1988 in heavy metal music
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This is an article about the events of
heavy metal
in the year 1988.
Newly formed bands
- 16volt
- Abramelin
- Acheron
- The Almighty
- Amon Amarth (known as Scum until 1992)
- Anal Cunt
- Ancient Rites
- Asphalt Ballet
- Asrai
- Atrox
- Axxis
- Babylon A.D.
- Badlands
- Bang Tango
- The Big F
- Broken Hope
- Cadaver
- Cancer
- Cannibal Corpse
- Carbonized
- Carnage
- Circle of Dust
- Cold as Life
- Convulse
- Cripple Bastards
- Cryptopsy
- Deftones
- Depressive Age
- Desaster
- Desperado
- Dismember
- Divididos
- Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
- Electric Boys
- Epizod
- Expulsion
- Eyehategod
- Fudge Tunnel
- God Macabre
- Goreaphobia
- Inquisition
- Integrity
- Iron Man
- Kik Tracee
- Killing Time
- Kong
- La Renga
- Mägo de Oz
- Mother Love Bone
- Mr. Big
- Naked City
- Nine Inch Nails
- Nirvana 2002
- Nitro
- Opera IX
- Paradise Lost
- Psychotic Waltz
- Pungent Stench
- Rhino Bucket
- Sacred Warrior
- Saigon Kick
- Shihad
- Sinister
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Soilent Green
- Solitude Aeturnus
- Sorcerer
- Soziedad Alkoholika
- Suffocation
- Tad
- Threshold
- Tin Machine
- Unanimated
- Unholy
- Vital Remains
- White Skull
- Winter
- Xysma
Albums & EPs
- AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video
- ADX – Exécution Publique
- Moshkinstein(EP)
- Acrophet – Corrupt Minds
- Agony – The First Defiance
- Anacrusis – Suffering Hour
- Angel Dust – To Dust Will You Decay
- Anthem – Gypsy Ways
- Anthrax – State of Euphoria
- Anvil – Pound for Pound
- Apocalypse – Apocalypse
- Apocrypha – The Eyes of Time
- Artch – Another Return (to Church Hill)
- Armored Saint – Saints Will Conquer (live)
- Atrophy – Socialized Hate
- Attacker – Second Coming
- At War – Retaliatory Strike
- Barren Cross – Atomic Arena
- Battle Bratt – Battle Bratt
- Bathory – Blood Fire Death
- Jason Becker – Perpetual Burn
- Beowülf – Lost My Head... But I'm Back on the Right Track
- Black 'n Blue – In Heat
- Blind Guardian – Battalions of Fear
- Blind Illusion – The Sane Asylum
- Bloodgood – Rock in a Hard Place
- Bloodlust – Terminal Velocity (EP)
- In Battle There Is No Law
- Brainfever – You (EP)
- Britton – Rock Hard
- Brocas Helm – Black Death
- Bullet Boys – Bullet Boys
- Cacophony – Go Off!
- Candlemass – Ancient Dreams
- Carcass – Reek of Putrefaction
- Celtic Frost – Cold Lake
- China – China
- Chyld – Conception
- Chrome Molly – Angst
- Cloven Hoof – Dominator
- Coroner – Punishment for Decadence
- Crimson Glory – Transcendence
- Cryptic Slaughter – Stream of Consciousness
- Danzig – Danzig
- Dark Lord – It's Nigh' Time
- D.C. Lacroix – Livin' by the Sword
- Deadly Blessing – Ascend from the Cauldron
- Death – Leprosy
- Death Angel – Frolic Through the Park
- Despair – History of Hate
- Destiny – Atomic Winter
- Destruction – Release from Agony
- Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone – Warchild (comp)
- Dirty Blonde – Dirty Blonde (EP)
- Dirty Looks – Cool from the Wire
- D.R.I. – 4 of a Kind
- Drive – Characters in Time
- Earthshaker – Smash
- Europe – Out of this World
- Exciter – Exciter, a.k.a. O.T.T.
- Fastway – On Target
- Fates Warning – No Exit
- Femme Fatale – Femme Fatale
- Flotsam and Jetsam – No Place for Disgrace
- Frehley's Comet – Live+1 (EP)
- Frehley's Comet – Second Sighting
- Dragon's Kiss
- Forbidden – Forbidden Evil
- Gargoyle – Gargoyle
- Genocide (Jap) – Black Sanctuary
- Girlschool – Take a Bite
- Grinder – Dawn for the Living
- Gwar – Hell-O
- Hades – If at First You Don't Succeed...
- Hellion – Postcards from the Asylum (EP)
- Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II
- Helstar – A Distant Thunder
- Hexx – Quest for Sanity (EP)
- Hittman – Hittman
- Hobbs' Angel of Death
- Holocross – Holocross
- Holy Terror – Mind Wars
- House of Lords – House of Lords
- Greg Howe – Greg Howe
- Hydra Vein – Rather Death Than False of Faith
- Impellitteri – Stand in Line
- Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- Jane's Addiction – Nothing's Shocking
- Jetboy – Feel the Shake
- Judas Priest – Ram It Down
- Killer Dwarfs – Big Deal
- King Diamond – Them
- King Kobra – King Kobra III
- Kingdom Come – Kingdom Come
- Kingpin – Welcome to Bop City
- King's X – Out of the Silent Planet
- Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (comp)
- KIX – Blow My Fuse
- Krokus – Heart Attack
- Kuni – Lookin' for Action
- L.A. Guns – L.A. Guns
- Liege Lord – Master Control
- Lillian Axe
- Living Colour – Vivid
- Lord – The Second Coming
- Jealousy(EP)
- M-16 – Locked and Loaded
- Magnum – Wings of Heaven
- Yngwie Malmsteen – Odyssey
- Manilla Road – Out of the Abyss
- Manowar – Kings of Metal
- Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush – Double Live
- Masi – Downtown Dreamers
- Meanstreak – Roadkill
- Megadeth – So Far, So Good... So What!
- Mekong Delta – The Music of Erich Zann
- Metal Massacre – Metal Massacre IX (Compilation, various artists)
- Metallica – ...And Justice for All
- Michael W. Smith – I 2 (EYE)
- Ministry – The Land of Rape and Honey
- Vinnie Moore – Time Odyssey
- Motörhead – Nö Sleep at All (live)
- Napalm Death – From Enslavement to Obliteration
- Nasty Savage – Abstract Reality (EP)
- Neon Cross – Neon Cross
- Nuclear Assault – Survive
- Odin – Fight for Your Life
- OLD – Old Lady Drivers
- Opprobrium – Serpent Temptation (as Incubus)
- Overkill – Under the Influence
- Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest for the Wicked
- Pantera – Power Metal
- Pariah – The Kindred
- Pestilence – Malleus Maleficarum
- Open Up & Say... Ahh!
- Precious Metal – That Kind of Girl
- Prophet – Cycle of the Moon
- Prowler – Prowling Death Squad (EP)
- Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime
- Racer X – Extreme Volume Live
- Rage – Perfect Man
- Raven – Nothing Exceeds Like Excess
- Razor – Violent Restitution
- Realm – Endless War
- Rigor Mortis – Rigor Mortis
- Riot – Thundersteel
- Risk – The Daily News
- Rock City Angels – Young′s Man Blues
- David Lee Roth – Skyscraper
- Roxx Gang – Things Youve Never Done Before
- Running Wild – Port Royal
- Running Wild – Ready for Boarding (live)
- Sacred Warrior – Rebellion
- Sadus – Illusions
- Saint – Too Late for Living
- Saint Vitus – Mournful Cries
- Samael – Medieval Prophecy (EP)
- Sanctuary – Refuge Denied
- S.A. Slayer – Go for the Throat
- Savage Steel – Do or Die
- Saxon – Destiny
- Scanner – Hypertrace
- Scorpions – Savage Amusement
- Screamer – Target: Earth
- Seduce – Too Much, Ain't Enough
- Shok Paris – Concrete Killers
- Life Cycle
- Slayer – South of Heaven
- Sodom – Mortal Way of Live (live)
- Steel Fury – Lesser of Two Evils
- Stone – Stone
- Stryper – In God We Trust
- Suicidal Tendencies – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
- Suicide Squad – Live It While You Can (EP)
- Sword – Sweet Dreams
- Sye – Winds of Change
- The Morning After
- Testament – The New Order
- Tormentor – Anno Domini
- Toxik – World Circus
- Trust – Live – Paris By Night
- 220 Volt – Eye to Eye
- Tyrant (Ger) – Ruling the World
- The Unsane – Inverted Crosses (EP)
- V2– V2
- Van Halen – OU812
- Vendetta (Ger) – Brain Damage
- Vengeance Rising – Human Sacrifice
- Vicious Rumors – Digital Dictator
- Victory – That's Live
- Vinnie Vincent Invasion – All Systems Go
- Vio-lence – Eternal Nightmare
- Age of Consent
- Voivod – Dimension Hatröss
- Vow Wow – Vibe, a.k.a. Helter Skelter
- VXN– The Question
- Warfare – A Conflict of Hatred
- Wargasm – Why Play Around?
- Wrathchild – The Biz Suxx
- X Japan – Vanishing Vision
- Zed Yago – From Over Yonder
- Zero Nine – Voodoo You
- Znöwhite – Act of God
- Zodiac Mindwarp – Tattooed Beat Messiah
Disbandments
Events
- Living Colour's debut album Vivid peaks at #6 on the Billboard 200, due to the success of the Top 20 single "Cult of Personality". The album is certified platinum twice.
- The Monsters of Rock tour plays across the U.S., featuring Metallica, Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come.
- Kai Hansen leaves Helloween due to conflict within the band and troubles with the record company. He later forms the band Gamma Ray.
- The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Yearsis released.
- Mötley Crüe enter rehab.
- Eric Martin and drummer Pat Torpey.
- Suicidal Tendencies sign to Epic Records and release their highly successful third album How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today, featuring one of their famous songs "Trip at the Brain", which earned airplay on radio stations and MTV.
- Pat Lachman, later played guitar in Halford and was lead vocalist for Damageplan with Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, both formerly of Pantera.
- Chuck Mosley is fired from Faith No More and is replaced by Mr. Bungle vocalist Mike Patton.