1986 in heavy metal music

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

Newly formed bands

• Acid Drinkers
• Atrophy
• 24-7 Spyz
• Bolt Thrower
• Cacophony
• DBC (Dead Brain Cells)
• Grave
• Immolation
• Pestilence
• Primus
• Prong
• Terrorizer
• Vader
• Vio-Lence

Albums

• Accept - Russian Roulette
• AC/DC - Who Made Who
• Alice Cooper - Constrictor
• Beowülf - Beowülf
• Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
• Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
• Britny Fox - In America (EP)
• The Brood - The Brood
• Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
• Carnivore - Carnivore
• Cinderella - Night Songs
• Crumbsuckers - Life Of Dreams
• Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
• David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile
• Destruction - Eternal Devastation
• Dio - Intermission
• Europe - The Final Countdown
• Fastway - Trick or Treat
• Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
• Flotsam and Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver
• Helstar - Remnants of War
• Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
• Judas Priest - Turbo
• Keel - The Final Frontier
• King Diamond - Fatal Portrait
• King Kobra - Thrill of a Lifetime
• Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
• Krokus - Change of Address
• Lizzy Borden - Murderous Metal Live Roadshow, Menace To Society
• Loudness - Lightning Strikes
• Tankard - Zombie Attack
• Tony MacAlpine - Edge Of Insanity
• Manilla Road - The Deluge
• Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
• Metal Church - The Dark
• Metallica - Master of Puppets
• Morbid Angel - Abominations of Desolation (Was Recorded in 1986, Released in 1991)
• Motörhead - Orgasmatron
• Nuclear Assault - Game Over
• Onslaught - The Force
• Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin
• Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In
• Possessed - Beyond the Gates
• Queensrÿche - Rage for Order
• Quiet Riot - QR III
• Racer X - Street Lethal
• Ratt - Dancing Undercover
• Razor - Malicious Intent
• Sadus - D.T.P.
• Savatage - Fight for the Rock
• Sepultura - Morbid Visions
• Slayer - Reign in Blood
• Sodom - Obsessed By Cruelty
• Sound Barrier - Speed of Light
• Stryper - To Hell with the Devil
• Tarot - Spell of Iron
• Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
• Van Halen - 5150
• Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Vinnie Vincent Invasion
• Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr
• W.A.S.P. - Inside the Electric Circus
• Warlock - True as Steel
• Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trilogy
• Zodiac Mindwarp - High Priest Of Love (EP)

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 for 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 at 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]
• Europe, release The Final Countdown album on May 26. The title track is number one in 26 countries and became worldwide hit. Guitarist John Norum leaves the band on November. He is replaced by Kee Marcello.
• Jeff "Mantas" Dunn leaves British band Venom to pursue a solo career.