1986 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1986.

Newly formed bands

• 24-7 Spyz
• Accuser
• Acid Drinkers
• Agressor
• Ahat
• Anacrusis
• Angkor Wat
• Atrophy
• Baton Rouge
• Believer
• Black Obelisk
• Bolt Thrower
• Bonfire
• Brutality
• Cacophony
• Cerebral Fix
• Circus of Power
• Cold
• Confessor
• Cycle Sluts from Hell
• Darkthrone
• DBC (Dead Brain Cells)
• Demolition Hammer
• Despair
• Dreamscape
• Elegy
• Evildead
• Front Line Assembly
• Grave
• Harlow
• Immolation
• Infernäl Mäjesty
• Invocator
• IronChrist
• Katedra
• La Pestilencia
• M.O.D.
• Mana Mana
• Manic Street Preachers
• Manitoba's Wild Kingdom
• Massacra
• Mastermind
• McAuley Schenker Group
• Merciless
• Mezarkabul
• Mortem
• Mucky Pup
• Nelson
• Nuclear Death
• OLD
• Opprobrium
• Paradox
• Pestilence
• Prong
• Revelation
• Risk
• Salty Dog
• Scanner
• Sinawe
• Skid Row
• Sugar Ray
• Terrorizer
• Trauma
• Treponem Pal
• Unseen Terror
• Vain
• Vanden Plas
• Viking
• Waltari
• XYZ

Albums & EPs

• Aaronsrod - Illusions Kill
• Abattoir - The Only Safe Place
• Accept - Russian Roulette
• AC/DC - Who Made Who (soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive)
• ADX – La Terreur
• Alcatrazz - Dangerous Games
• Alice Cooper - Constrictor
• Alien Force - Pain and Pleasure
• Angel Dust – Into the Dark Past
• Angel Witch – Frontal Assault
• Ángeles del Infierno - Instinto Animal (EP)
• Anthem - Tightrope
• Asgard - In the Ancient Days
• Atomkraft – Queen of Death (EP)
• Attila – Rolling Thunder
• At War - Ordered to Kill
• Axtion – Live (EP)
• Baby Tuckoo - Force Majeure
• Bad Brains - I Against I
• Banshee - Cry in the Night (EP)
• Barren Cross - Rock for the King
• Beowülf - Beowülf
• Bitches Sin – Invaders
• Billy Idol – Whiplash Smile
• Black Fate - Commander of Fate
• Black Ice - Hot-N-Heavy (EP)
• Black 'n Blue - Nasty Nasty
• Black Rose – Walk It How You Talk It
• Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
• Blacksmith – Blacksmith (EP)
• Blade Runner – Warriors of Rock
• Bloodgood - Bloodgood
• Blood Money – Red Raw And Bleeding!
• Bonfire - Don't Touch the Light
• Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
• Bride - Show No Mercy
• Britny Fox - In America (EP)
• The Brood - The Brood
• Burning Starr - No Turning Back
• Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
• Castle Blak - Another Dark Carneval
• Carrion – Evil Is There
• Cerberus - Too Late to Pray
• Chariot - Burning Ambition
• Charon – Made In Aluminium
• Chastain - Ruler of the Wasteland
• Child'ƨ Play - Ruff House (EP)
• Cinderella - Night Songs
• Cirith Ungol - One Foot in Hell
• Cities - Annihilation Absolute
• CJSS - World Gone Mad
• CJSS - Praise the Loud
• Cloven Hoof – Fighting Back (live)
• Cobra (UK) – Back From the Dead
• Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
• Cro-Mags - The Age of Quarrel
• Crumbsuckers - Life of Dreams
• Cryptic Slaughter - Convicted
• Damien Throne - The Sign of the Jackal
• Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
• D.C. Lacroix - Crack of Doom
• Deaf Dealer - Keeper of the Flame
• Dealer – First Strike
• Death Row - Riders of Doom, aka Satan's Gift
• Deep Switch - Nine Inches of God
• Demon - Demon (EP)
• Desolation Angels – Desolation Angels
• Destruction - Eternal Devastation
• Detente - Recognize No Authority
• Diamond - Diamond
• Diamond Rexx - Land of the Damned
• Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone – Fighting Back
• Dio - Intermission (live)
• Dirty Looks – In Your Face
• Dr. Mastermind - Dr. Mastermind
• Earthshaker - Overrun
• Easy Action – That Makes One
• Eden - Eden
• Elektradrive - ...Over the Space
• Elixir - The Son of Odin
• Emerald - Armed For Battle
• Europe - The Final Countdown
• Excess - Melting Point
• Exciter - Unveiling the Wicked
• Exorcist - Nightmare Theater
• Faithful Breath - Live
• Fastway - Trick or Treat
• Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
• Fifth Angel - Fifth Angel
• Firstryke - Just A Nightmare
• Flatbacker - Esa
• Flotsam and Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver
• Force - Set Me Free
• Forever – Forever & Ever
• Foreplay - Hot 'N Heavy (EP)
• Formel 1 - Live im Stahlwerk
• Girlschool - Nightmare at Maple Cross
• Giuffria - Silk + Steel
• Grave Digger - War Games
• Gravestone – Creating a Monster
• Digger (Grave Digger) - Stronger Than Ever
• Great White - Shot in the Dark
• Griffin - Protector of the Lair
• Guns N' Roses - Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (EP)
• Hallowed - Hallowed
• Hallows Eve - Death & Insanity
• Hammeron – Nothin' To Do But Rock
• Have Mercy - Armageddon Descends (EP)
• Hawk - Hawk
• Heir Apparent - Graceful Inheritance
• Helstar - Remnants of War
• Heretic - Torture Knows No Boundary (EP)
• Hexx - Under the Spell
• High Power - Les Violons de Satan
• Hirax - Hate, Fear and Power
• Holy Moses - Queen of Siam
• Hurricane - Take What You Want
• Hyde (CA) - Hyde
• Impaler - If We Had Brains... We'd Be Dangerous!
• Iron Angel - Winds of War
• Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
• Jesters of Destiny - Fun at the Funeral
• Judas Priest - Turbo
• Juggernaut - Baptism Under Fire
• Kat - Metal and Hell
• Kat - 666
• Keel - The Final Frontier
• Kick Axe - Rock the World
• Killer (Swi) - Young Blood
• Killer Dwarfs - Stand Tall
• Killers (Fra) - Danger de Vie
• King Diamond - Fatal Portrait
• King Kobra - Thrill of a Lifetime
• Krank - Hideous
• Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
• Krokus - Change of Address
• Krokus - Alive and Screamin' (live)
• Kuni - Masque
• Letchen Grey - Party Politics (EP)
• Lion - Power Love (EP)
• Living Death - Back to the Weapons (EP)
• Lizzy Borden - The Murderous Metal Roadshow (live)
• Lizzy Borden - Menace to Society
• London - Don't Cry Wolf
• Loudness – 8186 Live
• Loudness - Lightning Strikes
• M.A.R.S. - Project: Driver
• Tony MacAlpine - Edge of Insanity
• Mad Reign - Mad Reign (EP)
• Manilla Road - The Deluge
• Malisha - Serve Your Savage Beast
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Trilogy
• Frank Marino – Full Circle
• Martyr (Hol) - Darkness at Time's Edge
• Mass (Ger) - Kick Your Ass!
• Medieval - Medieval (EP)
• Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
• Megattack - Raw Delivery
• Mekong Delta - Mekong Delta
• Messiah Prophet - Master of the Metal
• Metal Priest - Bursting Out
• Metal Church - The Dark
• Metal Massacre - Metal Massacre VII (Compilation, various artists)
• Metallica - Master of Puppets
• Michael W. Smith - The Big Picture
• Militia - The Sybling (EP)
• Mindless Sinner - Turn on the Power
• Mistrust - Spin the World
• Vinnie Moore – Mind's Eye
• Mortal Sin - Mayhemic Destruction
• Motörhead - Orgasmatron
• Nightwing – VI
• Nuclear Assault - Brain Death (EP)
• Nuclear Assault - Game Over
• Obsession - Scarred for Life
• Obús - Dejarse la piel
• Omen - The Curse
• Onslaught - The Force
• Orphan Allies – Running From the Law
• Outside - Magic Sacrifice
• Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin
• Oz - ...Decibel Storm...
• Pain - Insanity
• Panther - Panther (EP)
• Persian Risk - Rise Up
• Phantom Lord - Evil Never Sleeps
• Picture - Every Story Needs Another Picture
• Piledriver - Stay Ugly
• Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In
• Possessed - Beyond the Gates
• Post Mortem – Coroner's Office
• Powerlord - The Awakening
• Powermad - Powermad (EP)
• Predator - Easy Prey
• Preyer – Terminator
• Purgatory - Tied to the Trax
• Queen - A Kind of Magic
• Queensrÿche - Rage for Order
• Quiet Riot - QR III
• Racer X - Street Lethal
• Rage - Reign of Fear
• Rankelson – Hungry For Blood
• Ratt - Dancing Undercover
• Ravage - Wrecking Ball
• Raven - The Pack Is Back
• Raven - Mad (EP)
• Razor - Malicious Intent
• Renegade - Renegade
• Ripper - ...And the Dead Shall Rise
• Rhoads - Into the Future
• Rock Goddess - Young & Free
• Canedy, Feinstein, Bordonaro & Caudle - Hollywood
• The Rods - Heavier Than Thou
• Rogue Male - Animal Man
• Rough Cutt - Wants You!
• David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile
• Ruthless - Discipline of Steel
• Sabbrabells - Sailing On the Revenge
• Sabotage - Behind the Lines
• Sacred Blade - Of The Sun + Moon
• Sacred Rite - Is Nothing Sacred?
• Sacrifice - Torment in Fire
• Sadus - D.T.P.
• Saint - Time's End
• Saint Vitus - Born Too Late
• Samhain - Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire
• Samson - Joint Forces
• Samson - Head Tactics (comp)
• Samurai – Weapon Master
• Satan - Into the Future (EP)
• Satan's Host - Metal from Hell
• Joe Satriani - Not of This Earth
• Savage Grace - After the Fall from Grace
• Savatage - Fight for the Rock
• Sentinel Beast - Depths of Death
• Sepultura - Morbid Visions
• Shark Island - S'cool Buss
• Silver Mountain - Hibiya: Live in Japan '85
• Sinner - Comin' Out Fighting
• Slaughter (Can) – Strappado
• Slayer - Reign in Blood
• Snake - Let The Music Begin
• Sodom - Obsessed by Cruelty
• Sortilège - Larmes de Héros
• Sound Barrier - Speed of Light
• Steel Angel – Kiss of Steel
• Steel Crown - Sunset Warriors
• Steeler (Ger) - Strike Back
• St. Elmo's Fire – St. Elmo's Fire
• Stone Fury - Let Them Talk
• Stormwitch - Stronger Than Heaven
• Stryper - To Hell with the Devil
• Sword - Metalized
• Syron Vanes – Revenge
• Talon - Vicious Game
• Tankard - Zombie Attack
• Tarot - Spell of Iron
• Tension - Breaking Point
• Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
• Thor - Recruits – Wild in the Streets
• Thor - The Edge of Hell
• TKO - Below the Belt
• Tormé – Back To Babylon
• Touched – Death Row
• Treat - The Pleasure Principle
• Tredegar - Tredegar
• Trilogy (Aus) - Next in Line (in EU); Saracen - Saracen (in Aus)
• Triumph - The Sport of Kings
• TT Quick - Metal of Honor
• Turbo - Kawaleria Szatana
• Tyga Mira – Deliverance
• Tygers of Pan Tang – First Kill (comp)
• Tyran' Pace - Watching You
• Tyrant (Ger) - Running Hot
• Tysondog - Crimes of Insanity
• V.V.S.I. - No Ace at Hand
• Vanadium – Born to Fight
• Van Halen - 5150
• Vardis - Vigilante
• Vengeance - We Have Ways to Make You Rock
• Venom - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
• Victim - Dirty, Mean & Nasty (EP)
• Victory - Don't Get Mad... Get Even
• Villain - Only Time Will Tell (EP)
• Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Vinnie Vincent Invasion
• Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr
• Vow Wow - III
• Vulcain - Big Brothers
• W.A.S.P. - Inside the Electric Circus
• Warfare - Mayhem, Fuckin' Mayhem
• Warhead (Bel) - The Day After
• Warlock - True as Steel
• Waysted - Save Your Prayers
• Wendy O. Williams - Kommander of Kaos
• Whiplash - Power and Pain
• White Tiger - White Tiger
• Wrath - Fit of Anger
• X-Caliber - Warriors of the Night
• Zebra – 3.V
• Zero Nine – Intrigue
• Znöwhite - Live Suicide
• Zodiac Mindwarp - High Priest of Love (EP)

Disbandments

• Pomaranča (reformed in 1990)
• Vatreni Poljubac (reformed in 1998)
• Warriors

Events

• Living Colour's line-up is solidified to a quartet, consisting of Corey Glover (vocals), Vernon Reid (guitar), Muzz Skillings (bass), and Will Calhoun (drums).
• Phil Lynott, the former frontman of Thin Lizzy, dies at the age of 36 on January 4 from drug-related health problems.
• Metallica's third album Master of Puppets peaks at #29 on the Billboard 200, spending 72 weeks on the charts with minor radio airplay. Unfortunately, bassist Cliff Burton dies aged 24 on September 27 in a bus accident in Sweden. Jason Newsted from Phoenix band Flotsam and Jetsam is hired after auditions are held.
• Metal Hammer magazine is first published.
• Slayer's third album Reign in Blood peaks at 94 on the Billboard 200 with no radio airplay. The album also reached number 47 on the UK Album Chart,[14] and on November 20, 1992, it was certified gold in the United States. Kerrang! magazine described it as the "heaviest album of all time,"[16] while Metal Hammer magazine named it "the best metal album of the last 20 years."[17]
• Jeff "Mantas" Dunn leaves British band Venom to pursue a solo career.