2005 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2005.

Newly formed bands

* Beyond Fear
* Cronian
* Disarm
* Ihsahn
* In This Moment
* Five Finger Death Punch

Reformed Bands

* Anthrax
* Devourment
* Emperor
* Terrorizer

Albums

* Alice Cooper - "Dirty Diamonds"
* After Forever - "Remagine"
* Akercocke - "Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone"
* Arch Enemy - "Doomsday Machine"
* As I Lay Dying -"Shadows Are Security"
* Avenged Sevenfold - "City of Evil"
* Beseech - "Sunless Days"
* Black Label Society - "Mafia", "Kings of Damnation 98-04"
* Bolt Thrower - "Those Once Loyal"
* Bon Jovi - "Have a Nice Day"
* Bruce Dickinson - "Tyranny of Souls"
* Bullet for My Valentine - "The Poison"
* Candlemass - "Candlemass"
* Children of Bodom - "Are You Dead Yet?"
* Chimaira - "Chimaira"
* Cog - "The New Normal"
* Crashdiet - "Rest in Sleaze"
* Cryptopsy - "Once Was Not"
* Dark Tranquillity - "Character"
* Deep Purple - "Rapture of the Deep"
* Def Leppard - ""
* Deftones - "B-Sides & Rarities"
* DevilDriver - "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand"
* Devourment - "Butcher the Weak"
* Dimmu Borgir - "Stormblåst MMV"
* Disturbed - "Ten Thousand Fists"
* Divinity Destroyed - "Eden in Ashes"
* Divinity Destroyed - "The Plague"
* Dream Theater - "Octavarium"
* Early Man - "Closing In"
* Exodus - "Shovel Headed Kill Machine"
* Freak Kitchen - "Organic"
* Fear Factory - "Transgression"
* Forever Slave - "Alice's Inferno"
* Gizmachi - "The Imbuing"
* God Forbid - ""
* Gojira - "From Mars To Sirius"
* HammerFall - ""
* Helloween - "Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy"
* High On Fire - "Blessed Black Wings"
* Immolation - "Harnessing Ruin"
* Jacobs Dream - "Drama of the Ages"
* Judas Priest - "Angel of Retribution"
* Kamelot - "The Black Halo"
* Kreator - "Enemy of God"
* Limp Bizkit - "The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)"
* Lordi - "The Monster Show"
* Yngwie J. Malmsteen - "Unleash the Fury"
* Massacration - "Gates of Metal Fried Chicken of Death"
* Mötley Crüe - "Red, White and Crüe"
* Mournful Congregation - "The Monad of Creation"
* Mourning Beloveth - "A Murderous Circus"
* Mudvayne - "Lost and Found"
* Nevermore - "This Godless Endeavor"
* Nile - "Annihilation of the Wicked"
* Nine Inch Nails - "With Teeth"
* Opeth - "Ghost Reveries"
* Parkway Drive - "Killing with a Smile"
* Priestess - "Hello Master"
* Primordial - "The Gathering Wilderness"
* Protest the Hero - "Kezia"
* QueenAdreena - "The Butcher and the Butterfly"
* Rammstein - "Rosenrot"
* The Red Chord - "Clients"
* Roadrunner United - "The All-Star Sessions"
* Runemagick - "Envenom"
* Slechtvalk - "At the Dawn of War"
* Static-X - "Start a War"
* Strapping Young Lad - "Alien"
* Sabaton - "Primo Victoria"
* Soilwork - "Stabbing the Drama"
* Solefald - ""
* Stryper - "Reborn"
* Sturmgeist - "Meister Mephisto"
* System of a Down - "Mezmerize"
* System of a Down - "Hypnotize"
* Sonata Arctica - "The End of This Chapter"
* Stratovarius - "Stratovarius"
* Trivium - "Ascendancy"
* Visions of Atlantis - "Cast Away"
* WarCry - "¿Dónde Está La Luz?"

Disbandments

* Exhumed (indefinite hiatus)

Events

* Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers leaves the band in late December after playing in the band for ten years to concentrate on record producing.
* Static-X lead guitarist Tripp Eisen was arrested in February for "lewd conduct against children", and was fired from the band.
* Former Vader drummer Docent dies.
* Vocalist Tarja Turunen was fired from Nightwish.
* Jason Jones' departure from Drowning Pool was publicly announced on June 14, 2005, due to irreconcilable differences. On August 25 at the Ozzfest date in Dallas, Texas, Drowning Pool did a guest shot performance on the main stage debuting their new singer Ryan McCombs.
* Visions of Atlantis lead vocalist Nicole Bogner quits and is replaced by ex-Aesma Daeva vocalist, Melissa Ferlaak. Guitarist Werner Fielder quits and is replaced by Wolfgang Koch.
* Kittie bassist Jennifer Arroyo quits and is replaced by Trish Doan. Session guitarist Lisa Marx quits and is replaced by Tara McLeod
* Hellhammer becomes Dimmu Borgir's new drummer.
* Former Metal Church singer David Wayne dies.
* Denis "Piggy" D'Amour of Voivod dies.
* American Head Charge guitarist Bryan Ottoson dies at 27.