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.