1988 in heavy metal music explained

This is an article about the events of heavy metal in the year 1988.

Newly formed bands

Albums and EPs

AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video
ADX – Exécution Publique
Acid Reign – 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)
Bolt Thrower – 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
Marty Friedman – 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 –
Helstar – A Distant Thunder
Hexx – Quest for Sanity (EP)
Hittman – Hittman
Hobbs' Angel of Death – 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 – Lillian Axe
Living Colour – Vivid
Lord – The Second Coming
Loudness – 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
Poison – Open Up & Say... Ahh!
Precious Metal – That Kind of Girl
Prophet – Cycle of the Moon
Prowler – Prowling Death Squad (EP)
Queensrÿche –
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
Sieges Even – 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
Tankard – 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
Virgin Steele – 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

Warlock

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.
is released.
Mötley Crüe enter rehab.
Billy Sheehan leaves David Lee Roth's solo band and forms Mr. Big, along with Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert, vocalist 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.
Glacier release their four-song EP on cassette, featuring guest vocalist, Tim Lachman of fellow Portland band, Gargoyle. His younger brother, 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.

Notes and References

News: Cannibal Corpse stays ripe for parody. Heath. McCoy. Calgary Herald. September 22, 2007. November 6, 2024. 62. Newspapers.com. The death metal group from Buffalo, N.Y., which has sold over one million records worldwide since forming in 1988....
News: De Mataderos a la cima del rock nacional: viaje a los orígenes de La Renga. La Nación. Bruno. Larocca. December 31, 2018. November 6, 2024. es.
News: Don't let the brooding music fool you; Reznor's a pretty well-adjusted guy. Wayne. Bledsoe. Knoxville News Sentinel. March 10, 2006. November 6, 2024. 70. Newspapers.com. Reznor formed Nine Inch Nails in 1988....