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This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 1985.
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Newly formed bands
Albums & EPs
- Lee Aaron - Call of the Wild
- Abattoir - Vicious Attack
- AC/DC - Fly on the Wall
- Accept - Metal Heart
- Acid – Engine Beast
- ADX - Exécution
- Aerosmith - Done with Mirrors
- Agent Steel - Skeptics Apocalypse
- Agent Steel - Mad Locust Rising (EP)
- Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace
- Alien Force - Hell And High Water
- Angel Witch - Screamin' 'n' Bleedin'
- Anthem - Anthem
- Anthem - Ready to Ride (EP)
- Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous (EP)
- Anthrax - Spreading the Disease
- Anvil - Backwaxed (comp)
- April Wine - Walking Through Fire
- Aria - Mania Velichia
- Armed Force - Heavy Artillery
- Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad
- Artillery - Fear of Tomorrow
- Assassin (PA) - License to Kill
- Astaroth - The Long Loud Silence (EP)
- Atlain - G.O.E.
- Atomkraft - Future Warriors
- Attack - Return of the Evil
- Attacker - Battle at Helm's Deep
- Autograph - That's the Stuff
- Avalanche (MO) - Pray for the Sinner
- Avenger (UK) - Killer Elite
- Avenger (Ger) - Depraved to Black (EP)
- Avenger (Ger) - Prayers of Steel
- Axewitch - Hooked on High Heels
- Axis (OH) - Slightly Tilted
- Axtion – Look Out For The Night
- Bad Lizard – Power of Destruction
- Bad Steve - Killing the Night
- Barón Rojo - En un lugar de la marcha
- Battle Axe - We're on the Attack
- Bathory - The Return……
- Barren Cross - Believe (EP)
- Beast (Ger) - Like Living In A Cage
- Black Angels – Broken Spell
- Black Angels – Black and White
- Black Hole - Land of Mistery
- Black Knight - Master of Disaster (EP)
- BlackLace - Get It While It's Hot
- Blackmayne - Blackmayne
- Black 'n Blue - Without Love
- Black Rose – Nightmare (EP)
- Black Sheep - Trouble in the Streets
- Black Tears - The Slave
- Blaspheme – Désir de Vampyr
- Blessed Death - Kill or Be Killed
- Blind Fury - Out of Reach
- Blind Vengeance – Blind Vengeance
- Blitzkrieg (UK) - A Time of Changes
- Blitzkrieg (US) - Ready for Action (EP)
- Bloodlust - Guilty as Sin
- Bloody Climax - Back to the Wall
- Bloody Mary - Bloody Mary
- Blue Öyster Cult - Club Ninja
- Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit
- Brainfever – Face to Face
- Breaker - Dead Rider
- Breathless - Breathless
- Bulldozer - The Day of Wrath
- Buster Brown – Sign of Victory
- Cacumen - Longing for You (EP)
- Carnivore - Carnivore
- Castle Blak - Babes In Toyland
- Celtic Frost - Emperor's Return (EP)
- Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
- Chastain - Mystery of Illusion
- Chateaux - Highly Strung
- Chrome Molly - You Can't Have It All...or Can You?
- Cities - Annihilation Absolute (EP)
- Cobra (UK) – Warriors of the Dead
- Coney Hatch - Friction
- Convict - Go Ahead... Make My Day!
- Corrosion of Conformity - Animosity
- Crack Jaw - Nightout
- Crisis - Kick It Out
- Crossfire - Second Attack
- Crystal Knight - Crystal Knight
- Crying Steel - Crying Steel (EP)
- The Cult - Love
- Cutty Sark - Heroes
- Dagger – Not Afraid of the Night
- Damien - Face the Danger
- Dark Angel - We Have Arrived
- Dark Lord – State of Rock (EP)
- Dark Wizard - Reign of Evil
- Darxon - Tokyo (EP)
- Ded Engine - Ded Engine
- Demon - British Standard Approved
- Demon - Heart of Our Time
- Der Kaiser – La Griffe de L'Empire
- Destiny - Beyond All Sense
- Destruction - Infernal Overkill
- Destructor - Maximum Destruction
- Devil Childe - Devil Childe
- Dio - Sacred Heart
- Dirty Looks – Dirty Looks
- Divine Rite - First Rite
- Dokken - Under Lock and Key
- Drysill - Welcome to the Show
- Dungeon - Fortress of Rock
- Earthshaker - Passion
- E.F. Band - One Night Stand
- Mark Edwards - Code of Honor (EP)
- Electric Sun - Beyond the Astral Skies
- Elysian - Blinded by Sound
- Emerald - Down Town
- Excalibur (UK) – The Bitter End (EP)
- Exciter – Feel the Knife (EP)
- Exciter - Long Live the Loud
- Exodus - Bonded by Blood
- Fact - Without Warning
- Fate - Fate
- Faithful Breath - Skol
- Faith No More - We Care a Lot
- Fastway - Waiting for the Roar
- Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
- Fierce Heart - Fierce Heart
- Fisc - Break Out
- Fist (Can) - Danger Zone
- Flames (Gre) - Made in Hell
- Flatbacker - Accident
- Foreplay - First Licks
- Fortress - Fortress
- Fortune (band) - Fortune
- Robin George - Dangerous Music
- Girlschool - Running Wild
- Glacier - Glacier (EP)
- Grave Digger - Witch Hunter
- Gravestone – Back to Attack
- Grim Reaper - Fear No Evil
- Guitar Pete's Axe Attack – Dead Soldier's Revenge
- Halloween - Don't Metal with Evil
- Hallows Eve - Tales of Terror
- Hammer - Contract with Hell
- Hammerschmitt - Hammerschmitt
- Hammers Rule - After the Bomb (EP)
- Hatrik - The Beast
- Hanover Fist - Hanover Fist
- Hanover Fist - Hungry Eyes
- Joe Hasselvander - Lady Killer
- Haven - Haven (EP)
- Hawaii - The Natives Are Restless
- Headhunter (Swi) - Headhunter
- Headpins - Head over Heels
- Headstone - Excalibur
- Heavy Pettin – Rock Ain't Dead
- Helix - Long Way to Heaven
- Helloïse - Cosmogony
- Helloween - Helloween (EP)
- Helloween - Walls of Jericho
- Herazz - Yet to Come
- High Tension - Warrior
- Highway Chile - Rockarama
- Hirax - Raging Violence
- Holland - Little Monsters
- Horizon - Master of the Game
- Hunter (Ger) - Sign of the Hunter
- Hunter (US) - Hunter
- Icon - Night of the Crime
- Impaler - Rise of the Mutants (EP)
- Iron Angel - Hellish Crossfire
- Iron Cross - Warhead
- Iron Maiden - Live After Death
- Jack Starr's Burning Starr - Rock the American Way
- Jade – If You're Man Enough
- Jag Wire - Made in Heaven
- Joshua - Surrender
- Karrier - Way Beyond the Night
- Keel - The Right to Rock
- Keen Hue – Ogre King
- Kerber - Ratne igre
- Kick Axe - Welcome to the Club
- Killers (Fra) - Fils de la Haine
- King Kobra - Ready to Strike
- KISS - Asylum
- Kix - Midnite Dynamite
- Knightmare II - Death Do Us Part (EP)
- Kreator - Endless Pain
- Lȧȧz Rockit - No Stranger to Danger
- L.A. - L.A.
- L.A. Guns - Collector's Edition No. 1 (EP)
- Labyrinth - So Wild
- Leatherwolf - Leatherwolf, aka Endangered Species
- Leviticus - The Strob¿ngest Power
- Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise
- Living Death - Metal Revolution
- Living Death - Watch Out! (EP)
- Lions Breed - Damn the Night
- Lizzy Borden - Love You to Pieces
- London - Non-Stop Rock
- Loudness - Thunder in the East
- Luzbel - Metal Caído Del Cielo (EP)
- Lynx - Caught in the Trap
- M-80 - Maniac's Revenge
- Mace (WA) - Process of Elimination
- Mad Butcher - Metal Lightning Attack
- Mad Max - Stormchild
- Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night
- Maineeaxe - Going for Gold
- Maineeaxe - The Hour of Thunder (EP)
- Malice - In the Beginning...
- Mama's Boys - Power and Passion
- Maniac - Maniac
- Manilla Road - Open the Gates
- Martyr - For the Universe
- Mass (MA) - New Birth
- Maxx Warrior - Maxx Warrior (EP)
- Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
- Mercy - Witchburner
- Metal Massacre - Metal Massacre VI (Compilation, various artists)
- Midnight Darkness - Holding the Night
- Mistreater - Mistreater
- Gary Moore - Run for Cover
- Morsüre – Acceleration Process
- Mötley Crüe - Theatre of Pain
- Mournblade - Time's Running Out
- Mox Nix - Mox Nix
- Nasty Savage - Nasty Savage
- Nation (Ger) - Ride On
- Nightmare – Power of the Universe
- Nightwing – A Night of Mystery - Alive! Alive! (live)
- Ninja - The Warriors of Rock
- Obús - Pega con fuerza
- Odin - Don't Take No... For an Answer (EP)
- Omega - The Prophet
- Omen - Warning of Danger
- Overdose - Tight Action
- Overdose - To the Top
- Overkill - Feel the Fire
- Overkill (CA) - Triumph of the Will
- Onslaught - Power from Hell
- Ostrogoth - Too Hot
- Pandemonium - Hole in the Sky
- Paganini - Weapon of Love
- Pantera - I Am the Night
- Paradoxx - Plan of Attak (EP)
- Pentagram - Pentagram, aka Relentless
- Phantom Lord - Phantom Lord
- Phasslayne - Cut It Up
- Philadelphia - Search and Destroy
- Possessed - Seven Churches
- Precious Metal - Right Here, Right Now
- Prophacy - Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare
- Prophet - Prophet
- Rail - III
- Railway - Railway II
- Ran – Burning
- Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
- Raven - Stay Hard
- Razor - Executioner's Song
- Razor - Evil Invaders
- Restless (Ger) - We Rock the Nation
- Kelle Rhoads - Cheap Talkin' Romance (EP)
- Rogue Male - First Visit
- Romeo - Rocks (EP)
- Rosy Vista - You Better Believe It (EP)
- David Lee Roth - Crazy from the Heat (EP)
- Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt
- Ruffians - Ruffians (EP)
- Runestaff – Runestaff
- Running Wild - Branded and Exiled
- Rush - Power Windows
- Sabre (Ger) - Keepers of the Sword
- Sabre (Can) - On the Prowl
- Sacred Few - Beyond the Iron Walls
- Sacred Rite - The Ritual
- Sacrifice (Swi) - On the Altar of Rock
- Sacrilege – Behind the Realms of Madness
- Sadwings - Lonely Hero
- Saigon - One Must Die
- Saints' Anger – Danger Metal
- Saint Vitus - Hallow's Victim
- Satanic Rites - Which Way the Wind Blows
- Savage - Hyperactive
- Savage Grace - Master of Disguise
- Savatage – The Dungeons Are Calling (EP)
- Savatage – Power of the Night
- Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse
- Scarlet - Phantasm
- Scavenger - Battlefields
- Scorpions - World Wide Live
- Seduce - Seduce
- Seducer - Caught in the Act
- Shere Khan - Quite Enough for Love
- Sinner - Touch of Sin
- Silver Mountain - Universe
- Slauter Xstroyes - Winter Kill
- Slaven - Slave To The Heart (EP)
- Slayer - Hell Awaits
- Sodom - In the Sign of Evil (EP)
- Spectre (CA) - Lady of the Night
- Spellbound - Rockin' Reckless
- Stainless Steel (Ger) - Stainless Steel
- Stators - ...Never Too Late
- Steel Angel – ...And the Angels Were Made of Steel
- Steeler (Ger) - Rulin' the Earth
- Steel Vengeance - Call Off the Dogs
- Stormtrooper (US) - Armies of the Night (EP)
- S.O.D. - Speak English or Die
- Stormwind (Ger) - Taken by Storm
- Stormwitch - Tales of Terror
- Stranger - The Bell
- Stryker (FL) - Stryker
- Stryper - Soldiers Under Command
- Sweethard - Sweethard
- Sweet Pain - Sweet Pain
- Sweet Savage (US) – Sweet Savage (EP)
- Sye - Turn on the Fire
- Talon - Never Look Back
- Terraplane – Black and White
- Thor - Only the Strong
- Thor - Live in Detroit (live)
- Thrasher - Burning at the Speed of Light
- Titanic - Then There Was Rock
- Tokyo Blade - Black Hearts & Jaded Spades
- Tobruk (UK) - Wild on the Run
- Touchdown - Tricks of a Trade
- Trance – Victory
- Trilogy (Aus) - Life on Earth
- Tröjan - Chasing the Storm
- Trouble - The Skull
- Trouble (Swe) - Warrior
- Twisted Sister - Come Out and Play
- 220 Volt - Mind over Muscle
- Tygers of Pan Tang - The Wreck-Age
- Tyran' Pace - Long Live Metal
- Tyrant (Ger) - Fight for Your Life
- Tyrant (US) - Legions of the Dead
- Tysondog - Shoot to Kill (EP)
- Tytan - Rough Justice
- Tzar (Can) – Players of the Game
- UFO - Misdemeanor
- Universe - Universe
- Vampyr - Cry Out for Metal
- Vanadium - On Streets of Danger (live)
- Vandenberg - Alibi
- Vectom - Speed Revolution
- Venom - Possessed
- Vicious Rumors - Soldiers of the Night
- Victim (CA) - DMN
- Victory - Victory
- Virgin Steele - Noble Savage
- Vitriol - The Beginning
- Vow Wow - Cyclone
- Vulcain - La dame de fer (EP)
- Vulcain - Desperados
- Vyper - Afraid of the Dark (EP)
- W.A.S.P. - The Last Command
- Wallop - Metallic Alps
- Warchylde - Murder by Decibels
- Warfare - Metal Anarchy
- Warlock - Hellbound
- Warrant - First Strike (EP)
- Warrant - The Enforcer
- Warrior - Fighting for the Earth
- Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
- Waysted - The Good the Bad the Waysted
- White Heat – Runnin' for Life
- White Lion - Fight to Survive
- Wild Cat - Love Attack
- Winged Messenger - Guardians of Eternity
- Witch (OH) - Salem's Rise
- Wizard - Marlin, Grog, Madman & The Bomb
- World War III (PA) – World War III
- Wrathchild (UK) - Trash Queens (comp)
- Xxaron - The Legacy
- Y&T - Open Fire (live)
- Y&T - Down for the Count
- Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out
- Zero Nine – White Lines
- Zoetrope - Amnesty
- Znowhite - Kick 'Em When They're Down EP
Disbandments
- Mercyful Fate (reformed in 1992)
- Van Halen (Roth quits band)
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 Parents Music Resource Center 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.
- Black Sabbath reunites at Live Aid with Ozzy Osbourne.
- 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 28, due to alcohol complications.
- Welcome to Venice compilation is released, featuring Suicidal Tendencies, Beowulf, and others, showing the growing crossover trend among the Venice Beach hardcore and metal scenes.