# 2002 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in 2002.

## Newly formed bands

* 3,14...
* Adrift
* All Ends
* All Shall Perish
* Alltheniko
* Angtoria
* Arkona
* Asesino
* Astral Doors
* Audrey Horne
* Augury
* Avian
* Bilocate
* Bleed the Sky
* Bloodsimple
* Brand New Sin
* Brides of Destruction
* Code
* Crazy Lixx
* Delain
* Despised Icon
* DevilDriver
* Drudkh
* Eluveitie
* Epica
* Exmortus
* Flyleaf
* Gama Bomb
* Giant Squid
* God Is an Astronaut
* Heidevolk
* In Solitude
* Iron Mask
* Kivimetsän Druidi
* Krux
* Lethian Dreams
* Murderdolls
* Midnattsol
* Minsk
* Misery Signals
* Nemesea
* Obscura
* OSI
* Psyopus
* Red
* The Saddest Landscape
* Sonic Syndicate
* Star One
* Sturmgeist
* Suicide Silence
* Symphony in Peril
* Teräsbetoni
* The Absence
* Theocracy
* Torture Killer
* Vektor
* Velvet Revolver
* Winds of Plague
* Violator
* Woods of Ypres
* Zonaria

## Reformed bands

* Down
* Prong
* Trouble
* Whitesnake

## Albums

* 3 Inches of Blood – Battlecry Under a Winter Sun
* 36 Crazyfists – Bitterness the Star
* The Acacia Strain – ...And Life Is Very Long
* Agalloch – The Mantle
* All That Remains – Behind Silence and Solitude
* Amon Amarth – Versus the World
* Arghoslent – Incorrigible Bigotry
* Anvil – Still Going Strong
* Atreyu – Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
* Avantasia – The Metal Opera Part II
* Bathory – Nordland I
* Behemoth – Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)
* Beseech – Souls Highway
* Between the Buried and Me – Between the Buried and Me
* Black Label Society – 1919 Eternal
* Black Sabbath – Past Lives (live)
* Blind Guardian – A Night at the Opera
* Bloodbath – Resurrection Through Carnage
* Bolt Thrower – Honour – Valour – Pride
* Bon Jovi – Bounce
* Breaking Benjamin – Saturate
* Cathedral – The VIIth Coming
* Cannibal Corpse – Gore Obsessed
* Chevelle – Wonder What's Next
* Coal Chamber – Dark Days
* Cog – Just Visiting Part One (EP)
* Cog – Just Visiting Part Two (EP)
* Crazy Town – Darkhorse
* Danzig – Danzig 777: I Luciferi
* Darkane – Expanding Senses
* Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done
* Decapitated – Nihility
* Demon Hunter – Demon Hunter
* Despised Icon – Consumed by Your Poison
* Def Leppard – X
* The Dillinger Escape Plan – Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP)
* Dio – Killing the Dragon
* Disturbed – Believe
* Down – Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
* Dream Evil – Dragonslayer
* Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
* Electric Wizard – Let Us Prey
* Fall of the Leafe - Fermina
* Fear Factory – Concrete (originally recorded in 1991, but not released until 2002)
* Finch – What It Is to Burn
* Firewind – Between Heaven and Hell
* Freak Kitchen – Move
* HammerFall – Crimson Thunder
* Hardline – II
* Hatebreed – Perseverance
* Hate Eternal – King of All Kings
* Heaven Shall Burn – Whatever It May Take
* High on Fire – Surrounded by Thieves
* Immolation – Unholy Cult
* Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness
* In Flames – Reroute to Remain
* Iron Savior – Condition Red
* Isis – Oceanic
* Kataklysm – Shadows & Dust
* Killswitch Engage – Alive or Just Breathing
* King Diamond – Abigail II: The Revenge
* Korn – Untouchables
* Krux – Krux
* Kylesa – Kylesa
* Lacuna Coil – Comalies
* Lordi – Get Heavy
* Luca Turilli – Prophet of the Last Eclipse
* Manowar – Warriors of the World
* Mastodon – Remission
* Megadeth – Rude Awakening (live)
* Megadeth – Still Alive... and Well? (compilation)
* Mercenary – Everblack
* Meshuggah – Nothing
* Motörhead – Hammered
* Mudvayne – The End Of All Things To Come
* Nightwish – Century Child
* Nine Inch Nails – And All That Could Have Been (live)
* Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines
* Nonpoint - Development
* Norma Jean – Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
* Opeth – Deliverance
* Orange Goblin – Coup de Grace
* Origin – Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas
* Otep – Sevas Tra
* Pagan's Mind – Celestial Entrance
* Pain – Nothing Remains the Same
* Papa Roach – Lovehatetragedy
* Pitchshifter – PSI
* Poison the Well – Tear from the Red
* Power Quest – Wings of Forever
* Primal Fear – Black Sun
* Pro-Pain – Shreds of Dignity
* Protest the Hero – A Calculated Use of Sound
* QueenAdreena – Drink Me
* Raunchy – Velvet Noise
* The Red Chord – Fused Together in Revolving Doors
* Rhapsody – Power of the Dragonflame
* Rotting Christ – Genesis
* Rush – Vapor Trails
* Sacrificium – Cold Black Piece of Flesh
* Satyricon – Volcano
* Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder
* Scarve – Luminiferous
* Sentenced – The Cold White Light
* Seven Witches – Xiled to Infinity and One
* Shadows Fall – The Art of Balance
* Sinergy – Suicide by My Side
* Slechtvalk – The War That Plagues the Lands
* Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos
* Sonata Arctica – Songs of Silence – Live in Tokyo (live)
* Soulfly – 3
* Spectre Dragon – Under Hell's Command
* Star One – Space Metal
* Stone Sour – Stone Sour
* SugarComa – Becoming Something Else
* Symphony X – The Odyssey
* System of a Down – Steal This Album!
* Theory of a Deadman – Theory of a Deadman
* Threshold – Critical Mass
* Trapt – Trapt
* Týr – How Far to Asgaard
* Underoath – The Changing of Times
* Vader – Revelations
* Vanden Plas – Beyond Daylight
* Vintersorg – Visions from the Spiral Generator
* Visions of Atlantis – Eternal Endless Infinity
* WarCry – WarCry
* WarCry – El Sello de los Tiempos
* Winds – Reflections of the I
* Whispering Gallery – Lost as One

## Bands disbanded

* Alice in Chains
* Breach
* Fear Factory
* Godflesh
* Lifer
* Megadeth

## Events

* Dave Mustaine disbanded Megadeth after suffering a severe arm injury which left him unable to play.
* Ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
* Dave Lombardo rejoined Slayer.
* Guitarist Jeff Phillips joined Kittie as a session member, replacing Fallon Bowman. Bassist Talena Atfield left and was replaced by Jennifer Arroyo.

## Deaths

* February 2 – Pavel Nicholas "Paul" Baloff, vocalist of Exodus, was taken off life support after suffering a stroke and falling into a coma. He died at the age of 41.
* March 26 – Randolpho Francisco "Randy" Castillo, drummer of Mötley Crüe and former drummer of Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford, died from squamous cell carcinoma complications at the age of 51.
* April 5 – Layne Thomas Staley, founding member and original vocalist of Alice in Chains, died from a speedball overdose at the age of 34. His partially decomposed body was found on April 19.
* June 6 – Robbinson Lantz "Robbin" Crosby, former guitarist of Ratt, died from a heroin overdose, worsened by AIDS-related complications, at the age of 42.
* June 27 – John Alec "The Ox" Entwistle, founding member and bassist of The Who, died from a cocaine-induced heart attack at the age of 57.
* August 9 – Paul Samson, founder, guitarist, vocalist, and producer of Samson, died from cancer at the age of 49.
* August 14 – David Wayne "Dave" Williams, vocalist of Drowning Pool, died from heart failure, caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, at the age of 30. He was found dead in the band's tour bus.
* October 17 – Steve MacDonald, drummer of Gorguts, died by suicide at the age of 31.
* Altemir Souza, former guitarist of Krisiun, died from injuries sustained in a motorbike accident.
* Yuji “Terry” Izumisawa, former guitarist of X Japan, died from injuries sustained in a car accident.
| Preceded by2001 | Heavy Metal Timeline 2002 | Succeeded by2003 |