This year was a great year for metal music full of great releases that we enjoyed and binged… Here’s a review of the Metal scene in 2019. Any events you think are worth mentioning are welcome in the comments below.

  • Bands Disbanded
Bands Years ActiveGenreOrigin
Brain Drill2005-2019Technical Death MetalUSA
Continents2010-2019Metalcore / Heavy MetalUK
Dirge1994-2019Post-Metal / IndustrialFrance
Huldre2009-2019Folk MetalDenmark
Katedra1986-2019Heavy MetalLithuania
Nitro1988-1993 & 2016-2019Glam MetalUSA
Prophets of Rage2016-2019Rap MetalUSA
Unsane1988-2000 & 2003-2019Noise Rock / Alt MetalUSA
  • Bands Reformed
Bands SinceGenreOrigin
Agent Steel1984Speed MetalUSA
Alcatrazz1983Heavy MetalUSA
Cadaver1988Death MetalNorway
Dirty Looks1984Hard Rock / Hair MetalUSA
Dismember1988Death MetalSweden
Embraze 1994Doom / Gothic MetalFinland
Katatonia1991Progressive Rock / MetalSweden
Mercyful Fate1981Heavy / Black MetalDenmark
Methods of Mayhem1999Nu Metal / Rap MetalUSA
Mr. Bungle1985Experimental Rock / Avant-GardeUSA
Rage Against the Machine1991Rap Metal / Funk MetalUSA
Sister Sin2002Heavy MetalSweden
Sylosis2000Thrash Metal / Melodeath MetalUK
Vio-lence1985Thrash MetalUSA
  • Events

– Kiss (46 years) embarks on yet another “Farewell Tour”, dubbed “One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour“.
– UFO (51 years) embarks on their final tour, dubbed “The Last Orders” with founding member who plans to retire Phil Mogg.
– Krokus (45 years) embarks on their farewell tour this year.
– Slayer wrapped up their “farewell tour” in Inglewood, California (USA) on November 30, 2019.
– Megadeth launched its first-ever MegaCruise which took place in the Pacific Ocean from October 13 to 18, 2019.
– Accept announced that bassist Peter Baltes (Accept/Dokken) will leave in November after 42 years as a member of Accept to be replaced by 47 year-old German bassist Martin Motnik (Ex-Darkseed, Eisbrecher and Atargatis).
– Longtime percussionist Chris Fehn of Slipknot departs from the band. This comes after Fehn filed a lawsuit against the band citing withheld payments. His replacement has yet to be revealed.

  • Deaths
DateNameRoleBandAgeReason
Jan 1Shane BisnettBassistIce Nine Kills31Undisclosed
Jan 16Brian VelascoDrummerRazorback41Suicide
Jan 19Ted McKennaDrummerMichael Schenker Group68Post-Op Hemorrhage
Jan 25Bruce CorbittVocalistRigor Mortis56Esophageal Cancer
Jan 28Paul WhaleyDrummerBlue Cheer72Heart Failure
Mar 4Keith Flint Vocalist The Prodigy49Suicide
Mar 16Dick DaleGuitaristDick Dale and the Del Tones81Heart Failure
Mar 17Bernie TorméGuitaristOzzy Osbourne / Gillan66Post-Flu Complications
Mar 17Yuya UchidaPercussionist/ProducerFlower Travellin’ Band79Pneumonia
Mar 26Ranking RogerVocalistBeat / General Public56Lung Cancer
Mar 27Joe FlanneryBooking ManagerThe Beatles87Undisclosed
Apr 13Paul RaymondKeyboardist/GuitaristUFO 73Heart Attack
Apr 26Phil McCormackVocalistMolly Hatchet58Undisclosed
Jun 8Andre MatosVocalistAngra / Shaman / Viper47Heart Attack
Jun 13Nature GanganbaigalVocalist/Multi-InstrumentalistTengger Cavalry29Undisclosed
Jul 10Jerry LawsonVocalistPersuasions75Long Sickness
Aug 4Paul FinnieBassistPower Quest44Heart Attack
Aug 5Lizzie GreyVocalist/GuitaristSpiders & Snakes / London60Lewy Body Disease
Sep 16Mick SchauerKeyboardistClutch42Undisclosed
Sep 18Tony MillsVocalistTNT/Shy57Pancreatic Cancer
Sep 19Larry WallisGuitaristMotörhead70Undisclosed
Sep 23Richard BrunelleGuitaristMorbid Angel55Undisclosed
Oct 2Morten StützerGuitarist/Former BassistArtillery57Undisclosed
Oct 6Ginger BakerDrummerCream80Illness
Oct 6Larry JunstromBassistLynyrd Skynyrd70Undisclosed
Oct 21Peter HobbsVocalist/GuitaristHobbs’ Angel of Death58Undisclosed
Nov 2Leo IorgaVocalist Compact54Cancer
Nov 4Timi Hansen Bassist Mercyful Fate / King Diamond61Cancer
Dec 1Stuart FraserGuitaristBlackfeather57Lung Cancer
  • Heavy Music Awards 2019
Best AlbumArchitects – Holy Hell
Best International Band:Parkway Drive
Best Live BandArchitects
Best UK Breathrough BandDream State
Best UK BandBring Me The Horizon
Best International Breakthrough BandFever 333
Best Photgrapher Paul Harries
Best Album ArtworkGhost – Prequelle (by Zbigniew M. Bielak)
Best Festival Bloodstock Open Air
Best ProducerDan Weller
  • Metal Injection Awards 2019
Album of the YearSabaton – The Great War
Guitarists of the YearOlavi Mikkonen & Johan Söderberg (Amon Amarth)
Vocalist of the YearJoe Badolato (Fit for an Autopsy)
Drummer of the YearJocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth)
Producer of the YearJaime Gomez Arellano
Emerging Artist of the YearJinjer
Best Metal Event of the YearW:O:A – Wacken Open Air
Live Band of the YearSlayer
Record Label of the YearSeason of Mist