1985 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1985.

Newly formed bands

Aria Carcass David Lee Roth Deliverance Dream Theater (under the name "Majesty") Exhorder Extreme Guns N' Roses Iced Earth (known as "Purgatory" until 1988) Jane's Addiction

King Diamond MX Machine Neurosis Macabre Racer X Sanctuary Tarot (under the name "Purgatory" until record deal) White Zombie

Albums & EPs

Lee Aaron - Call of the Wild Abattoir - Vicious Attack AC/DC - Fly on the Wall Accept - Metal Heart Aerosmith - Done with Mirrors Agent Steel - Skeptics Apocalypse; Mad Locust Rising EP Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace Angel Witch - Screamin' 'n' Bleedin' Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous EP; Spreading the Disease Anvil - Backwaxed Aria - Mania Velichia Armed Force - Heavy Artillery Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad Artillery - Fear of Tomorrow Astaroth - The Long Loud Silence EP Atomkraft - Future Warriors Attacker - Battle at Helm's Deep Avenger (UK) - Killer Elite Avenger (Ger) - Depraved to Black EP; Prayers of Steel Axewitch - Hooked on Highs Heels Baron Rojo - En un lugar de la marcha Barren Cross - Believe EP Black Knight - Master of Disaster EP Black Lace - Get It While It's Hot Black 'n Blue - Without Love Black Sheep - Trouble in the Streets Blessed Death - Kill Or Be Killed Blind Fury - Out of Reach Blitzkrieg (UK) - A Time of Changes Blitzkrieg (US) - Ready For Action EP Bloodlust - Guilty As Sin Blue Öyster Cult - Club Ninja Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit Burning Starr - Rock the American Way Cacumen - Longing For You EP Celtic Frost - Emperor's Return EP; To Mega Therion Chastain - Mystery of Illusion Chateaux - Highly Strung Chrome Molly - You Can't Have It All...or Can You? Cities - Annihilation Absolute EP Crisis - Kick It Out Crying Steel - Crying Steel EP The Cult - Love Cutty Sark - Heroes Dark Angel - We Have Arrived Demon - British Standard Approved; Heart of Our Time Destruction - Infernal Overkill Destructor - Maximum Destruction Devil Childe - Devil Childe Dio - Sacred Heart Dokken - Under Lock And Key Drysill - Welcome to the Show E.F. Band - One Night Stand Mark Edwards - Code of Honor EP Electric Sun - Beyond the Astral Skies Exciter - Long Live the Loud Exodus - Bonded by Blood Exorcist - Nightmare Theater Exxplorer - Symphonies of Steel Faithful Breath - Skol Faith No More - We Care a Lot Fastway - Waiting for the Roar Fates Warning - The Spectre Within Fierce Heart - Fierce Heart Fist (Can) - Danger Zone Flatbacker - Accident Glacier - Glacier EP Girlschool - Running Wild Grave Digger - Witch Hunter Grim Reaper - Fear No Evil Halloween - Don't Metal with Evil EP Hallows Eve - Tales of Terror Hammers Rule - After the Bomb EP Hawaii - Natives Are Restless Headpins - Head Over Heels Helix - Long Way to Heaven Helloween - Helloween EP; Walls Of Jericho Highway Chile - Rockarama Hirax - Raging Violence Holland - Little Monsters Horizon - Master of the Game Icon - Night of the Crime Impaler - Rise of the Mutants EP Iron Angel - Hellish Crossfire Iron Maiden - Live After Death Jag Wire - Made In Heaven Joshua - Surrender Keel - The Right To Rock Kick Axe - Welcome to the Club Killers (Fra) - Fils de la Haine King Kobra - Ready to Strike KISS - Asylum Kix - Midnite Dynamite Knightmare II - Death Do Us Part EP Kreator - Endless Pain Lääz Rockit - No Stranger to Danger L.A. Guns - Collector's Edition No. 1 EP Leatherwolf - Leatherwolf, aka Endangered Species Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise

Living Death - Metal Revolution; Watch Out! EP Lizzy Borden - Love You To Pieces London - Non-Stop Rock Loudness - Thunder in the East Mad Max - Stormchild Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night Maineeaxe - Going for Gold; The Hour of Thunder EP Mama's Boys - Power and Passion Manilla Road - Open the Gates Martyr - For the Universe Maxx Warrior - Maxx Warrior EP Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! Mercy - Witchburner Gary Moore - Run for Cover Mötley Crüe - Theatre of Pain Nasty Savage - Nasty Savage Obus - Pega Con Fuerza Odin - Don't Take No... For An Answer EP Omen - Warning of Danger Overkill - Feel The Fire Onslaught - Power from Hell Ostrogoth - Too Hot Pandemonium - Hole in the Sky Paganini - Weapon of Love Pantera - I Am the Night Paradoxx - Plan of Attak EP Pentagram (US) - Pentagram aka Relentless Piledriver - Metal Inquisition Possessed - Seven Churches Precious Metal - Right Here, Right Now Rail - Adio Railway - Railway II Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy Raven - Stay Hard Razor - Executioner's Song; Evil Invaders Rogue Male - First Visit Rosy Vista - You Better Believe It EP David Lee Roth - Crazy from the Heat EP Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt Ruffians - Ruffians EP Running Wild - Branded and Exiled Rush - Power Windows Sacred Rite - The Ritual Saint Vitus - Hallow's Victim Satanic Rites - Which Way the Wind Blows Savage - Hyperactive Savage Grace - Master of Disguise Savatage - Power of the Night Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse Scorpions - World Wide Live Seduce - Seduce Sinner - Touch of Sin Slayer - Hell Awaits, Live Undead Steeler (Ger) - Rulin' the Earth Stormtrooper (US) - Armies of the Night EP S.O.D. - Speak English or Die Stryper - Soldiers Under Command Sweet Pain - Sweet Pain Sye - Turn on the Fire Thor - Only the Strong; Live In Detroit Thrasher - Burning at the Speed of Light Tokyo Blade - Black Hearts & Jaded Spades Trilogy (Aus) - Life on Earth Tröjan - Chasing the Storm Trouble - The Skull Twisted Sister - Come Out and Play 220 Volt - Mind Over Muscle Tygers of Pan Tang - The Wreck-Age Tyran' Pace - Long Live Metal Tyrant (Ger) - Fight For Your Life Tyrant (US) - Legions of the Dead Tysondog - Shoot to Kill EP Tytan - Rough Justice UFO - Misdemeanor Vandenberg - Alibi Venom - Possessed Vicious Rumors - Soldiers of the Night Victory - Victory Vyper - Afraid of the Dark EP Virgin Steele - Noble Savage Vow Wow - Cyclone Vulcain - La dame de fer EP; Desperados W.A.S.P. - The Last Command Warlock - Hellbound Warrior - Fighting For The Earth Whiplash - Power and Pain White Lion - Fight to Survive Warhead (Bel) - The Day After Warrant (Ger) - First Strike EP; The Enforcer Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly Waysted - The Good The Bad The Waysted Wrathchild (UK) - Trash Queens Y&T - Open Fire; Down for the Count Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Marching Out Zoetrope - Amnesty Znowhite - Kick 'Em When They're Down EP

Disbandments

• Mercyful Fate
• Van Halen (Roth quits band)

Events

• Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid cofounds the Black Rock Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians interested in playing rock music.
• Twisted Sister's Dee Snider testifies at The Parents Music Resource Center Senate hearings on rock censorship at Washington D.C. on September 19, 1985.
• David Lee Roth releases his solo debut (ep) Crazy From The Heat in January 1985, with it comes the announcement he has permanently left Van Halen.
• Black Sabbath reunites at Live Aid with Ozzy Osbourne.
• Led Zeppelin reunites at Live Aid with Phil Collins replacing deceased drummer John Bonham.
• Kam Lee leaves Death and Chuck Schuldiner becomes the vocalist.
• Uriah Heep's former lead singer, David Byron dies on February 28, due to alcohol complications.
• Welcome to Venice compilation is released, featuring Suicidal Tendencies, Beowulf, <<link:0>> and others, showing the growing crossover trend among the Venice Beach hardcore and metal scenes.