2016 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2016.

Bands formed

• Invidia^[1]
• Prophets of Rage^[2]
• Sinsaenum^[3]
• Vimic^[4]

Bands disbanded

• Agalloch^[5]
• Bolt Thrower^[6]
• Crucified Barbara^[7]
• Eths^[8]
• Kylesa (hiatus)^[9]
• ReVamp^[10]
• Scar the Martyr^[4]
• Sockweb^[11]
• Twisted Sister^[12]
• Wodensthrone^[13]

Bands reformed

• Abandon All Ships^[14]
• Akercocke^[15]
• Battlelore (hiatus from 2011 to 2016)^[16]
• Demolition Hammer^[17][18]
• Destroy the Runner^[19]
• Evildead^[20]
• Nasty Savage^[21]
• Nitro^[22]
• The Obsessed^[23]
• Pestilence^[24]
• Power Quest^[25]
• Ratt^[26][27]
• Scissorfight^[28]

Events

• On April 28, 2015, Black Sabbath announced that they will embark on their final tour.^[29]
• 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.^[30]
• On January 14, Lacuna Coil announced that guitarist Marco Biazzi has left the band.^[31][32][33]
• On February 10, Skeletonwitch announced Adam Clemans as their new vocalist.^[34]
• 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.^[35] Lombardo will drum for Suicidal Tendencies again on their summer European tour.^[36]
• On March 19, Underoath played their first show since disbanding in 2013 at Self Help Festival in California.^[37]
• On March 31, Martin Henriksson announced that he has quit Dark Tranquillity due to loss of passion for playing music.^[38]
• On April 16 and April 23, Guns N' Roses reunited with their original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan for this year's Coachella.^[39][40]
• 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.^[41]
• On May 5, Eluveitie announced that they parted ways with drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi.^[42]
• On August 6 and 7, Heavy Montreal took place presented by Evenko, and headliners were Nightwish, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat and Candlemass.^[43]

Deaths

• January 14 – Kevin Lawrence, guitarist of Rapidfire, died from multiple heart attacks at the age of 51.^[44]
• January 24 – Jimmy Bain, bassist of Rainbow and Dio, died from lung cancer at the age of 68.^[45][46]
• February 2 – Steve Childers, guitarist of Burning Inside, Black Witchery and Public Assassin, died in a car accident at the age of 49.^[47]
• February 21 – Piotr Grudziński, guitarist of Riverside, died from sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 40.^[48][49][50]
• March 3 – John Thomas, former guitarist of Budgie, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 63.^[51]
• March 3 – Oskar Karlsson, drummer of Gates of Ishtar, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 39.^[52]
• March 13 – Nik Green, keyboardist of Blue Murder, died from cancer.^[53]
• April 5 – John Byrd, former guitarist of King Conquer, died from substance abuse.^[54]
• April 18 – Aleah Liane Stanbridge, vocalist of Trees of Eternity, died from cancer.^[55]
• May 21 – Nick Menza, former drummer of Megadeth, died from heart failure at the age of 51.^[56]
• May 31 – Brandon Ferrell, former drummer of Municipal Waste, died from undisclosed reasons.^[57]
• June 9 – Adam Young, multi-instrumentalist of Sockweb, died after committing suicide by hanging himself at the age of 28.^[11][58]
• August 13 – Jerry Clyde Paradis, former drummer of The Gates of Slumber and Sourvein, died from undisclosed reasons.^[59]
• August 17 – James Woolley, former keyboardist of Nine Inch Nails, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 49.^[60]
• August 21 – Tom Searle, guitarist of Architects, died from cancer at the age of 28.^[61]
• August 25 – Norman Killeen, former drummer of Threat Signal, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 38.^[62]
• September 10 – Pecu Cinnari, drummer of Tarot, died from a long-term illness at the age of 50.^[63]
• September 11 – Leonard Haze, former drummer of Y&T, died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the age of 61.^[64]
• September 27 – Mike Taylor, former vocalist of Quartz, died from undisclosed reasons.^[65]
• September 27 – Brodie Wheeler, former guitarist of King Conquer, died from substance abuse.^[66]

Albums expected / released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Artists with material in production

References