Heavy metal timeline

how it was born and developed

10 events covering a total of 10.228 days over 1.462 weeks, 337 months and 29 years.
Years/Compact Updated: 04 May 2026 Auto-scroll Sharing Board Cover @gri•••••••as
31
Nu Metal — 1 Jan
The explosion of Nu Metal with bands like Korn and Slipknot blends metal, hip-hop, and industrial sounds, bringing the genre to a new generation.
31
Groove Metal — 1 Oct
With the album Far Beyond Driven, Pantera bring Groove Metal to the top of the charts, keeping heavy metal alive in an alternative-dominated era.
31
Grunge — 24 Sep
The release of Nevermind by Nirvana signals the rise of Grunge, pushing classic metal into the underground for much of the 90s
31
Death — 31 Oct
Death release Scream Bloody Gore, defining the standards for extreme Death Metal.
31
Quiet Riot — 1 Dec
Quiet Riot release Metal Health, the first metal album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts, ushering in the Glam Metal era.
Metallica — 25 Jul
Metallica release Kill 'Em All. Thrash Metal is officially born, taking aggression and speed to a new level.
31
NWOBHM — 14 Apr
Iron Maiden release their first album, leading the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and accelerating metal's tempo.
Judas Priest — 19 Feb
Judas Priest release British Steel, codifying the "leather and studs" aesthetic.
31
Black Sabbath — 13 Feb
Black Sabbath release their first full length considered as the first heavy metal album
Deep Purple — 1 Jan
With the album In Rock, Deep Purple define the genre's sonic power and technical virtuosity.