2014 in heavy metal music

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2014.

Bands disbanded

• As I Lay Dying (hiatus)
• Austrian Death Machine (hiatus)
• Bleeding Through
• Brutal Truth
• Chimaira
• DevilDriver (hiatus)
• Ex Deo (hiatus)
• The Gathering (hiatus)
• Massacre
• Pestilence
• Rammstein (hiatus)
• The Rotted
• System Divide (hiatus)

Bands reformed

• Aftermath
• Atreyu (hiatus from 2011–2014)
• Breaking Benjamin (hiatus from 2010–2014)
• Centinex
• Haste the Day
• Life of Agony

Events

• On January 6, Benighted announced the departure of bassist Eric Lombard, and Alexis Lieu as his replacement.
• On January 6, Yossi Sassi released an official statement in which he announced he will part ways with Orphaned Land to "focus on new dreams".
• On January 10, bassist Dan Lilker (Nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth, ex-Anthrax) announced that he will be retiring from being a full-time musician on October 18, which will be his 50th birthday. He also announced that Brutal Truth will split up.
• On January 13, Testament announced the departure of bassist Greg Christian, and Steve DiGiorgio (who was part of the band from 1998 to 2004) as his replacement.
• On January 16, In Mourning announced that they have parted ways with drummer Christian Netzell. And on April 2, they introduced Mattias Bender as their new drummer.
• On January 26, Black Sabbath's "God Is Dead?" won this year's Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. This was their first Grammy Award in 14 years, since their live version of "Iron Man" won the same category.
• On February 6, The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund announced the "This is Your Life", a tribute album to celebrate the life and legacy of Ronnie James Dio. Covers of his songs from Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio will be performed by various artists: Metallica, Motörhead, Rob Halford (Judas Priest, Halford), Anthrax, Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour), Halestorm, Killswitch Engage and many more.
• On February 12, Marky Edelmann (a.k.a. Marquis Marky) announced plans to leave Coroner at the end of February.
• On February 14, Lacuna Coil announced via their Facebook page that their guitarist Cristiano 'Pizza' Migliore and drummer Cristiano 'Criz' Mozzati have decided to retire from the band after 16 years citing personal reasons.
• On February 21, Per ‘Sodomizer’ Eriksson announced his departure from Katatonia and will be temporarily replaced by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief, Wisdom of Crowds) and Tomas Åkvik (Nale) respectively.
• On February 24, Guitarist John Ricci announced his departure from Exciter due to his decision to retire from the music industry, and, on April 4, it was announced that bassist Rob "Clammy" Cohen will also part ways with the band due to both personal and business issues.
• On March 17, it was announced that Angela Gossow has left Arch Enemy but would remain as the band's manager. She is replaced by Alissa White-Gluz, former vocalist of The Agonist. On the same day, The Agonist have announced they have parted ways with Alissa and that Vicky Psarakis had taken over as their new vocalist.
• On March 31, Equilibrium announced that Andreas Völkl and Sandra Van Eldik, the founding members of their band, were leaving the band for unspecified reasons.
• On April 17, Daniel Liljekvist quits Katatonia, and is temporarily replaced by JP Asplund and Daniel Moilanen (ex-Engel) respectively.
• On April 25–26, Jag Panzer reunited for this year's edition of Keep It True Festival in Germany.
• On May 16, As I Lay Dying and Austrian Death Machine frontman Tim Lambesis was sentenced to six years in prison with a 48 days credit for custody already served for his role in a murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife.
• On June 8, Exodus announced the departure of their singer Rob Dukes. On the same day, they announced their reunion with Steve "Zetro" Souza, who was the singer of Exodus from 1986 to 1992, and again from 2002 to 2004.
• On July 10, Voivod announced the departure of bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault for the second time.
• On August 19, Phil Anselmo announced that Superjoint Ritual would reunite for this year's Housecore Horror Film Festival under the name Superjoint.
• On November 17, Arch Enemy announced the departure of guitarist Nick Cordle and announced former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis as his replacement.
• On November 25, drummer Shawn Drover announced his departure from Megadeth citing a desire to pursue his own musical interests.
• On November 26, guitarist Chris Broderick announced his departure from Megadeth due to musical differences.
• On November 26, drummer Kelly David-Smith announced his departure from Flotsam and Jetsam to focus on his family.
• On December 28, guitarist Herman Frank announced his second departure from Accept. Later that day, Accept announced that drummer Stefan Schwarzmann also left the band.
• In 2014, Mötley Crüe announced that they will embark on a farewell tour. However, according to singer Vince Neil, the band will not split up.
• In 2014, Vixen's surviving members resurrected the band in honor of the fallen Jan Kuehnemund, guitarist and founder of the band. They will perform at select festivals and showcase dates.

Deaths

• March 23 – Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus), vocalist of Gwar, died of an accidental opioid overdose at 50.
• March 24 – Paulo Schroeber, former guitarist of Almah, died of heart failure at 40.
• April 5 – Jason McCash, former bassist of The Gates of Slumber, died from currently unknown causes.
• April 15 – Shane Gibson, former touring guitarist of Korn, died as a result of complications from a blood clotting disorder.
• May 12 - H. R. Giger, Swiss artist who provided artwork for numerous rock and metal bands such as Korn, Celtic Frost, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Dead Kennedys, Danzig and Atrocity, died after being hospitalized for injuries sustained after he tripped and fell down stairs in his home.
• May 20 - Randy Coven, bassist for Ark, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, died at 54 (cause of death unrevealed).
• June 1 - Victor Agnello, former drummer of Lääz Rockit, died of leukemia at 50.
• July 30 - Fausto Fanti (a.k.a. Blondie Hammet) former guitarist and humorist of Massacration, committed suicide due to the depression that he had.
• July 30 - Dick Wagner, former guitarist for Alice Cooper, died of respiratory failure at the age of 71.
• August 10 - Maria Kolokouri (a.k.a. Tristessa), vocalist of all-female band Astarte, died of complications from leukemia at 37.
• August 27 - Tim “Rawbiz” Williams, bassist of Suicidal Tendencies, died from currently unknown causes.
• October 25 - Jack Bruce, legendary bassist of Cream, died peacefully at home at 71
• November 1 - Wayne Static, lead vocalist of industrial metal band Static-X, cause of death yet to be released.
• November 9 - Jonathan Athon, bassist and vocalist of Black Tusk, died due to injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident.

Albums released

January

Day	Artist	Album
6	Iced Earth	Plagues of Babylon
	James LaBrie	I Will Not Break (EP)
10	Skull Fist	Chasing the Dream
13	Suicidal Angels	Divide and Conquer
17	Axel Rudi Pell	Into the Storm
	Chrome Division	Infernal Rock Eternal
	Nashville Pussy	Up the Dosage
20	The Haunted	Eye of the Storm (EP)
21	Alcest	Shelter
	Persuader	The Fiction Maze
	Throwdown	Intolerance
22	Within Temptation	Hydra
24	Caliban	Ghost Empire
	Elysion	Someplace Better
	Primal Fear	Delivering the Black
27	Kampfar	Djevelmakt
	Hammercult	Steelcrusher
	Skindred	Kill the Power
	Transatlantic	Kaleidoscope
28	Metallica	Metallica Through the Never (DVD)
	Periphery	Clear (EP)
31	Ektomorf	Retribution
	Grand Magus	Triumph and Power
	Lake of Tears	By the Black Sea (DVD)
	Mayan	Antagonise

February

Day	Artist	Album
1	Dark Tranquillity	A Memory Construct (EP)
	Skull & Bones	The Cursed Island
4	Behemoth	The Satanist
	For Today	Fight the Silence
	Truckfighters	Universe
7	Stam1na	SLK
	Van Canto	Dawn of the Brave
14	Amoral	Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows
	Benighted	Carnivore Sublime
	Cynic	Kindly Bent to Free Us
	Flotsam and Jetsam	No Place For Disgrace 2014
18	Adrenaline Mob	Men of Honor
	I Killed the Prom Queen	Beloved
	Slough Feg	Digital Resistance
21	Battleaxe	Heavy Metal Sanctuary
	Vanishing Point	Distant Is the Sun
24	Crematory	Antiserum
	Freedom Call	Beyond
	Hirax	Immortal Legacy
	Vanden Plas	Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld (Path 1)
28	Axxis	Kingdom of the Night II
	Iron Savior	Rise of the Hero
	Manowar	Kings of Metal MMXIV

March

Day	Artist	Album
1	Aurora Borealis	Worldshapers
3	Earth Crisis	Salvation of Innocents
	Gojira	Les Enfants Sauvages (Live)
4	Wolves Like Us	Black Soul Choir
	Destrage	"'Are You Kidding Me? No."
7	Carnifex	Die Without Hope
	Dawn of Destiny	F.E.A.R.
10	Savage Messiah	The Fateful Dark
11	Architects	Lost Forever // Lost Together
	Nocturnal Breed	Napalm Nights
14	Dirge	Hyperion
	Profane Omen	Reset
17	Gus G	I Am the Fire
18	Demon Hunter	Extremist
24	Magnum	Escape from the Shadow Garden
	Massacre	Back from Beyond
25	Animals as Leaders	The Joy of Motion
	Gamma Ray	Empire of the Undead
	Memphis May Fire	Unconditional
	Sinbreed	Shadows
	Sonata Arctica	Pariah's Child
	Thou	Heathen
28	Anette Olzon	Shine
	Trollfest	Kaptein Kaos

April

Day	Artist	Album
1	Austrian Death Machine	Triple Brutal
	Lacuna Coil	Broken Crown Halo
	Steel Panther	All You Can Eat
4	Brainstorm	Firesoul
	Delain	The Human Contradiction
7	Black Label Society	Catacombs of the Black Vatican
	Gotthard	Bang!
14	Impaled Nazarene	Vigorous and Liberating Death
	Triptykon	Melana Chasmata
15	Anubis Gate	Horizons
	Lillian Axe	One Night in the Temple (Live)
18	Edguy	Space Police: Defenders of the Crown
	Stream of Passion	A War of Our Own
21	Autopsy	Tourniquets, Hacksaws & Graves
22	Joe Satriani	The Complete Studio Recordings (Box Set)
	Sebastian Bach	Give 'Em Hell
	Winger	Better Days Comin'
25	Arkona	Yav
	Deep Machine	Rise of the Machine
	Devil You Know	The Beauty of Destruction
	Helstar	This Wicked Nest
	Mekong Delta	In a Mirror Darkly
	Savn	Savn
28	Aborted	The Necrotic Manifesto
	Holy Moses	Redefined Mayhem
29	Insomnium	Shadows of the Dying Sun
	Eye of the Enemy	The Vengeance Paradox

May

Day	Artist	Album
2	Epica	The Quantum Enigma
	Stratovarius	Nemesis Days (DVD)
	Xandria	Sacrificium
9	Elvenking	The Pagan Manifesto
	Killer Be Killed	Killer Be Killed
13	Agalloch	The Serpent & the Sphere
	Avatar	Hail the Apocalypse
	Down	Down IV – Part II (EP)
	Mushroomhead	The Righteous & the Butterfly
	Prong	Ruining Lives
16	Avalon	Angels of the Apocalypse
	Sabaton	Heroes
22	Gory Blister	The Fifth Fury
23	Misery Index	The Killing Gods
	Rage	The Soundchaser Archives (Compilation)
	Unisonic	For the Kingdom (EP)
26	Bury Tomorrow	Runes
	Christopher Lee	Metal Knight (EP)
	Crowbar	Symmetry in Black
27	Black Anvil	Hail Death
	Eyehategod	Eyehategod
	Marty Friedman	Inferno
	Ravenscry	The Attraction of Opposites
30	Die Apokalyptischen Reiter	Tief.Tiefer
	Vader	Tibi Et Igni

June

Day	Artist	Album
2
	Godflesh	Decline & Fall (EP)
	Voyager	V
4	Arch Enemy	War Eternal
	Loudness	The Sun Will Rise Again
6	Cloven Hoof	Resist or Serve
	Equilibrium	Erdentempel
	Falconer	Black Moon Rising
	Mayhem	Esoteric Warfare
	Tesla	Simplicity
	Uriah Heep	Outsider
10	The Amity Affliction	Let the Ocean Take Me
	The Atlas Moth	The Old Believer
	Hellyeah	Blood for Blood
	Incantation	Dirges of Elysium
	Tombs	Savage Gold
	Wretched	Cannibal
13	Deathstars	The Perfect Cult
20	Cannabis Corpse	From Wisdom to Baked
	Tankard	R.I.B.
24	Corrosion of Conformity	IX
	Kobra and the Lotus	High Priestess
	Mastodon	Once More 'Round the Sun
	Mournful Congregation	Concrescence of the Sophia (EP)
	Septicflesh	Titan
27	Amberian Dawn	Magic Forest
	Illdisposed	With the Lost Souls on Our Side
	Quiet Riot	Quiet Riot 10
	Vintersorg	Naturbål

July

Day	Artist	Album
2	Sonic Syndicate	Sonic Syndicate
4	Origin	Omnipresent
8	Chelsea Grin	Ashes to Ashes
	Goatwhore	Constricting Rage of the Merciless
	Steel Prophet	Omniscient
	Wolves in the Throne Room	Celestite
11	Grave Digger	Return of the Reaper
	Suicide Silence	You Can't Stop Me
13	Demonic Resurrection	The Demon King
14	Judas Priest	Redeemer of Souls
15	Novembers Doom	Bled White
18	Empyrium	The Turn of the Tides
	Overkill	White Devil Armory
22	Fozzy	Do You Wanna Start a War
	Ill Niño	Till Death, La Familia
	Within the Ruins	Phenomena
25	Crystal Eyes	Killer

August

Day	Artist	Album
1	Alestorm	Sunset on the Golden Age
	Eluveitie	Origins
4	Entombed A.D.	Back to the Front
	Skid Row	Rise of the Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two (EP)
5	Darkest Hour	Darkest Hour
	Godsmack	1000hp
	Kix	Rock Your Face Off
	Pathology	Throne of Reign
11	Belphegor	Conjuring the Dead
12	Upon a Burning Body	The World Is My Enemy Now
15	Accept	Blind Rage
	Deadlock	The Re-Arrival
18	DragonForce	Maximum Overload
19	Ace Frehley	Space Invader
	Pallbearer	Foundations of Burden
22	Machinae Supremacy	Phantom Shadow
25	The Haunted	Exit Wounds
	Wolf	Devil Seed
26	Opeth	Pale Communion
27	HammerFall	(r)Evolution
29	Astral Doors	Notes from the Shadows
	Sólstafir	Ótta

September

Day	Artist	Album
1	Aeon Zen	Ephemera
	Dark Fortress	Venereal Dawn
	Horned Almighty	World of Tombs
2	Incite	Up in Hell
5	Any Given Day	My Longest Way Home
	In Flames	Siren Charms
9	A Sound of Thunder	The Lesser Key of Solomon
15	Xerath	III
16	Cannibal Corpse	A Skeletal Domain
	Motionless in White	Reincarnate
	Texas in July	Bloodwork
19	Mr. Big	…The Stories We Would Tell
	Threshold	For the Journey
23	Affiance	Blackout
26	Decapitated	Blood Mantra
	Evergrey	Hymns for the Broken
	Lyriel	Skin and Bones
29	1349	Massive Cauldron of Chaos
	Audrey Horne	Pure Heavy
	Electric Wizard	Time to Die
30	Nonpoint	The Return
	Witch Mountain	Mobile of Angels

October

Day	Artist	Album
4	Northern Oak	Of Roots and Flesh
6	Acid Drinkers	25 Cents for a Riff
	Sanctuary	The Year the Sun Died
7	Godflesh	A World Lit Only by Fire
	Rigor Mortis	Slaves to the Grave
	Texas Hippie Coalition	Ride On
14	The Acacia Strain	Coma Witch
	Exodus	Blood In, Blood Out
	Ozzy Osbourne	Memoirs of a Madman
	Revocation	Deathless
	Rings of Saturn	Lugal Ki En
	Rosetta	Flies to Flame (EP)
	Satanic Warmaster	Fimbulwinter
	Scar Symmetry	The Singularity, Phase 1: Neohumanity
16	Kayo Dot	Coffins on Io
21	Alice Cooper	Raise the Dead - Live from Wacken (DVD)
	Amaranthe	Massive Addictive
	Slipknot	.5: The Gray Chapter
24	Kingfisher Sky	Arms of Morpheus
	Liv Kristine	Vervain
	While Heaven Wept	Suspended at Aphelion
25	Vesania	Deus ex Machina
27	Einherjer	Av Oss, For Oss
	As Blood Runs Black	Ground Zero
	Devin Townsend	Z²
	Haken	Restoration (EP)
	Sister Sin	Black Lotus
28	Abysmal Dawn	Obsolescence
	Anaal Nathrakh	Desideratum
	At the Gates	At War with Reality
	Giant Squid	Minoans
	Obituary	Inked in Blood
	Riot V	Unleash the Fire
	Unearth	Watchers of Rule
30	Warmen	First of the Five Elements
31	Cavalera Conspiracy	Pandemonium
	Lordi	Scare Force One

November

Day	Artist	Album
1	Behemoth	Xiądz (EP)
3	Nader Sadek	The Malefic: Chapter III (EP)
4	The Skull	For Those Which Are Asleep
7	Machine Head	Bloodstone & Diamonds
	Ne Obliviscaris	Citadel
	Triosphere	The Heart Of The Matter
10	Skyharbor	Guiding Lights
	Nightingale	Retribution
11	Carcass	Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel (EP)
	Job for a Cowboy	Sun Eater
	Monster Magnet	Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining of Last Patrol
	Skálmöld	Með vættum
17	Bloodbath	Grand Morbid Funeral
	In This Moment	Black Widow
	Thanatos	Global Purification
18	Cadaveria	Silence
	Satan	Trail of Fire - Live in North America
21	Bloodbound	Stormborn
	Centinex	Redeeming Filth
	Cripper	Hyëna
	The Duskfall	Where the Tree Stands Dead
22	Fen	Carrion Skies
25	Aria	Through All Times
	Primordial	Where Greater Men Have Fallen
28	Axenstar	Where Dreams Are Forgotten
	Sodom	Sacred Warpath (EP)

December

Day	Artist	Album
1	Avenger	The Slaughter Never Stops
5	Cruachan	Blood for the Blood God
	Mors Principium Est	Dawn of the 5th Era
8	Pythia	Shadows of a Broken Past
	Taake	Stridens hus
10	Dir En Grey	Arche
17	Angra	Secret Garden
25	The Project Hate MCMXCIX	There Is No Earth I Will Leave Unscorched
31	Holy Blood	Day of Vengeance

External links

• Top metal albums of 2014 at Rate Your Music
• [1]

Preceded by 2013

Heavy Metal Timeline 2014

Succeeded by 2015