1986 in heavy metal music

Last updated September 29, 2025

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

Newly formed bands

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.

References

↑ "New singer, new single for metal band Skid Row performing at the Rose". Dayton Daily News . May 29, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2025.

Preceded by 1985	Heavy Metal Timeline 1986	Succeeded by 1987

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[1] "New singer, new single for metal band Skid Row performing at the Rose". Dayton Daily News . May 29, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2025.

[1]

v t e Timeline of heavy metal and hard rock music
Heavy metal music before 1970
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