Moshradar Games · 20 questions
Heavy Metal History Quiz
Fifty-five years of heavy metal in twenty questions, from the first Sabbath record to the last Sabbath show. The long one.
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Question 1 of 20
In which year did Black Sabbath release their debut album?
1970 — on Friday 13 February, which suited them down to the ground.
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Question 2 of 20
Who fronted AC/DC before Brian Johnson joined in 1980?
Bon Scott, who died in February 1980. Back in Black, Johnson's first album with the band, came out later that year.
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Question 3 of 20
Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath in 1979 after leaving which band?
Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore's band. His first Sabbath album was Heaven and Hell (1980).
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Question 4 of 20
Which festival first took over Castle Donington in 1980, with Rainbow headlining?
Monsters of Rock, which ran on and off at Donington until 1996.
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Question 5 of 20
Kerrang! launched in 1981 as a one-off supplement to which music paper?
Sounds — the same paper that had coined 'NWOBHM' two years earlier.
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Question 6 of 20
In which year did Metallica release Kill 'Em All?
1983, just months after Dave Mustaine was fired from the band.
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Question 7 of 20
Which guitarist was fired from Metallica in 1983 and went on to form Megadeth?
Dave Mustaine. Kirk Hammett took his place in Metallica.
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Question 8 of 20
Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer are three of thrash's 'Big Four'. Who is the fourth?
Anthrax, from New York. All four first shared a bill in 2010.
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Question 9 of 20
Earache Records, home of Napalm Death's Scum, was founded in which city?
Nottingham, in 1985.
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Question 10 of 20
Which band won the first Grammy for Best Metal Performance, in 1990?
Metallica, for 'One'. A year earlier they had famously lost the Hard Rock/Metal award to Jethro Tull.
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Question 11 of 20
Which singer, nicknamed 'Ripper', replaced Rob Halford in Judas Priest?
Tim 'Ripper' Owens, from 1996 until Halford's return in 2003.
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Question 12 of 20
Nu metal pioneers Korn formed in which Californian city?
Bakersfield, in 1993.
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Question 13 of 20
Which Deftones album, released in 2000, features 'Change (In the House of Flies)'?
White Pony, their third album.
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Question 14 of 20
In which year was the first Download Festival held?
2003, at Donington Park — the old home of Monsters of Rock.
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Question 15 of 20
Which Gothenburg band released The Gallery in 1995?
Dark Tranquillity, one of the bands that defined the melodic 'Gothenburg sound'.
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Question 16 of 20
Which Welsh band released their debut album, The Poison, in 2005?
Bullet for My Valentine, from Bridgend.
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Question 17 of 20
London's Hammersmith Odeon is known today as what?
The Eventim Apollo. It has carried the Eventim name since 2013.
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Question 18 of 20
In which year did Lemmy Kilmister die?
2015, on 28 December — four days after his 70th birthday.
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Question 19 of 20
Hellfest takes place in which French town?
Clisson, near Nantes, where it was first held in 2006.
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Question 20 of 20
Black Sabbath played their farewell show, Back to the Beginning, in 2025 at which venue?
Villa Park in Birmingham, on 5 July 2025. Ozzy Osbourne died seventeen days later.
Press 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.
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