1983 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in 1983.

Newly formed bands

• Alcatrazz
• Atrocity
• Autograph
• Bathory
• Bon Jovi
• Death
• Excel (known as Chaotic Noise until 1985)
• Fastway
• Fates Warning
• Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve
• Helloween
• Keel
• Living Colour
• Lizzy Borden
• Master
• Mayhem
• Megadeth
• Morbid Angel
• Onslaught
• Poison
• Possessed
• Rigor Mortis
• Sabbat
• Sacrifice
• Stryper
• Testament (known as Legacy until 1986)
• Tokyo Blade
• White Lion

Albums & EPs

Events

• Yngwie Malmsteen started 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 formed 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 releases their Debuts : Kill Em´All and Show No Mercy.

References