1984 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1984.

Events

• October 23 – A debate over heavy metal music occurs on SVT's Svar direkt between Anders Tegnér and Siewert Öholm.

Newly formed bands

• Agent Steel
• Angel Dust
• Annihilator
• Atheist
• Barren Cross
• The Black Crowes
• Blasphemy
• Blind Guardian (under the name "Lucifer's Heritage" until 1988)
• Bloodgood
• Candlemass
• Celtic Frost
• Chastain
• Chrome Molly
• Concrete Sox
• Cranium
• The Crucified
• Cryptic Slaughter
• Dead End
• Deathrow
• Deceased
• Detente
• Deviated Instinct
• Dirty Looks
• Domine
• Enuff Z'Nuff
• Eudoxis
• Executioner
• Faith
• Fantom Warior
• The Firm
• FM
• Frehley's Comet
• The Front
• Grinder
• Gwar
• Heathen
• Héroes del Silencio
• Hellbastard
• Heller
• Helloween
• Heretic
• Hirax
• Hittman
• Iced Earth
• Jack Starr's Burning Starr
• Jesters of Destiny
• Keel
• King Kobra
• KMFDM
• Korrozia Metalla
• Krabathor
• Kraken
• Leeway
• Living Colour
• Lobotomia
• Los Cycos
• Ludichrist
• Tony MacAlpine
• Massacre
• Mayhem
• Mefisto
• Messiah
• Mistrust
• Morbid Saint
• Mordred
• Necrodeath
• Nepal
• Nuclear Assault
• Obituary
• Phenomena
• Piledriver
• Powermad
• Praxis
• Primus
• The Quireboys
• Racer X
• Rage (under the name "Avenger" until 1986)
• Repulsion
• Sacrilege
• Sadus
• Sepultura
• Slaughter
• Soundgarden
• Starship
• Steel Prophet
• Stratovarius
• Tangier
• Thanatos
• Uncle Slam (known as The Brood until 1987)
• Vendetta
• Victory
• Vinnie Vincent Invasion
• Warfaze
• Warrant
• Whiplash
• Wolfsbane
• Xentrix

Reformed bands

• Deep Purple

Bands disbanded

• Gordi

Albums & EPs

• Lee Aaron - Metal Queen
• AC/DC - '74 Jailbreak (EP)
• Alcatrazz - Live Sentence (live)
• Angeles del Infierno - Pacto con el Diablo
• The Angels, aka Angel City - Two Minute Warning
• Anthrax - Fistful of Metal
• Antix - Get Up, Get Happy (EP)
• April Wine - Animal Grace
• Armed Forces - Let There Be Metal (EP)
• Armored Saint - March of the Saint
• ATC - Cut in Ice
• Atlain - Living in the Dark
• Attack - Danger in the Air
• Attentat Rock – Le Gang des Saigneurs
• Autograph - Sign In Please
• Avenger (UK) - Blood Sports
• Axe Victims - Another Victim
• Axe Witch - Visions of the Past
• Baby Tuckoo - First Born
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive - "Bachman-Turner Overdrive"
• Backwater - Revelation
• Banzai - Duro y Potente
• Barón Rojo - Barón Al Rojo Vivo (live)
• Bathory - Bathory
• Battleaxe - Power from the Universe
• Black Death - Black Death
• Black Lace - Unlaced
• Black 'n Blue - Black 'n Blue
• The Black Riders - The Chosen Few
• Black Rose - Boys Will Be Boys
• Black Rose - Black Rose (EP)
• Black Tears – Child of the Storm
• Blackout - Evil Game
• Blade Runner – Hunted
• Blaspheme – Blaspheme
• Bloody Six - In the Name of Blood
• Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
• Boss - Step on It
• Brainfever – Capture the Night
• Brocas Helm - Into Battle
• Bronz – Taken by Storm
• Brooklyn Brats - Brooklyn Brats (EP)
• Buster Brown – Loud and Clear
• Buzzard (Bel) - Gambler
• Cacumen - Down to Hell
• Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
• Chariot - The Warrior
• Charon – Charon
• Chateaux - Fire Power
• Childhood's End - Childhood's End (EP)
• Chinawite - Run for Cover
• Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead
• Cloven Hoof - Cloven Hoof
• Corrosion of Conformity - Eye for an Eye
• Crisis - Armed to the Teeth (EP)
• Crossfire - See You in Hell
• Crown - Red Zone
• Crown - All That Rock & Roll Music
• Crystal Pride – Knocked Out (EP)
• Crystal Pride – Crystal Pride
• The Cult - Dreamtime
• Cutty Sark - Die Tonight
• Dark Age (US) - Dark Age (EP)
• Dark Heart - Shadows of the Night
• Dark Wizard - Devil's Victim (EP)
• Darxon – Killed in Action
• D.D.T. – Let The Screw...Turn You On (EP)
• Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
• Demon - Wonderland (EP)
• Demon Eyes - Rites of Chaos
• Denigh – Fire from the Sky
• Der Kaiser – Vautours
• Destruction - Sentence of Death (EP)
• Di'Anno - Di'Anno
• Dio - The Last in Line
• Divine Rite - First Rite
• Dokken - Tooth and Nail
• Electric Eels (CA) - Electric Eels
• Elessar - Defy the King (EP)
• Earthshaker - Fugitive
• Earthshaker - Midnight Flight
• Eric Steel - Eric Steel
• Europe - Wings of Tomorrow
• Evil - Evil's Message (EP)
• Exciter - Violence & Force
• Explorer - Exploding
• Exxplorer - Symphonies of Steel
• Ezy Meat - Not for Wimps
• Fact – As a Matter of Fact
• Faithful Breath - Gold 'n' Glory
• Fastway - All Fired Up
• Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
• First Strike – Rock of Offense
• Fisc - Tracker
• FN Guns - Nightmare
• Force – Set Me Free
• Flatbacker - Minagoroshi
• Lita Ford - Dancin' on the Edge
• Rhett Forrester - Gone with the Wind
• Gilgamesj - Take One (EP)
• Glory Bells - Century Rendezvous
• Gotham City - The Unknown
• Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
• Graven Image - People in Hell Want Ice Water (EP)
• Gravestone – Victim of Chains
• Great White - Great White
• Griffin - Flight of the Griffin
• Sammy Hagar - VOA
• Hammerhead - Heart Made of Steel (EP)
• Hammers Rule - Show No Mercy
• Hanoi Rocks - All Those Wasted Years (live)
• Hanoi Rocks - Two Steps from the Move
• Hardline (Nor) - Hardline
• Hardware - Common Time Heroes
• Hawaii - Loud, Wild and Heavy (EP)
• Hazzard - Hazzard
• H-Bomb - Attaque
• Headstone - Burning Ambition
• Helix - Walkin' the Razor's Edge
• Hellanbach - The Big H
• Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids (EP)
• Hellion (NY) - Dangerous Maneuvers
• Helstar - Burning Star
• Hexx - No Escape
• Highway Chile - For the Wild and Lonely (EP)
• Hiroshima – Taste of Death
• Hocculta – Warning Games
• Holland (UK) – Early Warning
• Holocaust - No Man's Land
• Icon - Icon
• Incubus (UK) - To the Devil a Daughter
• Ironcross - Steel Warrior
• Iron Maiden - Powerslave
• Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
• Jaguar - This Time
• Albert Järvinen Band – Countdown (EP)
• Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
• Keel - Lay Down the Law
• Kick Axe - Vices
• Killer (Swi) - Stronger Than Ever
• Killer (Bel) - Shock Waves
• Kiss - Animalize
• Krokus - The Blitz
• Lȧȧz Rockit - City's Gonna Burn
• Lazy - Creature
• Leatherwolf - Leatherwolf (EP)
• Le Griffe - Breaking Strain (EP)
• Legs Diamond - Out on Bail
• Leviticus - I Shall Conquer
• Limelight - Ashes to Ashes, aka Limelight (1980)
• Living Death - Vengeance of Hell
• Lizzy Borden - Give 'Em the Axe (EP)
• Loudness - Disillusion
• Madam X - We Reserve the Right
• Mad Axeman - Mad Axeman
• Mad Max - Rollin' Thunder
• Madd Hatter - Madd Hatter
• Madison - Diamond Mistress
• Maineeaxe - Shout It Out
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
• Maltese Falcon – Metal Rush
• Mama's Boys - Mama's Boys
• Manowar - Hail to England
• Manowar - Sign of the Hammer
• Marseille – Touch the Night
• Mass (Ger) - War Law
• McCoy – Think Hard
• Medieval Steel - Medieval Steel (EP)
• Mercy - Mercy
• Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
• Messiah (US) - Final Warning
• Messiah Prophet - Rock the Flock
• Metal Church - Metal Church
• Metal Massacre - Metal Massacre V (Compilation, various artists)
• Metallica - Ride the Lightning
• Millennium - Millennium
• Gary Moore - We Want Moore! (live)
• Motörhead - No Remorse (comp)
• MSG - Rock Will Never Die (live)
• Nemesis - The Day of Retribution (EP)
• Mystery Blue - Mystery Blue
• New York – Carry the Torch (EP)
• Nightmare – Waiting for the Twilight
• Nightwing – My Kingdom Come
• Obsession - Marshall Law (EP)
• Obús - El Que Más
• Omen - Battle Cry
• Ostrogoth - Ecstasy and Danger
• Overdrive - Swords and Axes
• Overkill - Overkill (EP)
• Oz - III Warning
• Pantera - Projects in the Jungle
• Parasite - Parasite EP
• Persian Risk – Too Different (EP)
• Pet Hate – The Bride Wore Red
• Phenomena – Phenomena
• Philadelphia - Tell the Truth...
• Picture - Traitor
• Piledriver - Metal Inquisition
• Pretty Maids - Red Hot and Heavy
• Prophecy - Prophecy
• Proud - Fire Breaks the Dawn
• Q5 - Steel the Light
• Queen - The Works
• Queensrÿche - The Warning
• Quiet Riot - Condition Critical
• Rail - Rail (EP)
• Railway - Railway
• Rapid Tears - Cry for Mercy (EP)
• Ratt - Out of the Cellar
• Raven - Live at the Inferno (live)
• Ravens - Get It in Your Head
• Razor - Armed & Dangerous (EP)
• Reckless - Heart of Steel
• Restless (Ger) - Heartattack
• Rising Power - Power for the People
• The Rods - Let Them Eat Metal
• Rosa Negra (Spain) - Rosa Negra
• Rose Bayonet - Leather and Chains
• Rose Tattoo - Southern Stars
• Ruffkut - Fight for the Right (EP)
• Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory
• Rush - Grace Under Pressure
• Ruthless - Metal Without Mercy (EP)
• S.A.D.O. - Shout!
• Sacred Rite - Sacred Rite
• Sad Iron - Total Damnation
• Saint - Warriors of the Son (EP)
• Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus
• Samain - Vibrations of Doom
• Sam Thunder - Manoeuvres
• Samurai – Sacred Blade
• Santers – Guitar Alley
• Saracen – Change of Heart
• Satan Jokers - Trop Fou Pour Toi
• Samson - Don't Get Mad, Get Even
• Savage – We Got the Edge (EP)
• Saxon - Crusader
• Scorpions - Love at First Sting
• Shire - Shire (EP)
• Shok Paris - Go for the Throat
• Silver Mountain - Universe
• Sinister Angel - Sinister Angel (EP)
• Sinner - Danger Zone
• Six Feet Under (Swe) - Eruption
• Six Point Six - Fallen Angel
• Slayer - Haunting the Chapel (EP)
• Slayer - Live Undead (live)
• Smack - Smack On You
• Sortilège - Métamorphose
• Sound Barrier - Born to Rock (EP)
• Spartan Warrior - Spartan Warrior
• Spellbound - Breaking the Spell
• Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap
• Splitcrow - Rockstorm
• Jack Starr - Out of the Darkness
• Steeler (Ger) - Steeler
• Steelover - Glove Me
• Steeltower - Night of the Dog
• The Sterling Cooke Force – Full Force
• Stone Fury - Burns Like a Star
• Stormwitch - Walpurgis Night
• Stratus – Throwing Shapes
• Street Fighter - Shoot You Down
• Strike (US) – Strike (EP)
• Strike (Swe) – Strike (EP)
• Strike Force - Strike Force
• Stryper - The Yellow and Black Attack
• Stygian Shore - Stygian Shore (EP)
• Surrender - Surrender
• Swift Kick - Long Live Rock (EP)
• Syar - Death Before Dishonour
• Syron Vanes – Bringer of Evil
• Taist of Iron - Resurrection
• Talon - Neutralized
• Tank - Honour & Blood
• Teeze (PA) - Teeze
• Third Stage Alert - Third Stage Alert (EP)
• Thrust - Fist Held High
• Thunder (Ger) - All I Want
• Thundercraaft - Fighting for Survival
• Thunderstick – Beauty and the Beasts
• TKO - In Your Face
• TNT (Ger) - Deflorator
• TNT – TNT (EP)
• TNT - Knights of the New Thunder
• Tokyo Blade - Night of the Blade
• Tokyo Blade - Midnight Rendezvous (EP)
• Torch - Bad Girls (EP)
• Torch - Electrikiss
• Bernie Tormé – Live
• Touchdown – Don't Look Down
• Touched – Back Alley Vices
• Trauma - Scratch and Scream
• Triumph - Thunder Seven
• Trouble - Psalm 9
• Trouble - Assassin (EP)
• Trust - Man's Trap
• T.T. Quick - TT Quick (EP)
• Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
• 220 Volt - Powergames
• Tyran' Pace - Eye to Eye
• Tyrant (Ger) - Mean Machine
• Tysondog - Beware of the Dog
• Tyton - Castle Donington
• Underdog - Rabies in Town
• Upper Echelon - Surface Tension (EP)
• Steve Vai - Flex-Able
• Valhalla (US) - Valhalla (EP)
• Vanadium - Game Over
• Van Halen - 1984
• Vengeance (Hol) - Vengeance
• Venom - At War with Satan
• Vice (CA) - Vice (EP)
• Vigilants – Run for Cover
• Virgin - Virgin
• Viva - Apocalypse
• Voivod - War and Pain
• Vow Wow - Beat of Metal Motion
• Vulcain - Rock'n'Roll Secours
• Warfare - Pure Filth
• Warhead (Bel) - Speedway
• Warlock - Burning the Witches
• Warlord - Lost and Lonely Days (EP)
• Warlord - And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun...
• Warning - Metamorphose
• Warriors - Warriors
• W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
• Wasted - Halloween... the Night Of
• Waysted - Waysted (EP)
• White Wolf - Standing Alone
• Whitesnake - Slide It In
• Wild Dogs - Man's Best Friend
• Wildfire - Summer Lightning
• Winterkat – The Struggle (EP)
• Witch - The Hex Is On (EP)
• Witch Cross - Fit for Fight
• Witchfynde - Lords of Sin & Anthems live (EP)
• Witchkiller - Day of the Saxons (EP)
• Wizz - Crazy Games
• Wolf - Edge of the World
• Wendy O. Williams - WOW
• Wrathchild (UK) - Stakk Attakk
• Wyzard - Knights of Metal (EP)
• Xcursion - Ready to Roll
• Y&T - In Rock We Trust
• Zebra - No Tellin' Lies
• Znowhite - All Hail to Thee (EP)

References

Events

• Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen loses his left arm in a car accident on December 31.
• Deep Purple reunite.
• Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle is killed in an automobile accident in early December. The driver of the car is Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe.
• The debut albums of both Saint Vitus (Saint Vitus) and Trouble (Psalm 9) are released.
• This Is Spinal Tap, a cult mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the semi-fictional band Spinal Tap, is released.