1985 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1985.

Newly formed bands

* Blind Guardian
* Candlemass
* Carcass
* DBC (Dead Brain Cells)
* David Lee Roth
* Dream Theater (under the name "Majesty")
* Exhorder
* Extreme
* Guns N' Roses
* King Diamond
* Neurosis
* Macabre
* Sanctuary
* Tarot(under the name "Purgatory" until record deal)
* White Zombie

Albums

* Accept - "Metal Heart"
* AC/DC - Fly on the Wall
* Aerosmith - "Done With Mirrors"
* Agent Steel - "Skeptics Apocalypse, Mad Locust Rising"
* Anthrax - "Armed and Dangerous, Spreading the Disease"
* Armored Saint - "Delirious Nomad"
* Artillery - "Fear of Tomorrow"
* Black Tears - " The Slave"
* Bon Jovi - "7800°Fahrenheit"
* Celtic Frost - "Emperor's Return, To Mega Therion"
* The Cult - "Love"
* Dark Angel - "We Have Arrived"
* D.R.I. - "Dealing With It"
* David Lee Roth - "Crazy from the Heat"
* Destruction - "Infernal Overkill"
* Dio - "Sacred Heart"
* Dokken - "Under Lock And Key"
* Exodus- "Bonded by Blood"
* Fastway - "Waiting for the Roar"
* Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within"
* Girlschool - "Running Wild"
* Grim Reaper - "Fear No Evil"
* Helix - "Long Way To Heaven"
* Helloween - "Helloween" (EP), "Walls Of Jericho "
* Iron Maiden - "Live After Death"
* Keel - "The Right To Rock"
* King Kobra - "Ready to Strike"
* KISS - "Asylum"
* Kix - "Midnite Dynamite"
* Kreator - "Endless Pain"
* Lizzy Borden - "Love You To Pieces"
* Loudness - "Thunder in the East
* Megadeth - "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!"
* Mötley Crüe - "Theater of Pain"
* Overkill - "Feel The Fire"
* Onslaught - "Power from Hell"
* Pantera - "I Am The Night"
* Possessed - "Seven Churches"
* Ratt - "Invasion of Your Privacy"
* Razor - "Executioner's Song, Evil Invaders"
* Rough Cutt - "Rough Cutt
* Savatage - "Power of the Night"
* Scorpions - "Worldwide Live"
* Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
* Stryper - "Soldiers Under Command"
* Trouble - "The Skull"
* Twisted Sister - "Come Out and Play"
* W.A.S.P. - "The Last Command"
* Warlock - " Hellbound"
* White Lion - "Fight to Survive"
* Watchtower - "Energetic Disassembly"
* Y&T - "Open Fire, Down for the Count"
* Yngwie J. Malmsteen - "Marching Out"

Disbandments

* Mercyful Fate

Events

* Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid cofounds the Black Rock Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians interested in playing rock music.
* Twisted Sister's Dee Snider testifies at The P.M.R.C. Senate hearings on rock censorship at Washington D.C. on September 19, 1985
* David Lee Roth releases his solo debut (ep) Crazy From The Heat in January 1985, with it comes the announcement he has permanently left Van Halen.
* Led Zeppelin reunites at Live Aid with Phil Collins replacing deceased drummer John Bonham.
* Kam Lee leaves Death and Chuck Schuldiner becomes the vocalist.
*Uriah Heep's former lead singer, David Byron dies on February 28th, due to alcohol complications.