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2002 in music
By location
United Kingdom Norway South Korea
By genre
classical country heavy metal hip hop jazz Latin
By topic
List of albums released

(table)

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This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in 2002.

Newly formed bands

Reformed bands

Albums

3 Inches of Blood – Battlecry Under a Winter Sun
36 Crazyfists – Bitterness the Star
The Acacia Strain – ...And Life Is Very Long
Agalloch – The Mantle
All That Remains – Behind Silence and Solitude
Amon Amarth – Versus the World
Arghoslent – Incorrigible Bigotry
Anvil – Still Going Strong
Atreyu – Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
Avantasia – The Metal Opera Part II
Bathory – Nordland I
Behemoth – Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)
Beseech – Souls Highway
Between the Buried and Me – Between the Buried and Me
Black Label Society – 1919 Eternal
Black Sabbath – Past Lives (live)
Blind Guardian – A Night at the Opera
Bloodbath – Resurrection Through Carnage
Bolt Thrower – Honour – Valour – Pride
Bon Jovi – Bounce
Breaking Benjamin – Saturate
Cathedral – The VIIth Coming
Cannibal Corpse – Gore Obsessed
Chevelle – Wonder What's Next
Coal Chamber – Dark Days
Cog – Just Visiting Part One (EP)
Cog – Just Visiting Part Two (EP)
Crazy Town – Darkhorse
Danzig – Danzig 777: I Luciferi
Darkane – Expanding Senses
Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done
Decapitated – Nihility
Demon Hunter – Demon Hunter
Despised Icon – Consumed by Your Poison
Def Leppard – X
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP)
Dio – Killing the Dragon
Disturbed – Believe
Down – Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
Dream Evil – Dragonslayer
Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Electric Wizard – Let Us Prey
Fall of the Leafe - Fermina
Fear Factory – Concrete (originally recorded in 1991, but not released until 2002)
Finch – What It Is to Burn
Firewind – Between Heaven and Hell
Freak Kitchen – Move
HammerFall – Crimson Thunder
Hardline – II
Hatebreed – Perseverance
Hate Eternal – King of All Kings
Heaven Shall Burn – Whatever It May Take
High on Fire – Surrounded by Thieves
Immolation – Unholy Cult
Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness
In Flames – Reroute to Remain
Iron Savior – Condition Red
Isis – Oceanic
Kataklysm – Shadows & Dust
Killswitch Engage – Alive or Just Breathing
King Diamond – Abigail II: The Revenge
Korn – Untouchables
Krux – Krux
Kylesa – Kylesa
Lacuna Coil – Comalies
Lordi – Get Heavy
Luca Turilli – Prophet of the Last Eclipse
Manowar – Warriors of the World
Mastodon – Remission
Megadeth – Rude Awakening (live)
Megadeth – Still Alive... and Well? (compilation)
Mercenary – Everblack
Meshuggah – Nothing
Motörhead – Hammered
Mudvayne – The End Of All Things To Come
Nightwish – Century Child
Nine Inch Nails – And All That Could Have Been (live)
Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines
Nonpoint - Development
Norma Jean – Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
Opeth – Deliverance
Orange Goblin – Coup de Grace
Origin – Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas
Otep – Sevas Tra
Pagan's Mind – Celestial Entrance
Pain – Nothing Remains the Same
Papa Roach – Lovehatetragedy
Pitchshifter – PSI
Poison the Well – Tear from the Red
Power Quest – Wings of Forever
Primal Fear – Black Sun
Pro-Pain – Shreds of Dignity
Protest the Hero – A Calculated Use of Sound
QueenAdreena – Drink Me
Raunchy – Velvet Noise
The Red Chord – Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Rhapsody – Power of the Dragonflame
Rotting Christ – Genesis
Rush – Vapor Trails
Sacrificium – Cold Black Piece of Flesh
Satyricon – Volcano
Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder
Scarve – Luminiferous
Sentenced – The Cold White Light
Seven Witches – Xiled to Infinity and One
Shadows Fall – The Art of Balance
Sinergy – Suicide by My Side
Slechtvalk – The War That Plagues the Lands
Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos
Sonata Arctica – Songs of Silence – Live in Tokyo (live)
Soulfly – 3
Spectre Dragon – Under Hell's Command
Star One – Space Metal
Stone Sour – Stone Sour
SugarComa – Becoming Something Else
Symphony X – The Odyssey
System of a Down – Steal This Album!
Theory of a Deadman – Theory of a Deadman
Threshold – Critical Mass
Trapt – Trapt
Týr – How Far to Asgaard
Underoath – The Changing of Times
Vader – Revelations
Vanden Plas – Beyond Daylight
Vintersorg – Visions from the Spiral Generator
Visions of Atlantis – Eternal Endless Infinity
WarCry – WarCry
WarCry – El Sello de los Tiempos
Winds – Reflections of the I
Whispering Gallery – Lost as One

Disbandments

Events

Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley is found dead from an overdose of heroin.
HIV-stricken former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby dies from a heroin overdose.
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine disbands the band after severely injuring his arm leaving him unable to play.
Ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Drowning Pool singer Dave Williams dies on Wednesday August 14, 2002. He was found inside his tour bus, dead of cardiomyopathy.^[1]
Dave Lombardo rejoins Slayer.
Tarot bassist Marko Hietala leaves Sinergy and joins Nightwish as their new bassist.
Guitarist Jeff Phillips joins Kittie as a session member, replacing Fallon Bowman. Bassist Talena Atfield quits and is replaced by Jennifer Arroyo.
Mötley Crüe drummer Randy Castillo dies of cancer.^[2]

Preceded by2001 Heavy Metal Timeline 2002 Succeeded by2003

v t e Timeline of heavy metal and hard rock music
Heavy metal music before 1970
20th century	... 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Newly formed bands

Reformed bands

Albums

Disbandments

Events

References