Heavy metal emerged as a subgenre of rock in the ‘60s and ‘70s, with a sound that draws influences from blues and psychedelic rock. With its extended, intricate guitar solos, distorted guitars, and general “heaviness,” people were fascinated by its departure from anthem-like glam metal and tamer rock styles. As with any other genre, bands and artists can eventually disband, leaving fans disappointed and lost—and, of course, wanting more of their music. Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath are considered the pioneers of heavy metal, but only Deep Purple is still together. Nevertheless, these bands have made such a name for themselves that even some of the slot games found on bonusfinder.com are based on them.
Although metal bands seem to have longer careers than their pop or R&B counterparts, plenty of iconic groups have unfortunately called it quits. Fans of the following bands have fervently waited for announcements of a reunion tour or are still processing the disappointment of their breakup decades later.
Black Sabbath
There’s no doubt about it—we have to start with one of the founding fathers of metal: Black Sabbath. Formed by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler, Sabbath effectively defined the genre. After plenty of renaming, including a brief stint as Polka Tulk and Earth (yes, really), they eventually settled on the name “Black Sabbath” after a cinema steps away from the band rehearsal room was showing the Italian horror film of the same name.
Rather than following the hippie culture and popular music at the time, the band chose a darker direction, featuring horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars. Their legacy is astounding, with over 70 million records sold and a long list of now-iconic bands influenced by them, including Slayer, Korn, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, and more. Although the members varied, Black Sabbath was together for nearly 50 years. That said, they stopped producing albums in 1995, with only one additional release in 2013. Given this, it’s no surprise that fans still want more.
Van Halen
The hard rock band Van Halen was the brainchild of musical talent Eddie Van Halen. First and foremost a decorated guitarist, Eddie learned classical piano by ear as a child and was gifted at song composition. On top of that, he knew how to market a band. Complemented by his brother on drums and fellow bandmates, Van Halen quickly became a staple of the Los Angeles music scene, with famed music personnel looking to get involved with them.
What’s especially interesting about Van Halen is that they experienced several breakups throughout their career (five, to be exact). The first was after the departure of David Lee Roth in the ‘80s for two years. Then, it was after Sammy Hagar’s leave in the late ‘90s for about seven years. There was also the one-year hiatus when Eddie Van Halen’s health was poor, and then their permanent breakup after Eddie’s unfortunate death in 2020. Without their cherished guitarist, the band would no longer be the same.
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine was touted as a unique rock band for their anti-authoritarian, politically fueled lyrics. The original lineup consisted of guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk, bassist Tim Commerford (who all went on to form Audioslave with Chris Cornell), and vocalist Zack de la Rocha. In 2023, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With a one-of-a-kind rap-metal sound, their debut album instantly propelled them to fame.
It was like rock with a purpose, giving the band special relevance. But with such a political agenda, Rage unsurprisingly experienced hiatuses and breakups. They had a few reunions and three disbandments, the most recent being in 2024. Their breakups were primarily due to creative and ideological differences, and perhaps their focus on politics led to a much shorter career than their other metal counterparts.
Led Zeppelin
Another heavy band that disbanded is Led Zeppelin, an English metal/rock band comprising internationally renowned guitarist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, bass and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With high-energy performances and themed albums and songs, they also paved the way for stadium rock. The band’s career only spanned 12 years, between 1968 and 1980. This meant that modern audiences couldn’t hear anything new from the group and would have to delve into their legacy through their existing discography. But boy, was it an extensive one.
Despite their short lifespan, Led Zeppelin released nine studio albums featuring unforgettable hits like “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Black Dog,” and “Dazed and Confused.” While they were preparing to go on tour in 1980, Bonham passed away from alcohol poisoning, and the band decided they could not continue as Led Zeppelin without him.
Type O Negative
The bands we’ve covered thus far are considered more mainstream, where most people would have likely at least heard their names. Type O Negative might not have the same conventional appeal, but it has certainly built quite a reputation in the niche genres of gothic and industrial metal. Naturally, they gained a loyal and dedicated fanbase with their brooding quality, atmospheric sound, layered vocals, electronic textures, and tongue-in-cheek, ironic delivery.
Some of their music is downright weird: they had a seven-and-a-half-minute song on their last album (released in 2003) called “How Could She?” that simply listed female character names from TV shows. But that’s precisely what made them Type O Negative. In 2010, frontman Peter Steele passed away from sepsis. As he was deemed irreplaceable by the rest of the band, they disbanded for good.
