
On May 6 Iced Earth drummer Brent Smedley steps down from the band due to personal reasons, was replaced by drummer Raphael Saini to play on the recording of their eleventh studio album which would later be confirmed titled as Plagues of Babylon as well as filling in on tour, Jon Dette took over as the touring drummer in November that year.
Black Sabbath's new album 13 became the first and only album by Black Sabbath to reach number 1 in America after 45 years of recording. Originally the closest they ever got to the number 1 spot in America was with their album Master of Reality which peaked at number 3.
Due to legal reasons, Ghost in the United States was forced to change their name to Ghost B.C.
Due to Tony Campos owning 50% name rights to the band, Wayne Static was forced to split up Static X again.
Former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr died at his home due to complications of multiple sclerosis.
Iron Maiden re-released their 1989 live concert VHS/live album Maiden England under the new title Maiden England '88 on DVD, CD, and LP formats.
Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe was acquitted of his manslaughter charges and was released.
Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to a series of child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. A month prior to his guilty plea, the remaining members of Lostprophets announced that they were disbanding.
Rob Caggiano departed from Anthrax to pursue a different musical direction. A couple of weeks later, it was announced that he had joined Volbeat whom he recently helped with production on their most recent album.
Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo was dismissed from the band prior to the Australian Soundwave Festival and was temporarily replaced by former drummer Jon Dette. Former drummer Paul Bostaph later returned to fill-in on drums full-time.
Slayer guitarist and songwriter Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure on May 2, 2013, in a local Los Angeles hospital near his home in Southern California's Inland Empire. On May 9, 2013, the official cause of death was announced as alcohol-related cirrhosis.
Hammer Studios in Hamburg, Germany burned down on 18 November. No-one was hurt but a lot of valuable equipment was destroyed. Gamma Ray's upcoming album along with Deep Purple's new live album are expected to be delayed.
Slipknot On December 12, 2013, the band announced through their official website that long-time member and drummer, Joey Jordison had parted ways with the band after 18 years citing personal reasons.
Newly formed bands
Act of Defiance
Grimace
Wovenwar
Disbandments
Chimaira
Newsted
Reformed bands
Atreyu
Despised Icon
Albums
AC/DC – Rock or Bust
Accept - Blind Rage
Adrenaline Mob – Men of Honor
Agalloch – The Serpent & the Sphere
Alestorm – Sunset on the Golden Age
Amaranthe – Massive Addictive
Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion
Arch Enemy – War Eternal
At The Gates – At War with Reality
Axel Rudi Pell - Into the Storm
Babymetal – Babymetal
Behemoth – The Satanist FIN #7 GER #11 POL #1
Black Label Society – Catacombs of the Black Vatican US #5
Black Veil Brides - "Black Veil Brides IV"
Body Count – Manslaughter
Caleb Johnson – Testify
Carnifex – Die Without Hope
Cavalera Conspiracy – Pandemonium
Chevelle – La Gárgola
Crowbar – Symmetry in Black
Deathstars – The Perfect Cult
Delain – The Human Contradiction
Demon Hunter – Extremist
Devil You Know – The Beauty of Destruction
DragonForce – Maximum Overload
Edguy – Space Police: Defenders of the Crown
Eluveitie – Origins
Emmure – Eternal Enemies
Epica – The Quantum Enigma
Exodus -- Blood In, Blood Out
Falconer – Black Moon Rising
Flyleaf – Between the Stars
Freedom Call – Beyond
Gamma Ray – Empire of the Undead FIN #12
Godsmack – 1000hp
HammerFall – (r)Evolution
Hellyeah -- Blood For Blood
Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon
Iron Savior – Rise of the Hero
In Flames – Siren Charms
Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed
Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls US #6
Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo
Linkin Park – The Hunting Party US #3 UK #2
Loudness -- The Sun Will Rise Again
Machine Head -- "Bloodstone & Diamonds"
Magnum - Escape from the Shadow Garden
Manowar – Kings of Metal MMXIV
Mastodon – Once More 'Round the Sun US #6 UK #10
Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare
Monuments – The Amanuensis
Mors Principium Est – Dawn of the 5th Era
Motionless in White – Reincarnate
Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel
Nothing More – Nothing More
Opeth – Pale Communion
Overkill – White Devil Armory
Periphery – Clear (EP)
Primal Fear -- "Delivering the Black"
Prong – Ruining Lives
Sabaton – Heroes
Scar Symmetry – The Singularity, Phase 1: Neohumanity
Segression – Painted In Blood
Sixx:A.M. – Modern Vintage
Slash – World On Fire
Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter
Sonic Syndicate – Sonic Syndicate
Sonata Arctica – Pariah's Child
Steel Panther – All You Can Eat
Suicide Silence – You Can't Stop Me
Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
Uriah Heep - Outsider
Vanden Plas – Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld (Path 1)
Voyager – V
Whitechapel – Our Endless War US #10
Within Temptation – Hydra UK #6
Wovenwar – Wovenwar
Xandria – Sacrificium
Yes - Heaven & Earth
Live albums
Anthrax – Chile on Hell
Prong – Unleashed In The West: Live in Berlin
Popular songs
Amaranthe – Drop Dead Cynical
Arch Enemy – War Eternal
Arch Enemy – You Will Know My Name
Black Label Society – My Dying Time
Black Veil Brides - Goodbye Agony
Black Veil Brides - Faithless
Black Veil Brides - Heart Of Fire
Body Count - Talk Shit, Get Shot
Deathstars – All the Devil's Toys
Demon Hunter - Artificial Light
Exodus – Salt the Wound
Five Finger Death Punch – House of the Rising Sun
Five Finger Death Punch – Wrong Side of Heaven
Godsmack – 1000hp
Godsmack – Something Different
Godsmack – What's Next?
In Flames – Rusted Nail
In Flames – Through Oblivion
Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls
Machine Head - Now We Die
Mastodon – High Road
Mastodon – The Motherload
Nothing More – This is the Time (Ballast)
Nothing More – Mr. MTV
Slipknot – Killpop
Slipknot – The Negative One
Slipknot – The Devil In I
Sonata Arctica – The Wolves Die Young
Events
Angela Gossow leaves Arch Enemy but remains as the band's manager. She is replaced by Alissa White-Gluz, former vocalist of The Agonist. On the same day, The Agonist have announced they have parted ways with Alissa and that Vicky Psarakis had taken over as their new vocalist.
Bassist Greg Christian leaves Testament. He is replaced by former bassist, Steve DiGiorgio who played on the albums The Gathering and First Strike Still Deadly
Malcolm Young of ACDC has taken break from the band due to his illness. The Band posted a message to the fans that they will continue to make music again.
The remaining members of Lostprophets regroup as No Devotion with former Thursday and United Nations frontman Geoff Rickly joining the group as lead vocalist due to former frontman Ian Watkins' conviction on child sexual abuse.
Gwar frontman Dave Brockie dies of an accidental heroin overdose on March 23, 2014. The band formed the Dave Brockie Foundation.
As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis is sentenced to 6 years in jail on May 16 for murder-for-hire.
Iced Earth cancel their Summer tour including their appearance at Wacken Open Air due to founding member Jon Schaffer requiring cervical fusion surgery.
Static-X, frontman Wayne Static, dies at 48 on November 1.
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is arrested on November 5 for murder-for-hire, drug possession and threatening to kill, murder-for-hire charge is dropped the next day but other charges remain.
Both Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick leave Megadeth in late November.
Disbandments
3 Inches of Blood
Motörhead
Reformed bands
Disturbed
Evanescence
Albums
10 Years – From Birth to Burial
Act of Defiance – Birth and the Burial
Amorphis – Under the Red Cloud
Angra – Secret Garden
Apocalyptica - Shadowmaker
August Burns Red - Found in Far Away Places US #9 CAN #7
Baroness (band) – Purple
Battle Beast – Unholy Savior FIN #1
Between the Buried and Me – Coma Ecliptic
Blind Guardian – Beyond the Red Mirror GER #4
Bullet for My Valentine – Venom
Chaos Divine – Colliding Skies
Children of Bodom – I Worship Chaos
Cradle of Filth – Hammer of the Witches
Devil You Know – They Bleed Red
Disturbed – Immortalized
DVSR – DVSR
Enforcer – From Beyond
Ensiferum – One Man Army
Falling In Reverse - Just Like You ARIA #8
Fear Factory – Genexus
Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six
Ghost – Meliora
Gloryhammer – Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards
Halestorm - Into the Wild Life US #5 UK #10 CAN #7
Helloween – My God-Given Right GER #8
In Hearts Wake – Skydancer
Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls
IMPERIA - Tears of Silence
Kamelot – Haven
The Killer Instinct – Black Star Riders
Korpiklaani – Noita
Lamb of God – VII: Sturm und Drang
Leaves' Eyes – King of Kings
Lindemann – Skills in Pills
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody – Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus
Marilyn Manson - The Pale Emperor US #8 CAN #4 AUS #6
Motörhead - Bad Magic
Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful FIN #1
Northlane – Node
Papa Roach - F.E.A.R.
Paradise Lost – The Plague Within
Parkway Drive – Ire
Pentagram - Curious Volume
Periphery – Juggernaut: Alpha
Periphery – Juggernaut: Omega
Powerwolf – Blessed & Possessed
Psycroptic – Psycroptic
Scorpions – Return to Forever GER #2
Sirenia – The Seventh Life Path
Slayer – Repentless
Soulfly – Archangel
Stratovarius – Eternal
The Sword – High Country
Sylosis – Dormant Heart
Symphony X – Underworld
Tesseract – Polaris
Three Days Grace - Human CAN #2
Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War AUS #7
Trivium – Silence in the Snow
UFO - A Conspiracy of Stars
Uriah Heep - Totally Driven
Live albums
Tesseract – Odyssey/Scala
Popular songs
Amaranthe – Digital World
Amaranthe – True
Amorphis – Death of a King
Amorphis – Sacrifice
Avantasia – Mystery of a Blood Red Rose
Between the Buried and Me – Memory Palace
Between the Buried and Me – The Coma Machine
Blind Guardian – Twilight of the Gods
Cradle of Filth – Right Wing of the Garden Triptych
Disturbed – The Vengeful One
Dream Theater – The Gift of Music
DVSR – Life and Death
DVSR – Shutdown
DVSR – Unconscious
DVSR – The Forked Tongue
Fear Factory – Soul Hacker
Fear Factory – Protomech
Fear Factory – Dielectric
Five Finger Death Punch – Jekyll and Hyde
Ghost – Cirice
Gloryhammer – Rise of the Chaos Wizards
Halestorm – Apocalyptic
Kamelot – Insomnia
Lamb of God – Still Echoes
Lamb of God – 512
Leaves' Eyes – Halvdan the Black
Leaves' Eyes – The Waking Eye
Lindemann – Praise Abort
Marilyn Manson – Third Day of a Seven Day Binge
Marilyn Manson – Deep Six (song)
Marilyn Manson – Cupid Carries a Gun
Marilyn Manson – The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles
Megadeth – Fatal Illusion
Megadeth – The Threat is Real
Nightwish – Élan
Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Nothing More – Jenny
Papa Roach – Face Everything and Rise
Paradise Lost – No Hope in Sight
Paradise Lost – Beneath Broken Earth
Parkway Drive – Crushed
Periphery – Alpha
Periphery – Psychoshere
Periphery – Stranger Things
Periphery – The Bad Thing
Powerwolf – Army of the Night
Slayer – Repentless
Slayer – When the Stillness Comes
Slipknot – Killpop
Soulfly – We Sold Our Souls to Metal
Stratovarius – Shine in the Dark
Stratovarius – My Eternal Dream
Symphony X – Nevermore
Symphony X – Without You
Three Days Grace – Painkiller
Three Days Grace – I Am Machine
Three Days Grace – Human Race
Trivium – Silence in the Snow
Trivium – Blind Leading the Blind
Trivium – Until the World Goes Cold
Events
On April 7, Iced Earth announced following a period of inactivity due to founding member Jon Schaffer's cervical fusion surgery that the band would begin writing for their 12th studio album tentatively titled The Judas Goat and that drummer Brent Smedley would rejoin the band.
On April 20, AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd pleaded guilty to threat to kill and drug charges, though one threat to kill charge is dropped.
In April, soon after Phil Rudd pleaded guilty to threat to kill and drug charges, AC/DC announced Chris Slade as the band's official drummer.
On May 1, former Static-X bassist Tony Campos leaves Soulfly and joins Fear Factory replacing bassist Matt DeVries.
On June 23, Disturbed unexpectedly announce their reunion after going on hiatus in 2011.
On July 9, Phil Rudd is sentenced to an eight month period of house arrest.
On July 19, Phil Rudd is arrested again after breaching the terms of his house arrest sentence.
On July 21, After the Burial guitarist Justin Lowe was found dead aged 32 after going missing. He previously made a public statement which displayed signs of mental instability.
On July 23, Avenged Sevenfold parts ways with drummer of four years Arin Ilejay citing musical differences.
On November 13, Motörhead drummer, Phil 'Animal' Taylor passes away.
On December 28, Motörhead founder and frontman Lemmy Kilimister dies from cancer. On the following day, the band announced that they would break up.
Newly formed bands
Invidia
Disbandments
Agalloch
Mötley Crüe
Reformed bands
Power Quest
Albums
Airbourne – Breakin' Outta Hell
Amaranthe – Maximalism (album)
Amon Amarth – Jomsviking GER #1
Anthrax – For All Kings US #9
Avantasia – Ghostlights
Axel Rudi Pell - Game of Sins
Babymetal – Metal Resistance
Brujeria – Pocho Aztlan
Cactus - Black Dawn
A Day to Remember – Bad Vibrations US #2 AUS #1
Death Angel – The Evil Divide US #98
Despised Icon – Beast
Destruction – Under Attack
DevilDriver – Trust No One
Dream Theater – The Astonishing
Epica - The Holographic Principle
Fates Warning – Theories of Flight
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Gojira – Magma
Grand Magus – Sword Songs
HammerFall – Built to Last
In Flames – Battles
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Killswitch Engage – Incarnate US #6
Korn – The Serenity of Suffering
Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Magnum - Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies
Megadeth – Dystopia US #3
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
Metal Church – XI US #57
Metallica – Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
Nemesea - Uprise
Opeth – Sorceress
Oracles - Miserycorde
Periphery – Periphery III: Select Difficulty
Primal Fear – Rulebreaker
Rhapsody of Fire – Into the Legend
Sabaton – The Last Stand
Serenity – Codex Atlanticus
Sirenia – Dim Days of Dolor
Sodom – Decision Day
Sonata Arctica – The Ninth Hour
Suicidal Tendencies – World Gone Mad
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
Thunderstone – Apocalypse Again
Live albums
Sabaton – Heroes on Tour
Steel Panther – Live from Lexxi's Mom's Garage
Popular songs
Airbourne – Breakin' Outta Hell
Airbourne – Rivalry
Amaranthe – That Song
Amaranthe – Fury
Amaranthe – Maximalise
Amon Amarth – First Kill
Amon Amarth – At Dawn's First Light
Amon Amarth – Raise Your Horns
Anthrax – Breathing Lightning
Anthrax – Blood Eagle Wings
Anthrax – Monster at the End
Avantasia – Ghostlights
Avantasia – Draconian Love
DevilDriver – Daybreak
Dream Theater – Moment of Betrayal
Dream Theater – Our New World
Epica – Universal Death Squad
Epica – Edge of the Blade
Fleshgod Apocalypse – The Fool
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Cold as Perfection
Gojira – Stranded
Gojira – Silvera
Grand Magus – Varangian
HammerFall – The Sacred Vow
HammerFall – Hammer High
In Flames – The End
In Flames – The Truth
Kamelot – My Therapy
Korn – Rotting in Vain
Korn – Insane
Korn – A Different World
Korn – Take Me
Lacuna Coil – The House of Shame
Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Megadeth – Dystopia
Megadeth – Poisonous Shadows
Megadeth – Post American World
Metal Church – Killing Your Time
Metal Church – No Tomorrow
Metal Church – Reset
Metallica – Hardwired
Metallica – Moth Into Flame
Motionless in White – 570
Opeth – Sorceress
Opeth – Will O the Wisp
Opeth – The Wilde Flowers
Rhapsody of Fire – Distant Sky
Serenity – Follow Me
Serenity – Spirit in the Flesh
Sirenia – The 12th Hour
Sonata Arctica – Closer to an Animal
Sonata Arctica – Life
Sonata Arctica – We Are What We Are
Stratovarius – Until the End of Days
Suicidal Tendencies – Clap Like Ozzy
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
Thunderstone – The Path
Thunderstone – Through the Pain
Events
From January to September, Black Sabbath embarked on their final tour, dubbed The End Tour.
On February 13, Horns Up, hosted on KLOS by Stew Herrera (former DJ of KNAC), is aired for the first time. The show runs on Saturday nights on KLOS from 9PM to 12AM.
In February, Brian Johnson of AC/DC was forced to leave the band or face total hearing loss.
In April, Guns N' Roses reunited with original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan for their Not in This Lifetime... Tour.
On April 16, guitarist Angus Young of AC/DC joined Guns N' Roses on stage at Coachella to announce Axl Rose as AC/DC's new lead singer for the remainder of the Rock or Bust World Tour and beyond.
On May 7, marked the debut of Axl Rose as AC/DC's new lead singer.
On September 19, bassist Cliff Williams of AC/DC released a video formally announcing his retirement from the music industry. Angus later clarified the band will continue with a new bassist and Axl Rose remaining as lead singer.
Newly formed bands
Disbandments
Black Sabbath
Reformed bands
Albums
Band-Maid – Just Bring It
Ithilien – Shaping the Soul
Mastodon – Emperor of Sand
Live albums
Popular songs
Events
In February, Metallica performed at the Grammys alongside Lady Gaga.
In February, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young yet again joined Guns N' Roses on stage on two of their Australian shows for their Not in This Lifetime... Tour.
