This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2016.
Bands formed Cellar Darling Invidia Lovebites Memoriam Nothing Left Pillorian Prophets of Rage Sinsaenum Spiritbox Vimic VUUR Xavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffx
Bands disbanded Agalloch Bolt Thrower Crucified Barbara Eths For Today I, the Breather Kylesa (hiatus) Lionheart ReVamp Scar the Martyr Sockweb Twisted Sister Wodensthrone
Bands reformed Abandon All Ships Akercocke Battlelore (hiatus from 2011 to 2016) Decadence Demolition Hammer Destroy the Runner Esprit D'Air Evildead Massacration Massacre Nasty Savage Nitro The Obsessed Pestilence Power Quest Ratt Scissorfight The Union Underground
Events
On April 28, 2015, Black Sabbath announced that they will embark on their final tour. On July 5, 2015, Blackmore's Night and former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore announced that he will briefly return to rock music by performing a few shows in June. On January 14, Lacuna Coil announced that guitarist Marco Biazzi has left the band. On February 10, Skeletonwitch announced Adam Clemans as their new vocalist. On February 20, Suicidal Tendencies announced Dave Lombardo (formerly of Slayer) as the drummer for their U.S. tour with Megadeth, which took place in February and March. Lombardo will drum for Suicidal Tendencies again on their summer European tour. On March 19, Underoath played their first show since disbanding in 2013 at Self Help Festival in California. On March 31, Martin Henriksson announced that he has quit Dark Tranquillity due to loss of passion for playing music. On April 16 and 23, Guns N' Roses reunited with their original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan for this year's Coachella. On April 16, Overkill played a special show in Oberhausen where they played the Feel the Fire and Horrorscope albums in their entirety. The show was professionally filmed and recorded for an upcoming DVD. On May 5, Eluveitie announced that they parted ways with drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi. On May 20, Megadeth announced that Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren was joining as their touring drummer, filling in for then-drummer Chris Adler. On July 15, however, Verbeuren was announced their full-time drummer, after Adler left the band. On August 6 and 7, Heavy Montreal took place presented by Evenko, and headliners were Nightwish, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat and Candlemass.heavymontreal.com On November 15, 2016, German power metal band Helloween announced tour dubbed "Pumpkins United", celebrating 30 years of Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II, with former members Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen joining Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy line-up. The "Pumpkins United" line-up entered in the studio at the end of the tour and recorded what would end up being their self titled album.
Deaths January 14 – Kevin Lawrence, guitarist of Rapidfire, died from multiple heart attacks at the age of 51. January 23 – Jimmy Bain, bassist of Rainbow and Dio, died from lung cancer at the age of 68. February 21 – Piotr Grudziński, guitarist of Riverside, died from sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 40. March 3 – John Thomas, former guitarist of Budgie, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 63. March 3 – Oskar Karlsson, drummer of Gates of Ishtar, died from heart failure at the age of 39. March 13 – Nik Green, keyboardist of Blue Murder, died from cancer. April 5 – John Byrd, former guitarist of King Conquer, died from substance abuse. April 18 – Aleah Liane Stanbridge, vocalist of Trees of Eternity, died from cancer at the age of 39. May 21 – Nick Menza, former drummer of Megadeth, died from heart failure at the age of 51. May 31 – Brandon Ferrell, former drummer of Municipal Waste, died from undisclosed reasons. June 9 – Adam Young, multi-instrumentalist of Sockweb, died after committing suicide by hanging himself at the age of 28. August 13 – Jerry Clyde Paradis, former drummer of The Gates of Slumber and Sourvein, died from undisclosed reasons. August 17 – James Woolley, former keyboardist of Nine Inch Nails, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 49. August 21 – Tom Searle, guitarist of Architects, died from cancer at the age of 28. August 25 – Norman Killeen, former drummer of Threat Signal, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 38. September 10 – Pecu Cinnari, drummer of Tarot, died from a long-term illness at the age of 50. September 11 – Leonard Haze, former drummer of Y&T, died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the age of 61. September 27 – Mike Taylor, former vocalist of Quartz, died from undisclosed reasons. September 27 – Brodie Wheeler, former guitarist of King Conquer, died from substance abuse. December 5 – Adam Sagan, former drummer of Circle II Circle and Into Eternity, died from blood cancer at the age of 36. December 23 – Mick Zane, guitarist of Malice, died from brain cancer.
Albums released
January Day Artist Album 7 Autograph Louder (EP) 8 Cauldron In Ruin Exmortus Ride Forth Jeff Hughell Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations 15 Aborted Termination Redux (EP) Axel Rudi Pell Game of Sins Rhapsody of Fire Into the LegendWitchcraft Nucleus 20 Black Sabbath The End (EP) 22 Abbath Abbath Borknagar Winter Thrice Megadeth Dystopia Rage My Way (EP) The Resistance Coup de Grâce 29 Amoral In Sequence Avantasia Ghostlights Black Tusk Pillars of Ash Bury Tomorrow Earthbound Conan Revengeance Dream Theater The Astonishing Exumer The Raging Tides Master An Epiphany of Hate Primal Fear Rulebreaker Prong X (No Absolutes) Serenity Codex Atlanticus
February Day Artist Album 5 The Cult Hidden City Drowning Pool Hellelujah Fleshgod Apocalypse King Obscura Akróasis Textures Phenotype 12 Holy Grail Times of Pride and Peril Magrudergrind II Rotting Christ Rituals Urgehal Aeons in Sodom 19 Adept Sleepless After the Burial Dig Deep Cirith Gorgor Visions of Exalted Lucifer Delain Lunar Prelude (EP) Hypno5e Shores of the Abstract Line Karybdis Samsara Last in Line Heavy Crown Myrath Legacy Raubtier Bärsärkagång 26 Anthrax For All Kings Anvil Anvil Is Anvil Black Cobra Imperium Simulacra Deströyer 666 Wildfire Entombed A.D. Dead Dawn Headspace All That You Fear Is Gone Omnium Gatherum Grey Heavens Redemption The Art of Loss Sinbreed Master Creator The Unguided Lust and Loathing Voivod Post Society (EP) Wisdom Rise of the Wise 27 Jet Jaguar Zero Hour (EP)
March Day Artist Album 4 Hacktivist Outside the Box Reckless Love InVader 11 Criminal Fear Itself Killswitch Engage Incarnate Van Canto Voices of Fire 15 Pyrrhon Running Out of Skin (EP) 18 Blaze Bayley Infinite Entanglement Circus Maximus Havoc Convulse Cycle of Revenge Human Fortress Thieves of the Night Mob Rules Tales from Beyond Mystic Prophecy War Brigade Spiritual Beggars Sunrise to Sundown The Word Alive Dark Matter 25 American Head Charge Tango Umbrella Amon Amarth Jomsviking Artillery Penalty by Perception Asking Alexandria The Black Blood Ceremony Lord of Misrule Caliban Gravity Dayglo Abortions Armageddon Survival Guide Izegrim The Ferryman's End Lody Kong Dreams and Visions Metal Church XI Rotten Sound Abuse to Suffer Ragnarok Psychopathology Split Heaven Death Rider Walls of Jericho No One Can Save You from Yourself
April Day Artist Album 1 Babymetal Metal Resistance Bossk Audio Noir Mike & the Melvins Three Men and a Baby Moonsorrow Jumalten aika Novembre URSA Thunderstone Apocalypse Again 8 Deftones Gore Filter Crazy Eyes Ihsahn Arktis Zakk Wylde Book of Shadows II 15 Ace Frehley Origins, Vol. 1 (covers album) Crematory Monument Lita Ford Time Capsule Otep Generation Doom 22 Aborted Retrogore Darkness Divided Darkness Divided Diamond Head Diamond Head Eths Ankaa The Foreshadowing Seven Heads Ten Horns Incite Oppression October Tide Winged Waltz Texas Hippie Coalition Dark Side of Black This Ending Garden of Death 25 Darkend The Canticle of Shadows Tigertailz Blast 26 Node Cowards Empire 29DarkestrahTuran Discharge End of Days Fallujah Dreamless Haken Affinity Nemesea Uprise Rob Zombie The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser Tremonti Dust
May Day Artist Album 6 Vektor Terminal Redux 10 Femme Fatale One More for the Road 13 Avatar Feathers & Flesh Destruction Under Attack DevilDriver Trust No One Gorguts Pleiades' Dust (EP) Grand Magus Sword Songs Hatebreed The Concrete Confessional Kvelertak Nattesferd 20 Dead by Wednesday The Darkest of Angels Flotsam and Jetsam Flotsam and Jetsam Iron Savior Titancraft Katatonia The Fall of Hearts Suidakra Realms of Odoric Vardis Red Eye 24 Binary Code Moonsblood 27 Architects All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us Behexen The Poisonous Path Death Angel The Evil Divide Illdisposed Grey Sky Over Black Town Katalepsy Gravenous Hour Lacuna Coil Delirium Motörhead Clean Your Clock (live album) Omen Hammer Damage Six Feet Under Graveyard Classics IV: The Number of the Priest (covers album) Suicidal Angels Division of Blood Withered Grief Relic
June Day Artist Album 1 Yngwie Malmsteen World on Fire 3 Beartooth Aggressive Candlemass Death Thy Lover (EP) Dark Funeral Where Shadows Forever Reign Dark Suns Everchild Hellyeah Unden!able Paradox Pangea Poverty's No Crime Spiral of Fear Volbeat Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie 10 D.R.I. But Wait... There's More! (EP) Rage The Devil Strikes Again Scorpion Child Acid RouletteSumacWhat One Becomes 17 Ayreon The Theater Equation (live album) Gojira Magma Hammercult Legends Never Die (EP) Nails You Will Never Be One of Us Unlocking the Truth Chaos 24 Be'lakor Vessels The Browning Isolation Highlord Hic Sunt Leones Kayo Dot Plastic House on Base of Sky Stuck Mojo Here Come the Infidels Whitechapel Mark of the Blade
July Day Artist Album 1 Chelsea Grin Self Inflicted Fates Warning Theories of Flight Oracles Miserycorde Wolf Hoffmann Headbangers Symphony 2 Brain Drill Boundless Obscenity 8 Centinex Doomsday Rituals Chevelle The North Corridor Deadlock Hybris Dust Bolt Mass Confusion Nonpoint The Poison Red Trick or Treat Rabbits' Hill, Pt. 2 Wolverine Machina Viva 15 16 Lifespan of a Moth Raging Speedhorn Lost Ritual Scour Scour (EP) 22 Black Crown Initiate Selves We Cannot Forgive Despised Icon Beast Despite Synergi Hammers of Misfortune Dead Revolution Periphery Periphery III: Select Difficulty Revocation Great Is Our Sin Twisted Sister Metal Meltdown (live album) Witherscape The Northern Sanctuary 29 Ghoul Dungeon Bastards Infant Annihilator The Elysian Grandeval GalèriarchThe Elysian Grandeval Galèriarch by Infant Annihilator on iTunes Ringworm Snake Church Sinsaenum Echoes of the Tortured
August Day Artist Album 5 Bloody Hammers Lovely Sort of Death Carnifex Slow Death Islander Power Under Control Jackyl Rowyco Skillet Unleashed Tarja The Shadow Self 12 The Amity Affliction This Could Be HeartbreakEquilibrium Armageddon Lacrimas Profundere Hope Is Here 19 Blood Incantation Starspawn Gemini Syndrome Memento Mori Myrkur Mausoleum (live album) Sabaton The Last Stand Skeletonwitch The Apothic Gloom (EP) 20 Throes of Dawn Our Voices Shall Remain 26 Ablaze My Sorrow Black Any Given Day Everlasting Delain Moonbathers DGM The Passage Helstar Vampiro Inquisition Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith Michael Sweet One Sided War Prophets of Rage The Party's Over (EP) Running Wild Rapid Foray Sodom Decision Day Solution .45 Nightmares in the Waking State: Part IITwelve Foot NinjaOutlier Vicious Rumors Concussion Protocol
September