2024 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2024.

Bands disbanded

 * Botch
 * Destrage
 * Issues
 * Misery Signals
 * Rage Against the Machine
 * Solution .45
 * Twelve Foot Ninja
 * UFO

Bands reformed

 * All Shall Perish
 * Coalesce (one-off)
 * Mnemic
 * Slayer
 * The Sword (one-off)

Events

 * On January 5, Grave announced the departure of long-time members bassist Tobias Cristiansson and guitarist Mika Lagrén, putting the band's 2024 live activities on hold.
 * On January 13, 3 Inches of Blood performed their first show in nine years at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.
 * On January 16, Mercyful Fate announced the band was parting ways with bassist Joey Vera. He was replaced by Becky Baldwin, who had previously filled in for Vera during the band's 2022 tour.
 * In January, Issues embarked on a six-show farewell tour after a three-year hiatus without vocalist Tyler Carter, who was fired from the band for multiple accusations of grooming and sexual misconduct.
 * On February 1, Lynch Mob began what was announced as a year-and-a-half long farewell tour, titled The Final Ride, in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
 * On February 5, founding member Phil Demmel announced his departure from Vio-lence.
 * On February 5, after years of rumors and speculation since Slayer's split, Kerry King unveiled details about his solo project.
 * On February 11, Kingdom Come announced they were parting ways with frontman Keith St. John and replacing him with Ezekiel "Zeke" Kaplan. The band also revealed that Matt Muckle would be replacing original drummer James Kottak, who had died the month before.
 * On March 1, Sepultura began what was announced as a year-and-a-half long farewell tour in celebration of their 40th anniversary, titled "Celebrating Life Through Death", at the Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte. Three days before the tour started, it was announced that longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande had abruptly quit the band as early as February 6, being replaced by Suicidal Tendencies' Greyson Nekrutman.
 * On March 27, Skid Row announced the band was parting ways with vocalist Erik Grönwall, due to his health issues. Lzzy Hale of Halestorm filled in for him for four shows.
 * On April 2, Misery Signals announced the band will break-up after a final tour, titled "The Blood Is Forever, Love Is Forever Farewell Tour", which will feature the band's current and former vocalists.
 * On April 21, Ozzy Osbourne was officially announced among the 2024 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 * On April 30, after months of speculation, Slipknot officially confirmed Eloy Casagrande (formerly of Sepultura) as their new drummer.
 * On June 6, Power Trip played their first show since original frontman Riley Gale's death in 2020 at The Glass House in Pomona, California, with Seth Gilmore taking over on vocals.
 * On July 19, Chimaira performed at the 2024 Inkcarceration Fest, their first festival concert in 14 years.
 * On July 20, the Klash of the Ruhrpott festival took place at Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, which united Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard, known as "the Big Teutonic Four", for the first time on one stage.
 * On September 22, Slayer are scheduled to play their first show at Riot Fest since disbanding in 2019, and their second show five days later at Louder Than Life.
 * Nightwish announced that they will go on a touring hiatus following the release of their upcoming tenth studio album this year.
 * Cirith Ungol will retire from performing live at the end of this year.
 * Ozzy Osbourne is scheduled to perform two farewell shows in Birmingham this summer.

Deaths

 * January 4 – Jan Němec, engineer and producer of numerous metal bands including Celtic Frost, Grave Digger, Helloween, and Running Wild, died from lung disease.
 * January 9 – James Kottak, former drummer of Scorpions, Kingdom Come, and Warrant, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 61.
 * January 17 – Martin Lacroix, former vocalist of Cryptopsy, died from undisclosed reasons.
 * February 2 – Craig Simmons, former drummer of Famous Last Words, died from undisclosed reasons.
 * February 16 – Greg "Fritz" Hinz, drummer of Helix, died from cancer at the age of 68.
 * February 20 – Vitalij Kuprij, keyboardist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Artension, and Ring of Fire, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 49.
 * March 10 – Blake Harrison, bassist of Hatebeak and former sampler of Pig Destroyer, died from heart failure at the age of 48.
 * March 10 – T. M. Stevens, former bassist for Steve Vai, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 72.
 * April 2 – Jerry Abbott, father of Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul and producer of Pantera's first four studio albums, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 80.
 * April 5 – C. J. Snare, vocalist of FireHouse, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 64.
 * April 15 – Reita, bassist of The Gazette, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 42.
 * April 19 – Eddie Sutton, vocalist of Leeway, died from cancer at the age of 59.
 * May 18 – Jon Wysocki, former drummer of Staind and Soil, died from liver issues at the age of 56.
 * May 29 – Brad Raub, bassist of Eternal Champion, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 36.
 * June 4 – Simone "Yorga S.M." Amicucci, former vocalist and multi-instrumentalist of Aborym, died from undisclosed reasons.
 * June 24 – Shifty Shellshock, vocalist of Crazy Town, died from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 49.
 * June 30 – Peter Collins, engineer and producer of numerous artists including Rush, Queensrÿche, Suicidal Tendencies, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, and Gary Moore, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 73.
 * July 17 – Ciriaco "Pinche Peach" Quezada, sampler and vocalist of Brujeria, died from severe heart complications at the age of 57.

Artists with material in production
• 40 Below Summer

• Abigail Williams

• Act of Denial

• Agent Steel

• All That Remains

• Annihilator

• Anthrax

• Apocalyptica

• As I Lay Dying

• Bleed the Sky

• Bleeding Through

• Blind Illusion

• Body Count – Merciless

• Boy Hits Car – Waves of Sound Across Oceans of Time

• BulletBoys – Jesus Fireworks and Porn

• Caliban

• Chevelle

• Corrosion of Conformity

• Dark Angel

• Dead Brain Cells

• Death Angel

• Defeated Sanity

• Deftones

• Deliverance – Twelve

• Dio (compilation album)

• Down

• Dragony

• Dream Theater

• Europe

• Excel

• Exciter

• Exodus

• Exumer

• For My Pain...

• Gojira

• Gorguts

• The Halo Effect

• Hatchet – Leave No Soul (EP)

• Hatebreed

• Havok

• Heaven Below – The Majestic Twelve

• Infectious Grooves

• Killswitch Engage

• King Diamond – The Institute

• Koldbrann

• Korn

• Lacuna Coil

• Lillian Axe

• Limp Bizkit

• Lita Ford

• Michael Wilton

• Morbid Angel

• Mötley Crüe

• Obliveon

• Onslaught

• Oranssi Pazuzu

• Orgy

• Ozzy Osbourne

• Paradise Lost

• Paradox – Mysterium

• Pestilence – Portals

• Primus

• Rob Zombie

• Sabaton

• Sacred Reich

• Sacrifice – Volume Six

• Sadist

• Satyricon

• Savatage – Curtain Call

• Sepultura (live album)

• Slaughter to Prevail

• Slipknot – Look Outside Your Window

• Sodom

• Sólstafir

• Suicidal Tendencies

• Suidakra

• Vintersorg

• War Babies – Vault (compilation album)

• Warbringer

• Whiplash – Old School American Way

• Y&T