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1989 in heavy metal music
Last updated
August 24, 2025
1989 in music
By location
United Kingdom
Norway
South Korea
By genre
country
heavy metal
hip hop
jazz
Latin
By topic
List of albums released
Overview of the events of 1989 in heavy metal music
List of years in heavy metal music
(
table
)
…
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
…
Art
Archaeology
Architecture
Literature
Music
Philosophy
Science
+...
v
t
e
This is a timeline documenting the events of
heavy metal
in the year 1989.
Contents
Newly formed bands
Albums
Disbandments
Events
Newly formed bands
Abhorrence
Abruptum
Absu
Alleycat Scratch
Anonymus
Archgoat
ASAP
Baby Animals
Bad Acid Trip
Bal-Sagoth
Beherit
Benediction
Bonham
Brainstorm
Brujeria
Bruce Dickinson
(solo career)
Cathedral
Cemetary
Ceremonial Oath
Clawfinger
Conception
Consolation
Count Raven
Cry of Love
Cyclone Temple
Damaged
Damn Yankees
Dark Tranquillity
(as Septic Broiler)
Dead Head
Def Con Dos
Demoncy
Desultory
Detritus
diSEMBOWELMENT
Dissection
Doro
(solo career)
Downset.
Dungeon
Earth
Earth Crisis
Edge of Sanity
Electric Angels
Enchant
Eucharist
Exit-13
Falkenbach
Fear Factory
FireHouse
The Four Horsemen
Galactic Cowboys
Gamma Ray
The Gathering
General Surgery
Golem
Gore Beyond Necropsy
Gorefest
Gorguts
Gruntruck
Haggard
Helmet
Hum
Human Remains
Incantation
Infectious Grooves
Iniquity
Isengard
JBO
Killing Addiction
Konkhra
Kreyson
Last Days of Humanity
Life of Agony
Living Sacrifice
Lynch Mob
Marilyn Manson
Mindrot
Misanthrope
Monster Magnet
Morgana Lefay
Mortician
Motorpsycho
My Sister's Machine
Necromantia
Necrophobic
Nightstalker
Novembers Doom
Obscenity
Obtained Enslavement
Only Living Witness
Oomph!
Opeth
Ophthalamia
Pitch Shifter
Platero y Tú
RAMP
Red Harvest
Reverend
Ringworm
Riverdogs
Rorschach
Royal Hunt
Sacrament
Saviour Machine
Scatterbrain
The Scream
Seigmen
Sentenced
Sex Machineguns
Sigh
The 69 Eyes
Slaughter
Spread Eagle
Starkweather
Steelheart
Stone Temple Pilots
Stuck Mojo
Talisman
Tang Dynasty
Therapy?
Thorns
Thought Industry
Thunder
Tourniquet
Turbonegro
Type O Negative
Unleashed
Varga
Vomitory
While Heaven Wept
The Wildhearts
Wizard
Wuthering Heights
Albums
24-7 Spyz
-
Harder Than You
Acid Reign
-
The Fear
Accept
-
Eat the Heat
Addictive
-
Pity of Man
Aerosmith
-
Pump
Agony Column –
God, Guns and Guts
Alias (US) –
Metal to Infinity
Alice Cooper
-
Prince of Darkness
(comp)
Alice Cooper -
Trash
Amulance –
Feel the Pain
Angelica –
Angelica
The Angels
, aka Angel City -
Beyond Salvation
Angkor Wat
–
When Obscenity Becomes the Norm...Awake!
Annihilator
-
Alice in Hell
Anthem
-
Hunting Time
Apollo Ra –
Ra Pariah
Atheist
-
Piece of Time
Autopsy
-
Severed Survival
The Awful Truth
–
The Awful Truth
Babylon A.D. -
Babylon A.D.
Bad Brains
-
Quickness
Badlands
-
Badlands
Bang Tango
–
Live Injection
Bang Tango
-
Psycho Café
Barren Cross
–
State of Control
Beau Nasty
–
Dirty But Well Dressed
Believer
-
Extraction from Mortality
Black Sabbath
-
Headless Cross
Blacksmith
–
Fire from Within
Blind Guardian
-
Follow the Blind
Bloodgood
-
Out of the Darkness
Blue Murder
-
Blue Murder
Bonfire
-
Point Blank
Bonham
–
The Disregard of Timekeeping
Bolt Thrower
-
Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness
Candlemass
-
Tales of Creation
Cannibal Corpse
-
Cannibal Corpse
(demo)
Carcass
-
Symphonies of Sickness
Cats In Boots
-
Kicked and Klawed
China
-
Sign in the Sky
Cloven Hoof
–
A Sultan's Ransom
Coroner
-
No More Color
Coven -
Death Walks Behind You
Cro-Mags
-
Best Wishes
Cruella –
Vengeance Is Mine
Cry Wolf
-
Cry Wolf
The Cult
-
Sonic Temple
Cynic
-
Reflections of a Dying World
(demo)
D.A.D
–
No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims
Damien -
Stop This War
Danger Danger
-
Danger Danger
Dangerous Toys
-
Dangerous Toys
Dark Angel
-
Leave Scars
D.D.T. -
Victims
Dead Horse
–
Horsecore: An Unrelated Story That's Time Consuming
Dead Brain Cells
- Universe
Deliverance
-
Deliverance
Destruction
-
Live Without Sense
(live)
Devastation –
Signs of Life
Doro
-
Force Majeure
Dream Theater
-
When Dream and Day Unite
D.R.I.
-
Thrash Zone
Dirty Blonde –
Passion
Dirty Looks
–
Turn of the Screw
Dyoxen
-
First Among Equals
Earthshaker
-
Treachery
Electric Boys
-
Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride
Entombed
-
But Life Goes On
(demo)
Enuff Z'Nuff
-
Enuff Z'Nuff
Equinox
-
Auf Wiedersehen
Evildead
-
Annihilation of Civilization
Excel
-
The Joke's on You
Exodus
-
Fabulous Disaster
Extreme
-
Extreme
EZO
-
Fire Fire
Faith No More
-
The Real Thing
Faster Pussycat
–
Wake Me When Its Over
Fates Warning
-
Perfect Symmetry
Fifth Angel
–
Time Will Tell
Fongus -
Sobredosis de Metal
Forbidden
-
Raw Evil: Live at the Dynamo
(EP)
Forced Entry
–
Uncertain Future
The Four Horsemen
–
The Four Horsemen
(EP)
The Front
-
The Front
Gammacide –
Victims of Science
Glory –
Danger In this Game
Grave
-
Anatomia Corporis Humani
(demo)
Great White
-
...Twice Shy
Grinder
-
Dead End
Godflesh
-
Streetcleaner
Gorky Park
-
Gorky Park
Guardian
-
First Watch
Gun
–
Taking On the World
Heavy Pettin' – Big Bang
Heavens Gate
–
In Control
Heir Apparent
-
One Small Voice
Helix
-
Over 60 minutes with...
Helloween
-
Live in the U.K.
(live)
Helstar
-
Nosferatu
Hermética
-
Hermética
Holy Moses
-
The New Machine of Lichtenstein
Howe II
–
High Gear
Icon
-
Right Between the Eyes
Intruder
-
"A Higher Form of Killing"
Jailhouse
-
Alive In A Mad World
(EP)
Jersey Dogs –
Don't Worry, Get Angry!
(EP)
Junkyard
–
Junkyard
Keel
-
Larger Than Live
King Diamond
-
Conspiracy
Kingdom Come
-
In Your Face
King's X
-
Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
KISS
-
Hot in the Shade
Kreator
-
Extreme Aggression
Korzus
-
Pay For Your Lies
(EP)
Richie Kotzen
–
Richie Kotzen
L.A. Guns
-
Cocked & Loaded
Lȧȧz Rockit
-
Annihilation Principle
Lȧȧz Rockit -
Holiday In Cambodia
(EP)
Last Crack -
Sinister Funkhouse #17
Leatherwolf
-
Street Ready
Lillian Axe
–
Love + War
Little Caesar
–
Name Your Poison
(EP)
Living Death
-
Worlds Neuroses
Lizzy Borden
-
Master of Disguise
Lobotomia
-
Nada É Como Parece
Loudness
-
Soldier of Fortune
Macabre
-
Gloom
Yngwie Malmsteen
-
Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad
Marchello –
Destiny
Marshall Law –
Marshall Law
Alex Masi
–
Attack of the Neon Shark
Massacra
-
Nearer from Death
(demo)
Masters of Reality
–
Masters of Reality
McAuley Schenker Group
-
Save Yourself
Mekong Delta
-
The Principle of Doubt
Mercy –
King Doom
Meshuggah
–
Meshuggah
, aka
Psykisk Testbild
(EP)
Metal Massacre
-
Metal Massacre X
(Compilation, various artists)
Metal Church
-
Blessing in Disguise
Michael Monroe
–
Not Fakin It
Midas Touch –
Presage to Disaster
Mindless (Sinner) -
Missin' Pieces
Ministry
-
The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Morbid Angel
-
Altars of Madness
Mordred
–
Fools Game
Morgoth
-
Resurrection Absurd
(EP)
Mortal Sin
-
Face of Despair
Mortem
-
Slow Death
Mr. Big
-
Mr. Big
Mötley Crüe
-
Dr. Feelgood
Mystic-Force –
Take Command
(EP)
Napalm -
Cruel Tranquility
Nasty Savage
–
Penetration Point
Nine Inch Nails
-
Pretty Hate Machine
Nirvana (band)
-
Bleach
Nitro
-
O.F.R.
Nuclear Assault
-
Handle with Care
Obituary
-
Slowly We Rot
The Obsessed
–
The Obsessed
Oliver Magnum –
Oliver Magnum
Onslaught
-
In Search of Sanity
Overkill
-
The Years of Decay
Paradox
–
Heresy
Pariah
–
Blaze of Obscurity
Pestilence
-
Consuming Impulse
Phantom Blue
-
Phantom Blue
Poltergeist
–
Depression
Pretty Boy Floyd
-
Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz
Primus
-
Suck on This
(live)
Princess Pang
- Self Titled album
Rage
-
Secrets in a Weird World
Repulsion
-
Horrified
Reverend
-
Reverend
(EP)
Rotting Christ
-
The Other Side of Life
(split EP with Sound Pollution)
Rigor Mortis
-
Freaks
(EP)
Riot
–
Riot Live
Rollins Band
-
Hard Volume
Running Wild
-
Death or Glory
Rush
-
A Show of Hands
(live)
Rush -
Presto
Sabbat
-
Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays)
Sacred Reich
-
Alive at the Dynamo
(EP)
Sacred Warrior
–
Master's Command
Sacrilege
-
Turn Back Trilobite
Saint Vitus
-
V
Saraya
-
Saraya
Sarcófago
-
Rotting
(EP)
Joe Satriani
-
Flying in a Blue Dream
Savatage
-
Gutter Ballet
Scanner
-
terminal Earth
Scorpions
–
Best of Rockers and Ballads
Sea Hags
–
Sea Hags
Sepultura
-
Beneath the Remains
Shakin' Street
–
Live and Raw!
Shark Island
–
Law of the Order
Shotgun Messiah
–
Shotgun Messiah
Shout –
In Your Face
Signal
-
Loud & Clear
Silent Rage -
Don't Touch Me There
Skid Row
-
Skid Row
Sodom
-
Agent Orange
Soundgarden
-
Louder Than Love
Jack Starr's Burning Starr
–
Jack Starr's Burning Starr
Steve Stevens
–
Atomic Playboys
Stone
-
No Anaesthesia!
Stratovarius
-
Fright Night
Suicidal Tendencies
-
Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu
Sweaty Nipples
–
Straight Outta Portland
Tankard
-
Hair of the Dog
(comp)
Terrorizer
-
World Downfall
Tesla
-
The Great Radio Controversy
Testament
-
Practice What You Preach
Thanatos
-
Omnicoitor
(demo)
Titan Force
–
Titan Force
TNT
–
Intuition
Tora Tora
–
Surprise Attack
Toxik
-
Think This
Trance
–
Back in Trance
T.T. Quick
–
Sloppy Seconds
Tyrranicide -
God Save the Scene
Unseen Terror
-
The Peel Sessions
Vader
-
Necrolust
(demo)
Vain
–
No Respect
Venom
-
Prime Evil
Victory
–
Culture Killed the Native
Viking
-
Man of Straw
Viper
-
Theatre of Fate
Voivod
-
Nothingface
W.A.S.P.
-
The Headless Children
Warrant
-
Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Watchtower
-
Control and Resistance
Wehrmacht
-
Biermacht
Whiplash
–
Insult to Injury
White Lion
-
Big Game
Whitesnake
-
Slip of the Tongue
White Zombie
-
Make Them Die Slowly
Winter
-
Hour of Doom
(demo)
Wrathchild America
-
Climbin' the Walls
Xentrix
-
Shattered Existence
X Japan
-
Blue Blood
XYZ
-
XYZ
Zed Yago
–
Pilgrimage
Zion
-
Thunder From the Mountain
Disbandments
Cacophony
Destruction
(Schmier leaves the band)
Dokken
(reformed in
1993
)
Lion
Osmi Putnik
(reformed in 2002)
Events
Primus
records their live album
Suck on This
at
Berkeley Square
in
Berkeley, California
on February 25 and March 5.
Mötley Crüe
's album
Dr. Feelgood
reaches number one on the Billboard Top 100.
Bon Jovi
,
Cinderella
,
Ozzy Osbourne
,
Scorpions
,
Mötley Crüe
, and
Skid Row
take part in the
Moscow Music Peace Festival
on August 12 & August 13, 1989.
For the first time in its history, a
Grammy
is given for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. The award is given to
Jethro Tull
for
Crest of a Knave
.
Jason Becker
is diagnosed with
ALS
.
Faith No More
,
Soundgarden
and
Voivod
embark on a
U.S.
tour together.
Future
Metallica
bassist
Robert Trujillo
joins
Suicidal Tendencies
(and remains with them until their split in 1995). Following his participation, the band would abandon their
hardcore punk
style and become more of a
thrash metal
/
funk metal
band.
Steve Vai
leaves
David Lee Roth
's solo band and joins
Whitesnake
.
Rick Rozz
leaves
Death
and is replaced by then-future
Obituary
and
Testament
guitarist
James Murphy
. The new Death line-up (
Chuck Schuldiner
/
James Murphy
/
Terry Butler
/
Bill Andrews
) eventually records a
new album
that would be released
next year
.
Jethro Tull
is awarded "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental" to boos from the audience at the
31st Grammy Awards
.
Preceded
by
1988
Heavy Metal Timeline
1989
Succeeded
by
1990
v
t
e
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
2026
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