2012 in music
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List of albums released

List of albums released

Events

On January 4, American metalcore act Killswitch Engage have decided to continue without Howard Jones (ex-Blood Has Been Shed).^[35] On February 6, the band announced that original singer Jesse Leach has taken Jones' place.^[36]
On January 9, it was announced that Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with lymphoma. However, the band have stated that they will continue recording their new album.^[37] Within a month, the band announced that drummer Bill Ward has decided to leave the band.^[38]^[39]
Singaporean grindcore act Wormrot were detained in Malaysia by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department. The reasoning for their arrest was "it is wrong for unmarried Muslim men and women to be in [the same] room."^[40]
Cryptopsy announced their new bassist is Olivier Pinard (Neuraxis).^[41]
After 16 years with the band, Anvil bassist Glenn Gyorffy (aka Glen Five) leaves the band to "broaden [his] horizons".^[42]
Graveworm announced the return of founding member/guitarist Stefan Unterpertinger after a 10-year absence.^[43]
Warbringer announced the departure of founding member/guitarist Adam Carroll, and his replacement as Andrew Bennett.^[44]
After previously working with the band, Byron Stroud (Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad) announced he is joining 3 Inches of Blood as their new permanent bassist.^[45]
Founding member/guitarist of crossover thrash act D.R.I., Spike Cassidy, was rushed to the hospital due to complications with a colectomy.^[46]
The Haunted founding member/vocalist Peter Dolving abruptly departs from the band via Facebook.^[47] On October 16, founding lead guitarist Anders Björler leaves the band for the second time along with drummer Per Möller Jensen.^[48]
Death metal band Suffocation parted ways with founding drummer Mike Smith due to musical differences.^[49]
Christopher Amott, founding guitarist/vocalist leaves Arch Enemy because "Christopher simply isn't into playing extreme metal anymore."^[50]
Brazilian Metal Open Air festival takes place, but is cancelled after severe logistical and financial problems.^[51]
Michael Keene of technical death metal band The Faceless announced through Twitter that founding guitarist Steve Jones has departed from the band. This leaves Keene as the only original member left. Wes Hauch will be filling Steve's spot as the newest member.^[52]
The Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth, UK was cancelled due to their weak economy.^[53]
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) quits Bloodbath due to lack of interest in the death metal scene.^[54]
Threat Signal announced the departure of drummer Alex Rüdinger due to his interest to pursue other projects.^[55]
Slayer have announced that Jeff Hanneman will me taking more time off from the band to concentrate on his rehabilitation. Back in 2011, Jeff contracted necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease) on his right arm from a spider bite, and has been struggling in recovery since then. Gary Holt (Exodus) will continue to fill Jeff's spot until he is well enough to return. Slayer said "How long will that be? The best and most honest answer we can give you is 'as long as it takes.'"^[56]
Dark Funeral signed a three album record deal with Century Media Records.^[57]
Drummer Patrice Hamelin of Canadian death metal band Martyr has quit the band. "Martyr is on hold for now."^[58]
Marduk were banned from Minsk, Belarus. "Pavel Radzivonaw, a departmental head at the Prosecutor General's Office, told reporters on Monday that Marduk's concert, scheduled for May 22, would not take place. 'The band preaches Satanism, which has nothing to do with art,' he says. 'This is an affront to Christian values, they preach the ideas of death, of the Third Reich.'"^[59]
Angra vocalist Edu Falaschi announced his departure from the band. Bassist Felipe Andreoli also announced his departure from Almah.^[60]
Iron Maiden's 1982 album The Number of the Beast won 9.2% of the 30,000 votes cast in the UK for their favorite British album of the past 60 years.^[61]
Sonic Syndicate's founding member/guitarist Roger Sjunnesson quits the band.^[62]
Queensrÿche parts ways with founding member/vocalist Geoff Tate. The band also announced Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre hired as his replacement.^[63]
Kamelot announced their new vocalist as Tommy Karevik (Seventh Wonder).^[64]
Guitarist Liem N'Guyen leaves Benighted after 14 years with the band. His replacement is said to be Adrien Guerin.^[65]
Peter Wichers leaves Soilwork again due to "musical differences".^[66]
Atheist announced the return of bassist Tony Choy.^[67]
Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe was arrested on June 28, 2012, by Czech Police for causing a fan's death by pushing him off stage in Prague, Czech Republic. The band's publicists, have stated that Blythe is "wrongfully accused".^[68] Blythe was released on bail for 4,000,000 Czech Koruna (US$200,000), and has been held in the country because he was "considered a flight risk by the judge".^[69] Blythe posted bail, but due to the prosecutor's complaint, his bail was doubled to 8,000,000 Czech Koruna (US$400,000).^[70] Due to his jail-time being longer than expected, Lamb of God's tour with Dethklok and Gojira was cancelled.^[71] On August 3 Randy was released from prison after 5 weeks, Lamb of God was confirmed for Knotfest.^[72]
Frontman/guitarist Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains. He was released July 11 to continue the rest of the tour.^[73]
The frontman/guitarist Josef "Humanoid" Vesely of death metal band !T.O.O.H.! was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.^[74]
Blood Stain Child parts ways with female vocalist Sophia Aslanidou. In December she is replaced by Kiki, "What makes her so unique and talented is to be able to handle both clean voice and scream voice."^[75]^[76]
Dagoba guitarist Izakar leaves the band due to "musical differences" and to focus on his other project Blazing War Machine.^[77]
Nuclear Blast "quit the copyright case" against 80 alleged file-sharers for sharing the All Shall Perish album "This Is Where It Ends". The label went ahead with the charges without the band's permission.^[78]
Ministry front-man Al Jourgensen collapsed on stage during a live performance. The doctors said, "he was examined by numerous physicians and diagnosed to have had a full-system collapse due to extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion intensified by the lack of ventilation on stage at the venue. Doctors confirm via blood tests conducted that Jourgensen's alcohol blood levels were well below normal and no narcotics were found in his system." The remainder of the weeks tour dates were canceled, until Al was feeling well enough to continue the "DeFiBriLlaTouR European tour".^[79]
Baroness were caught in a terrible bus accident, where the bus fell 30 feet from a viaduct near Bath. A Facebook page statement was released as follows, "The band members of Baroness and their crew are recovering from injuries sustained after their tour bus crashed outside of Bath England early on Wednesday morning. John Baizley has broken his left arm and left leg. Allen Blickle and Matt Maggioni each suffered fractured vertebrae. All three remain in the hospital as of this writing. Pete Adams has been treated and released from the hospital. Three of the five crew members who were on the bus have also been treated and released. One member is still undergoing testing."^[80]
Anthrax's song "Got The Time" was the first heavy metal song played on the planet Mars. The song "was one of several songs on NASA's wake-up playlist for the Mars Rover, Curiosity, that touched down on the Red Planet August 5th."^[81]
Decapitated drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner quits the band due to "personal differences".^[82]
Eluveitie lead guitarist Simeon Koch leaves the band after 8 years. Rafael Salzmann will be his replacement for live performances.^[83]
Hydra Head Records has indefinitely closed its doors.^[84]
Nightwish lead singer Anette Olzon parts ways with the band after 5 years. Floor Jansen (ex-After Forever) will replace her for the remainder of the band's Imaginaerum World Tour.^[85]
Gwar announces their newest lead guitarist Pustulus Maximus on October 1.^[86]
Metallica announces the launch of their own record label "Blackened Recordings", and have taken ownership of all their previous mastered tracks.^[87]
Megadeth end their contract with Roadrunner Records after 5 years and 3 albums.^[88]
On November 9, 2012, Amberian Dawn announced on their official site, that they are parting ways with singer Heidi Parviainen, along with drummer Heikki Saari and guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen. The replacement members are new vocalist Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen, and ex-members Joonas Pykälä-aho (drums) and Emil "Emppu" Pohjalainen (guitar). Parviainen explained via Facebook, "Early this year we noticed that we had reached the point where we didn't have much to offer to each other any more, and my own ambitions and Amberian Dawn's goals weren't coinciding any longer."

Deaths

January 3 – Joey Lombard (a.k.a. Fingers), former bassist of Incantation, died from committing suicide at the age of 42.^[89]
January 5 – Nicole Bogner, former vocalist of Visions of Atlantis, died from an undisclosed disease at the age of 27.^[90]
January 14 – Robbie France, former drummer of Diamond Head, UFO and Wishbone Ash, died from ruptured aorta at the age of 52.^[91]
January 25 – Mark Reale, guitarist and founding member of Riot, died from complications with Crohn's disease at the age of 57.^[92]
February 14 – Tonmi Lillman (a.k.a. Otus), former drummer of To/Die/For, Sinergy, Ajattara, drummer of Lordi, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 38.^[93]
February 15 – Hans Jørgen Andersen , former guitarist of Mercenary, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 36.
March 3 – Ronnie Montrose, guitarist and leader of Montrose and Gamma, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 64.^[94]
April 5 – Jim Marshall "Lord of Loud" the founder of Marshall Amplification died at the age of 88.^[95]
April 10 – Richie Teeter, drummer of the Dictators and former drummer of Twisted Sister, died from esophageal cancer at the age of 61.^[96]
April 21 – Rob Cranny (a.k.a. Balfabar Nosugref the Almighty), owner of Canadian Northern Storm Records and vocalist of Detsörgsekälf, died from a heart attack at the age of 27.^[97]
May 4 – Rob Doherty, former guitarist and vocalist of Into Eternity, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 41.^[98]
May 13 – Trondr Nefas, guitarist and singer of Urgehal, died from natural causes on his sleep at the age of 34.^[99]
May 20 – Steeve Hurdle, former guitarist of Gorguts, died of post-surgical complications at the age of 41.^[100]
May 31 – Michael Grant, singer of Crescent Shield, Onward, Legend Maker and Cypher Seer, died of unidentified illness at the age of 39.^[101]
June 29 – Teddy Mueller, former drummer of AXE, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 57.
July 16 – Jon Lord, composer, pianist and Hammond organ player of Deep Purple and Whitesnake, died from a cancer at the age of 71.^[102]
November 1 – Mitch Lucker, singer of Suicide Silence, died from a motorcycle accident at the age of 28.^[103]
December 8 – Huw Lloyd-Langton, guitarist of Hawkwind and the Meads of Asphodel, died from a cancer at the age of 61.^[104]
December 23 – Mike Scaccia, guitarist of Rigor Mortis and Ministry died after collapsing on stage during Rigor Mortis' performance for vocalist Bruce Corbitt's 50th birthday at the age of 47.^[105]

Albums released

January

Day	Artist	Album
4	Kayo Dot	Gamma Knife
6	Alcest	Les Voyages de l'Âme^[106]
9	Wolfsbane	Wolfsbane Save the World^[107]
11	Skylark	Twilights of Sand^[108]
13	This Ending	Systematic Worship (EP)^[109]^[110]
17	Attack Attack!	This Means War
20	Biohazard	Reborn in Defiance^[111]
	Primal Fear	Unbreakable^[112]
	Nothnegal	Decadence^[113]
23	Aborted	Global Flatline^[114]
	Savage Messiah	Plague of Conscience^[115]
	Sear Bliss	Eternal Recurrence^[116]
24	Abigail Williams	Becoming^[117]
	Beyond the Bridge	The Old Man and the Spirit^[118]
	Lacuna Coil	Dark Adrenaline^[119]
	Lamb of God	Resolution^[120]
	Opera IX	Strix Maledictae in Aeternum^[121]
25	Witchmaster	Śmierć (EP)^[122]
27	Blind Guardian	Memories of a Time to Come (compilation)^[123]
	Iron Fire	Voyage of the Damned^[124]
	Suicidal Angels	Bloodbath^[125]
30	Woods of Ypres	Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light^[126]
31	Astral Doors	Jerusalem^[127]
	Azaghal	Nemesis^[128]
	Bleeding Through	The Great Fire^[129]
	Cadaveria	Horror Metal^[130]
	Liberteer	Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees^[131]
	Ram	Death^[132]

February

Day	Artist	Album
1	Swallow the Sun	Emerald Forest and the Blackbird^[133]
3	Caliban	I Am Nemesis^[134]
6	Chimp Spanner	All Roads Lead Here (EP)^[135]
6	Therapy?	A Brief Crack of Light^[136]
7	Psycroptic	The Inherited Repression^[137]
8	Stam1na	Nocebo^[138]
10	Dunderbeist	Black Arts & Crooked Tails^[139]
	Eluveitie	Helvetios^[140]
	Engel	Songs for the Dead (EP)^[141]
	Goatwhore	Blood for the Master^[142]
13	Coldworker	The Doomsayer's Call^[143]
13	Orange Goblin	A Eulogy for the Damned^[144]
14	Avatar	Black Waltz^[145]
	Beneath the Massacre	Incongruous^[146]
	Dawn of Ashes	Farewell to the Flesh (EP)^[147]
	Earth	Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II^[148]
	Isis	Live VI (live album)^[149]
	Wykked Wytch	The Ultimate Deception^[150]
17	Ektomorf	The Acoustic^[151]
18	Kryptos	The Coils of Apollyon^[152]
20	Autopsy	All Tomorrow's Funerals (EP)^[153]
21	Buckethead	Electric Sea^[154]
22	Hypno5e	Acid Mist Tomorrow^[155]
22	Xandria	Neverworld's End^[156]
24	Desaster	The Arts of Destruction^[157]
	Drudkh	Eternal Turn of the Wheel^[158]
	Freedom Call	Land of the Crimson Dawn^[159]
	Halloween	Terrortory^[160]
	Lanfear	This Harmonic Consonance^[161]
	Lyriel	Leverage^[162]
	Rage	21^[163]
	Terrorizer	Hordes of Zombies^[164]
	Vengeance	Crystal Eye^[165]
27	Asphyx	Deathhammer^[166]
27	Napalm Death	Utilitarian^[167]
28	Corrosion of Conformity	Corrosion of Conformity^[168]
	Mgła	With Hearts Toward None^[169]
	Monarch	Omens^[170]
	Death	Vivus! (live album)^[171]
	UFO	Seven Deadly^[172]
	Veil of Maya	Eclipse^[173]
29	Amberian Dawn	Circus Black^[174]

March

Day	Artist	Album
1	Obscura	Illegimitation^[175]
2	Heidevolk	Batavi^[176]
6	Every Time I Die	Ex Lives^[177]
7	Lullacry	Where Angels Fear^[178]
7	Torture Killer	I Chose Death (EP)^[179]
9	Epica	Requiem for the Indifferent^[180]
12	Angel Witch	As Above, So Below^[181]
	Enochian Theory	Life...And All It Entails^[182]
	Gorod	A Perfect Absolution^[183]
	Sigh	In Somniphobia^[184]
13	Adrenaline Mob	Omertà^[185]
	Barren Earth	The Devil's Resolve^[186]
	Cannibal Corpse	Torture^[187]
	Impending Doom	Baptized in Filth^[188]
	Soulfly	Enslaved^[189]
	Spawn of Possession	Incurso^[190]
	Monstrosity	Live Apocalypse (DVD)^[191]
14	Powerwolf	Alive in the Night (live)^[192]
16	Secrets of the Moon	Seven Bells^[193]
20	Enthroned	Obsidium^[194]
23	Aura Noir	Out to Die^[195]
	Cynic	The Portal Tapes (EP)^[196]
	Gun Barrel	Brace for Impact^[197]
	Ministry	Relapse
	Axel Rudi Pell	Circle of the Oath^[198]
26	Borknagar	Urd^[199]
	Flying Colors	Flying Colors^[200]
	God Forbid	Equilibrium^[201]
	Iron Maiden	En Vivo! (DVD)^[202]
	Naglfar	Téras^[203]
	Wodensthrone	The Storm^[204]
	Wretched	Son of Perdition^[205]
27	3 Inches of Blood	Long Live Heavy Metal^[206]
	A Sound of Thunder	Out of the Darkness^[207]
	Black Breath	Sentenced to Life^[208]
	Dark Empire	From Refuge to Ruin^[209]
	Kill Devil Hill	Kill Devil Hill^[210]
	Meshuggah	Koloss^[211]
	OSI	Fire Make Thunder^[212]
	Overkill	The Electric Age^[213]
28	Dol Ammad	Cosmic Gods: Episode I – Hyperspeed^[214]
28	Galneryus	Phoenix Living In The Rising Sun (DVD)^[215]
30	Atrocity	Die Gottlosen Jahre (Double live DVD)^[216]
	Exilia	Decode^[217]
	Lonewolf	Army of the Damned^[218]

April

Day	Artist	Album
2	Impiety	Ravage & Conquer^[219]
3	High on Fire	De Vermis Mysteriis^[220]
6	Accept	Stalingrad^[221]
	Eths	III^[222]
	Exumer	Fire & Damnation^[223]
	Illdisposed	The Best of Illdisposed 2004 – 2011 (compilation)^[224]
9	Jeff Loomis	Plains of Oblivion^[225]
	The Safety Fire	Grind the Ocean^[226]
	Ufomammut	Oro: Opus Primum^[227]
10	Demon Hunter	True Defiance^[228]
	Dirge Within	There Will Be Blood^[229]
	Hortus Animae	Funeral Nation MMXII^[230]
	Emmure	Slave to the Game^[231]
	Ignitor	Year of the Metal Tiger^[232]
	Job for a Cowboy	Demonocracy^[233]
	Municipal Waste	The Fatal Feast^[234]
	Pelican	Ataraxia/Taraxis (EP)^[235]
	Suspyre	The Cycle^[236]
	Undeads Exits Wounds	Merry Go Round 2^[237]
14	Buckethead	Balloon Cement^[238]
15	DragonForce	The Power Within^[239]
16	Gory Blister	Earth-Sick^[240]
16	Anathema	Weather Systems^[241]
18	In Mourning	The Weight Of Oceans^[242]
18	Verjnuarmu	Pimmeyvven Ruhtinas^[243]
20	The Foreshadowing	Second World^[244]
	Mekong Delta	Intersections^[245]
	Orden Ogan	To the End^[246]
	Running Wild	Shadowmaker^[247]
	Saxon	Heavy Metal Thunder – Live – Eagles Over Wacken (live DVD)^[248]
	Unleashed	Odalheim^[249]
23	Arjen Lucassen	Lost in the New Real^[250]
23	Paradise Lost	Tragic Idol^[251]
24	16	Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds^[252]
	Earthen Grave	Earthen Grave^[253]
	Prong	Carved into Stone^[254]
	Storm Corrosion	Storm Corrosion^[255]
	Vesperian Sorrow	Stormwinds of Ages^[256]
	Vorkreist	Sigil Whore Christ^[257]
	War of Ages	Return to Life^[258]
26	Mezarkabul	MMXII^[259]
27	At Vance	Facing Your Enemy^[260]
	Before the Dawn	Rise of the Phoenix^[261]
	Catamenia	The Rewritten Chapters^[262]
	Crystal Viper	Crimen Excepta^[263]
	Huntress	Spell Eater^[264]
	Moonspell	Alpha Noir / Omega White^[265]
	Saint Vitus	Lillie: F-65^[266]
30	Angelus Apatrida	The Call^[267]
30	Oddland	The Treachery of Senses^[268]

May

Day	Artist	Album
1	Marilyn Manson	Born Villain
4	Cattle Decapitation	Monolith of Inhumanity^[269]
	Dawn of Destiny	Praying to the World^[270]
	U.D.O.	Celebrator – Rare Tracks (Compilation)^[271]
8	John 5	God Told Me To^[272]
8	Saratoga	Nemesis^[273]
14	Distorted Harmony	Utopia^[274]
15	Shadows Fall	Fire From the Sky^[275]
15	Tenacious D	Rize of the Fenix^[276]
16	Shining	Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt (EP)^[277]
18	Antigama	Stop the Chaos (EP)^[278]
	Carach Angren	Where the Corpses Sink Forever^[279]
	Engel	Blood of Saints^[280]
	Nightmare	The Burden of God^[281]
	Sonata Arctica	Stones Grow Her Name^[282]
21	Evil Masquerade	Pentagram^[283]
	Firewind	Few Against Many^[284]
	Tesseract	Perspective (EP)^[285]
22	Burzum	Umskiptar^[286]
	Diablo Swing Orchestra	Pandora's Piñata^[287]
	For Today	Immortal^[288]
	Headspace	I Am Anonymous^[289]
	Malice	New Breed of Godz^[290]
	Six Feet Under	Undead^[291]
	To Speak of Wolves	Find Your Worth, Come Home^[292]
25	5 Star Grave	Drugstore Hell^[293]
	Ahab	The Giant^[294]
	Grand Magus	The Hunt^[295]
	Insision	15 Years of Exaggerated Torment (compilation)^[296]
	The Murder of My Sweet	Bye Bye Lullaby^[297]
	Sabaton	Carolus Rex^[298]
28	Architects	Daybreaker^[299]
28	Sarah Jezebel Deva	Malediction (EP)^[300]
29	Synthetic Breed	Zero Degrees Freedom (EP)^[301]

June

Day	Artist	Album
1	Be'lakor	Of Breath and Bone^[302]
	Circus Maximus	Nine^[303]
	Delain	We Are The Others^[304]
	Empires of Eden	Channelling the Infinite^[305]
	Gotthard	Firebirth^[306]
	Kekal	Autonomy^[307]
	Jorn	Bring Heavy Rock to the Land^[308]
	Kreator	Phantom Antichrist^[309]
4	The Agonist	Prisoners^[310]
4	Tank	War Nation^[311]
5	Autopsy	Born Undead (DVD)^[312]
	Fear Factory	The Industrialist^[313]
	Gojira	The Flesh Alive (live album)^[314]
	Hellyeah	Band of Brothers^[315]
	Marduk	Serpent Sermon^[316]
	Ulver	Childhood's End (covers album)^[317]
	Watain	Opus Diaboli (DVD)^[318]
6	Hibria	Blinded by Tokyo – Live in Japan (DVD)^[319]
8	Candlemass	Psalms for the Dead^[320]
8	Mnemic	Mnemesis^[321]
11	Bilocate	Summoning the Bygones^[322]
12	Klank	Urban Warfare^[323]
	Proyecto Eskhata	Decadencia
	Rush	Clockwork Angels^[324]
13	Arthemis	We Fight^[325]
17	Dying Fetus	Reign Supreme^[326]
18	Spineshank	Anger Denial Acceptance^[327]
18	Devin Townsend	By a Thread – Live in London 2011 (DVD)^[328]
19	Burning Point	The Ignitor^[329]
	Chelsea Grin	Evolve (EP)^[330]^[331]
	The Ghost Inside	Get What You Give^[332]
	Ihsahn	Eremita^[333]
	Rumpelstiltskin Grinder	Ghostmaker^[334]
	Vampires Everywhere!	Hellbound and Heartless^[335]
	Whitechapel	Whitechapel^[336]
21	Blacklodge	MachinatioN^[337]
21	Ephel Duath	On Death and Cosmos (EP)^[338]
22	Luca Turilli's Rhapsody	Ascending to Infinity
22	Deathspell Omega	Drought (EP)^[339]
25	Sodom	30 Years Sodomized: 1982-2012 (compilation)^[340]
26	Bosse-de-Nage	III^[341]
	Gojira	L'Enfant Sauvage^[342]
	Memphis May Fire	Challenger^[343]
	Old Man Gloom	No^[344]
29	Miseration	Tragedy Has Spoken^[345]

July

Day	Artist	Album
2	Bonded by Blood	The Aftermath^[346]
2	Six Magics	Falling Angels^[347]
3	Icarus Witch	Rise^[348]
	Kataklysm	The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined (DVD)^[349]
	Nile	At the Gate of Sethu^[350]
	Periphery	Periphery II: This Time It's Personal^[351]
	The Word Alive	Life Cycles^[352]
4	Coldrain	Through Clarity^[353]
6	Naer Mataron	Ζήτω Ο Θάνατος^[354]
10	Saint Diablo	Saint Diablo ^[355]
10	Serj Tankian	Harakiri ^[356]
13	Bury Tomorrow	The Union of Crowns^[357]
16	God Forbid	Beneath the Scars of Glory and Progression (DVD)^[358]
16	Waylander	Kindred Spirits^[359]
17	A Hero A Fake	The Future Again^[360]
	Baroness	Yellow & Green^[361]
	The Contortionist	Intrinsic^[362]
	Tourniquet	Antiseptic Bloodbath^[363]
20	Antagonist A.D.	Nothing from No One^[364]
20	Black Majesty	Stargazer^[365]
23	Zonaria	Arrival of the Red Sun^[366]
24	Om	Advaitic Songs^[367]
24	Slipknot	Antennas to Hell (compilation)^[368]
26	Heretic	A Time of Crisis^[369]
27	Dew-Scented	Icarus^[370]
	Tankard	A Girl Called Cerveza^[371]
	Testament	Dark Roots of Earth^[372]
30	Devilish Impressions	Simulacra^[373]
	Massacre	Condemned to the Shadows (EP)^[374]
	Still Alive	Kyo^[375]
31	Evoken	Atra Mors^[376]
31	Nachtmystium	Silencing Machine^[377]

August

Day	Artist	Album
6	Obliterate	Superboring^[378]
7	Memorain	Evolution^[379]
13	Cryptopsy	Cryptopsy (EP)^[380]
14	The Faceless	Autotheism^[381]
	Fen	Of Losing Interest^[382]
	Fozzy	Sin and Bones^[383]
	In This Moment	Blood^[384]
	Scott Kelly	The Forgiven Ghost in Me^[385]
	Master	The New Elite^[386]
	Texas Hippie Coalition	Peacemaker^[387]
	Steve Vai	The Story of Light^[388]
17	Eluveitie	The Early Years (compilation)^[389]
21	Black Moor	Lethal Waters^[390]
22	Loudness	2012^[391]
24	Grave Digger	Clash of the Gods^[392]
	Tarja Turunen	Act I : Live in Rosario (DVD)^[392]
	Trollfest	Brumlebassen^[393]
27	Ensiferum	Unsung Heroes^[394]
	Grave	Endless Procession of Souls^[395]
	Katatonia	Dead End Kings^[396]
28	Beardfish	The Void^[397]
	Eagle Twin	The Feather Tipped the Serpent's Scale^[398]
	Murder Construct	Results^[399]
	Stratovarius	Under Flaming Winter Skies – Live in Tampere (DVD)^[400]
	31	Ektomorf	Black Flag^[401]
Ex Deo		Caligvla^[402]
Phantom-x		The Opera of the Phantom^[403]
Threshold		March of Progress^[404]

September

Day	Artist	Album
3	Primitive Graven Image	Psychededlic Episodes (Observations On Death and Deathlessness)^[405]
3	Sacred Mother Tongue	A Light Shines (EP)^[406]
7	Lacrimosa	Revolution^[407]
10	Aeon Zen	Enigma^[408]
11	Beastwars	Beastwars^[409]
	Cloudscape	New Era^[410]
	Cryptopsy	Cryptopsy^[411]
	Kittie	Not So... Safe (compilation)^[412]
	Prototype	Catalyst^[413]
	Spheric Universe Experience	The New Eve^[414]
12	The Gathering	Disclosure^[415]
14	Elvenking	Era^[416]
14	Vision Divine	Destination Set to Nowhere^[417]
18	Becoming the Archetype	I Am^[418]
	Devin Townsend Project	Epicloud^[419]
	Down	Down IV Part I - The Purple EP (EP)^[420]
	Ufomammut	Oro: Opus Alter^[421]
	Vision of Disorder	The Cursed Remain Cursed^[422]
20	Buckethead	Racks^[423]
		March of the Slunks^[424]
		The Silent Picture Book^[425]
21	Behexen	Nightside Emanations^[426]
	Blut Aus Nord	777 – Cosmosophy^[427]
	The Chariot	One Wing^[428]
	Dokken	Broken Bones^[429]
	Handguns	Angst^[430]
	Illdisposed	Sense the Darkness^[431]
	Witchcraft	Legend^[432]
24	Steve Harris	British Lion^[433]
	To-Mera	Exile^[434]^[435]
	Tygers of Pan Tang	Ambush^[436]
25	As I Lay Dying	Awakened^[437]
	Car Bomb	w^w^^w^w^[438]
	Kerion	CloudRiders, Part 1: Road to Skycity^[439]
	Pathology	The Time of Great Purification^[440]
	Revocation	Teratogenesis (EP)^[441]
	Winterfylleth	The Threnody of Triumph^[442]
28	Angband	Saved from the Truth ^[443]
	Enslaved	RIITIIR^[444]
	Maiden uniteD	Across the Seventh Sea^[445]
	Sinister	The Carnage Ending^[446]
	Therion	Les Fleurs du Mal^[447]

October

Day	Artist	Album
2	Three Days Grace	Transit of Venus
3	Obsession	Order of Chaos^[448]
5	Rebellion	The Best Of Viking History (compilation)^[449]
5	Sylosis	Monolith^[450]
8	Cauldron	Tomorrow's Lost^[451]
8	Krisiun	Arise from Blackness (compilation)^[452]
9	The Acacia Strain	Death Is the Only Mortal^[453]
	August Burns Red	August Burns Red Presents: Sleddin' Hill^[454]
	Between the Buried and Me	The Parallax II: Future Sequence^[455]
	Converge	All We Love We Leave Behind^[456]
	Daylight Dies	A Frail Becoming^[457]
	Dio	The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2^[458]
	Malignancy	Eugenics^[459]
	Nonpoint	Nonpoint^[460]
	Seven Kingdoms	Fire is Mine^[461]
	Texas in July	Texas in July^[462]
	Weapon	Embers and Revelations^[463]
10	Poema Arcanus	Transient Chronicles^[464]
12	Fall of the Idols	Solemn Verses^[465]
12	Magica	Center of the Great Unknown^[466]
15	Anaal Nathrakh	Vanitas^[467]
15	My Dying Bride	A Map of All Our Failures^[468]
16	Dethklok	Dethalbum III^[469]
	Kiss	Monster^[470]
	No Bragging Rights	Cycles^[471]
	Yakuza	Beyul^[472]
19	Machinae Supremacy	Rise of a Digital Nation^[473]
	Manowar	The Lord of Steel^[474]
	Mob Rules	Cannibal Nation^[475]
	Paragon	Force of Destruction^[476]
	Subhuman	Tributo di Sangue^[477]
	Thy Art Is Murder	Hate^[478]
	War from a Harlots Mouth	Voyeur^[479]
	Wintersun	Time I^[480]
22	Bison B.C.	Lovelessness^[481]
	Dark Tranquillity	Zero Distance (EP)^[482]
	Ill Niño	Epidemia^[483]
	The Sword	Apocryphon^[484]
23	A Life Once Lost	Ecstatic Trance^[485]
	Behold The Arctopus	Horrorscension^[486]
	God Seed	I Begin^[487]
	Pig Destroyer	Book Burner^[488]
	Sister Sin	Now and Forever^[489]
	The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza	Danza IIII: The Alpha – The Omega^[490]
24	Angra	Best Reached Horizons (compilation)^[491]
26	Kamelot	Silverthorn^[492]
	Neurosis	Honor Found in Decay^[493]
	Parkway Drive	Atlas^[494]
	Rebellion	Arminius – Furor Teutonicus^[495]
	Skálmöld	Börn Loka^[496]
	The Sorrow	Misery Escape^[497]
27	Eyefear	The Inception of Darkness^[498]
29	Shining	Redefining Darkness^[499]
30	Cradle of Filth	The Manticore and Other Horrors^[500]
	Early Graves	Red Horse^[501]
	Forgotten Tomb	...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil...^[502]
	Nadja	Dagdrøm^[503]
	Ragnarok	Malediction^[504]
	Ultimatum	Heart of Metal (compilation)^[505]
31	A Band of Orcs	Adding Heads to the Pile^[506]
31	Von	Satanic Blood^[507]

November

Day	Artist	Album
1	Arsenite	Ashes of the Declined^[508]
2	NonExist	From My Cold Dead Hands^[509]
	Pain	We Come In Peace (DVD)^[510]
	Tiamat	The Scarred People^[511]
3	Moonlight	Lucifer's Rising^[512]
6	All That Remains	A War You Cannot Win^[513]
	Beheaded	Never to Dawn^[514]
	General Surgery	Like an Ever Flying Limb^[515]
	Otep	Sounds Like Armageddon (live album)^[516]
7	Bloodbound	In the Name of Metal^[517]
8	Isis	Temporal (compilation)^[518]
9	Carcariass	Hell and Torment (compilation)^[519]
12	Soundgarden	King Animal^[520]
12	Tank	War Machine Live (DVD)^[521]
13	Deftones	Koi No Yokan^[522]
13	Machine Head	Machine Fucking Head Live (live album)^[523]
14	Led Zeppelin	Celebration Day (DVD)^[524]
16	Elysion	Killing My Dreams (EP)^[525]
16	Kylesa	From The Vaults, Vol. 1 (compilation)^[526]
20	Aeon	Aeons Black^[527]
	Cryptopsy	The Best of Us Bleed (Compilation)^[528]
	Devolved	Reprisal^[529]
	Meldrum	Lifer^[530]
	Prototype	Retrospect (Compilation)^[531]
	Sacred Reich	Live At Wacken (DVD)^[532]
21	Flotsam and Jetsam	Ugly Noise^[533]
23	Adorned Brood	Kuningaz^[534]
	Destruction	Spiritual Genocide^[535]
	Royal Hunt	20th Anniversary (compilation)^[536]
	Vicious Rumors	Live You to Death (live album)^[537]
25	Secret Sphere	Portrait of a Dying Heart^[538]
26	Incantation	Vanquish in Vengeance^[539]
27	Full Force	Next Level^[540]
29	Ashes You Leave	The Cure for Happiness^[541]
30	Fragments of Unbecoming	The Art of Coming Apart^[542]
	Gamma Ray	Skeletons & Majesties Live (CD/DVD)^[543]
	HammerFall	Gates Of Dalhalla (DVD)^[544]
	Saturnus	Saturn in Ascension^[545]

December

Day	Artist	Album
4	Arsis	Lepers Caress (EP)^[546]
5	Yngwie Malmsteen	Spellbound^[547]
10	Metallica	Quebec Magnetic (DVD)^[548]
12	The Project Hate MCMXCIX	The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda^[549]
14	Paradox	Tales of the Weird^[550]
21	The Unguided	InvaZion (EP)^[551]

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

Heavy metal
Subgenres and fusion genres	Alternative metal Avant-garde metal Beatdown hardcore Biker metal Black metal National Socialist Symphonic Unblack Blackened death metal Blackgaze Christian metal Crossover thrash Crust punk Death metal Melodic Technical Death 'n' roll Deathcore Death-doom Djent Doom metal Drone metal Electronicore Extreme metal Folk metal Celtic metal Medieval metal Funk metal Glam metal Goregrind Gothic metal Grindcore Grunge Groove metal Industrial metal Kawaii metal Latin metal Mathcore Metalcore Melodic Progressive Neoclassical metal Neue Deutsche Härte Nintendocore Nu metal Pagan metal Pirate metal Pornogrind Post-metal Pop metal Power metal Progressive metal Rap metal Sludge metal Speed metal Stoner metal Symphonic metal Thrash metal Viking metal
Musical elements	Bass Fuzz bass Drumming Blast beat Cymbal choke Gallop drumbeat Guitar Distortion Guitar solo Palm muting Power chord Shred guitar Lyrics Vocals Death growl Screaming
Notable scenes and movements	African heavy metal Argentine heavy metal Australian thrash metal Australian heavy metal Bangladeshi heavy metal Bay Area thrash metal Brazilian thrash metal Canadian heavy metal Chinese heavy metal Florida death metal Hungarian metal Indigenous metal music Japanese metal Les Légions Noires New wave of American heavy metal New wave of British heavy metal Early Norwegian black metal Palm Desert Swedish death metal Teutonic thrash metal Ukrainian metal
Culture	Bands Environmentalism Fashion Festivals Headbanging Heavy metal subculture Poseur Umlaut
Hard rock Category

Bands disbanded

Bands formed

Bands reformed

Events

Deaths

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

References

External links