This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal music in the year 1993.

Newly formed bands

Reformed bands

• Atheist
• Cream- for a few shows
• Dio
• Dokken

Albums

Events

• Accept reforms with Udo Dirkshneider on vocals for a new album and European/American tour
• After a brief hiatus, Atheist reform to record their final album, Elements, in order to finish their third album contract to their record label. After this, the band breaks up again a year later.
• Bruce Dickinson leaves Iron Maiden. Wolfsbane's singer Blaze Bayley is chosen to replace him.
• Rob Halford of Judas Priest leaves the band to start his own project Fight
• The band Betrayer assumes the name Belphegor
• Michael Kiske of Helloween leaves the band due to personal reasons. He was replaced by Andi Deris.
• Alex Skolnick and Louie Clemente of Testament are out of the band and replaced by James Murphy on guitar and John Tempesta on drums. Skolnick later joins Savatage to replace the late Criss Oliva.
• Euronymous – guitarist and mainman of Norwegian black metal band Mayhem as well as founder and manager of record label Deathlike Silence Productions and Oslo store Helvete – was murdered on August 10, by fellow black metal musician Varg Vikernes (aka Count Grishnackh) of one-man band Burzum as well as bassist of Mayhem.
• Criss Oliva of Savatage was killed in a car crash on October 17 by a drunk driver.
• Japanese power metal band X changes their name to "X Japan".