2016

In 2016 the world lost David Bowie in January, and Prince followed in April. Britain voted in June to leave the European Union, Leicester City won the Premier League against odds of 5000:1, and the Panama Papers spilled the secrets of offshore companies into the open. The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, played Cuba, the first foreign rock band to do so.

Rock and metal spent the year leaning on its elders. Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool came out in May and sat apart from everything around it, while Metallica waited until November for Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. Megadeth opened the thrash account in January with Dystopia, and Anthrax answered with For All Kings in February. Deftones delivered Gore in April, Green Day returned with Revolution Radio in October, and Korn followed a week later with The Serenity of Suffering. Weezer put out another self-titled album, Nine Inch Nails closed the year with Not the Actual Events just before Christmas, and Motörhead's Clean Your Clock arrived as a live reminder of what the band could do. Black Sabbath's The End was the soundtrack to a farewell tour, with The Ultimate Collection following in October.

The comings and goings were busy. Guns N' Roses reunited with Slash and Duff McKagan at Coachella, and Helloween planned a reunion tour with Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen. Megadeth reshuffled its drum stool, with Dirk Verbeuren made full-time after Chris Adler left. Nick Menza, a former Megadeth drummer, died in May. Twisted Sister and Bolt Thrower both called it a day.