1983 in heavy metal music
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This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in 1983.
Newly formed bands
- Alcatrazz
- Autograph
- Bad Steve
- Bathory
- Bon Jovi
- Carnivore
- Child'ƨ Play
- Coroner
- Darxon
- Death
- Elixir
- Excel (known as Chaotic Noise until 1985)
- Fastway
- Fifth Angel
- Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve
- Heir Apparent
- Impaler
- Kabát
- Korzus
- Lizzy Borden
- Master
- Megadeth
- Melvins
- Morbid Angel
- Necrophagia
- Omen
- Poison
- Possessed
- Razor
- Rigor Mortis
- Rogue Male
- Sacrifice
- Stryper
- Testament (known as Legacy until 1986)
- Vader
- Warrant
- White Lion
Albums & EPs
- AC/DC – Flick of the Switch
- Accept – Balls to the Wall
- Ace Lane – See You In Heaven
- Acid – Maniac
- Alcatrazz – No Parole from Rock N' Roll
- Alice Cooper – DaDa
- Alien (US) – Cosmic Fantasy (EP)
- The Angels, aka Angel City – Watch the Red
- Anvil – Forged in Fire
- Argus - Argus (EP)
- Armored Saint – Armored Saint (EP)
- Ashbury – Endless Skies
- Atomic Rooster – 'Headline News
- Axe Witch - The Lord of Flies
- Barón Rojo – Metalmorfosis
- Battleaxe – Burn This Town
- Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
- Bitch – Be My Slave
- Bitches Sin – No More Chances (EP)
- Black Angels – Kickdown
- Blackfoot – Siogo
- Black Sabbath – Born Again
- Blue Öyster Cult – The Revölution by Night
- Bodine – Three Times Running
- Bow Wow – Holy Expedition - Live
- Bullet (Ger) – No Mercy
- Chateaux – Chained and Desperate
- Cobra – First Strike
- Coney Hatch – Outta Hand
- Culprit – Guilty as Charged!
- Cutty Sark – Hardrock Power (EP)
- Dark Lord – Dark Lord (EP)
- Dedringer – Second Arising
- Def Leppard – Pyromania
- Demon – The Plague
- Diamond Head – Canterbury
- Dio – Holy Diver
- Dokken – Breaking the Chains
- Earthshaker – Earthshaker
- Easy Action – Easy Action
- Europe – Europe
- Exciter – Heavy Metal Maniac
- Fastway – Fastway
- Fist (Can) – In the Red
- Lita Ford – Out for Blood
- Girlschool – Play Dirty
- Gotham City - Black Writs (EP)
- Grand Prix - Samurai
- Great White – Out of the Night (EP)
- Grim Reaper – See You in Hell
- HSAS – Through the Fire
- Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City
- Hawaii – One Nation Underground
- H-Bomb – Coup de Metal (EP)
- Headpins – Line of Fire
- Heavy Load – Stronger Than Evil
- Heavy Pettin – Lettin' Loose
- Hellanbach – Now Hear This
- High Power – High Power
- Highway Chile – Storybook Heroes
- Highway Chile – Fever (EP)
- Helix – No Rest for the Wicked
- Hellion – Hellion (EP)
- Holocaust – Live (Hot Curry & Wine)
- Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
- Jade – Teasing Eyes
- Jag Panzer – Tyrants (EP)
- Joshua – The Hand Is Quicker Than the Eye (EP)
- Key West - First Invasion
- Killer (Swi) – Stronger Than Ever
- Killer Dwarfs – Killer Dwarfs
- KISS – Lick It Up
- KIX – Cool Kids
- Krokus – Headhunter
- Lady Killer – Lady Killer
- Leather Angel – We Came to Kill (EP)
- Le Griffe – Fast Bikes (EP)
- Le Mans – On the Streets
- Greg Leon Invasion - Greg Leon Invasion
- Loudness – The Law of Devil's Land
- Loudness – Live-Loud-Alive: Loudness in Tokyo
- Magnum – The Eleventh Hour
- Mama's Boys – Turn It Up
- Manilla Road – Crystal Logic
- Manowar – Into Glory Ride
- Mass (Ger) - Metal Fighter
- Max Havoc – Max Havoc
- McCoy – McCoy (EP)
- Mercyful Fate – Melissa
- Metallica – Kill 'Em All
- Mindless Sinner – Master of Evil (EP)
- Molly Hatchet – No Guts...No Glory
- Gary Moore – Dirty Fingers
- Gary Moore – Victims of the Future
- Gary Moore – Rockin' Every Night – Live in Japan
- Gary Moore – Live at the Marquee
- Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil
- Motörhead – Another Perfect Day
- MSG – Built to Destroy
- Night Ranger – Midnight Madness
- Nightwing – Stand Up and Be Counted
- No Bros – Our Own Way
- Aldo Nova – Subject
- Onslaught - What Lies Ahead (Demo)
- Ostrogoth – Full Moon's Eyes (EP)
- Overdrive – Metal Attack
- Oz – Fire in the Brain
- Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon
- Pandemonium – Heavy Metal Soldiers
- Pantera – Metal Magic
- Picture – Eternal Dark
- Pretty Maids – Pretty Maids (EP)
- Quartz – Against All Odds
- Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche (EP)
- Quiet Riot – Metal Health
- Rage (UK) – Run for the Night
- Raven – All for One
- Ratt – Ratt (EP)
- Riff Raff – Give the Dead Man Some Water
- Riot – Born in America
- Roadrunner - Teenage Warcry (EP)
- Rock Goddess – Rock Goddess
- Rock Goddess – Hell Hath No Fury
- The Rods – In the Raw
- The Rods – Live (live)
- Satan – Court in the Act
- Satan Jokers – Les Fils du Métal
- Savage – Loose 'N Lethal
- Savage Grace – The Dominatress (EP)
- Savatage – Sirens
- Saxon – Power & the Glory
- Shy – Once Bitten... Twice...
- Silver Mountain – Shakin' Brains
- Sinner – Fast Decision
- Six Feet Under (Swe) – Six Feet Under
- Slayer (S.A.Slayer) – Prepare to Die (EP)
- Slayer – Show No Mercy
- Sledgehammer – Blood on Their Hands
- Sortilège – Sortilège (EP)
- Sound Barrier – Total Control
- Spartan Warrior – Steel n' Chains
- Stampede – Hurricane Town
- Starfighters – In-Flight Movie
- Steeler – Steeler
- Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal Tendencies
- Takashi – Kamikaze Killers (EP)
- Talas – Live Speed on Ice
- Terraplane – I Survive (EP)
- Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning
- Thin Lizzy – Life - Live
- Thunderstick – Feel Like Rock´n´Roll? (EP)
- Tokyo Blade – Tokyo Blade
- Torch – Torch
- Bernie Tormé – Electric Gypsies
- Trance – Power Infusion
- Triumph – Never Surrender
- Twisted Sister – You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll
- 220 Volt – 220 Volt
- UFO – Making Contact
- Vanadium – A Race with the Devil
- Vandenberg – Heading for a Storm
- Vardis – The Lion's Share (comp)
- Victim – Power Hungry
- Virgin Steele – Guardians of the Flame
- Virgin Steele – Wait for the Night (EP)
- Vixen – Made in Hawaii (EP)
- Warlord – Deliver Us (EP)
- Warriors – Warriors
- Wild Dogs – Wild Dogs
- Wildfire – Brute Force and Ignorance
- Winterkat – Winterkat (EP)
- Witchfinder General – Friends of Hell
- Witchfynde – Cloak and Dagger
- Xcursion – Xcursion (EP)
- Y&T – Mean Streak
- Zebra – Zebra
- Zero Nine – Headline
Events
- Yngwie Malmsteen starts performing in the band Steeler. Also in that band was vocalist Ron Keel (later on Keel) and former W.A.S.P. bassist Rik Fox. The band produced only one album, Steeler.
- Dave Mustaine, lead guitarist for Metallica, is fired for drug/alcohol abuse, and is replaced by Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett, after which he forms the L.A. thrash metal band Megadeth.
- KISS ended the use of makeup in their act.
- November 19: the single by Quiet Riot "Cum on Feel the Noize" is No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- April 17: Mountain bassist, and Cream producer, Felix Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife Gail Collins Pappalardi.
- Metallica and Slayer both release their debut albums Kill 'Em All and Show No Mercy.