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This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2006.

• Alcatrazz
• Alice in Chains
• Atheist
• Carnivore
• Emperor (for a few shows)
• Extreme (for a few shows)
• Immortal
• Myrkskog (for a one-off show. they are now defunct)
• Pitchshifter
• Sir Lord Baltimore

• Burning My Abigail
• Cold (reformed in 2009)
• Crashdïet
• Dissection
• Fear Factory
• Full Scale (reformed in 2009)
• Limp Bizkit (on hiatus until 2009)
• Myrkskog
• Peccatum
• System of a Down (on hiatus)
• Terrorizer

• 20 May – Lordi wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 for Finland with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah in Athens, Greece.^[2]
• Slipknot goes on hiatus until 2008 while members work on their "side projects".
• Queen, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Kiss are the first bands inducted into the VH1 Rock Honors.
• Alice in Chains reunite with the Jar of Flies line-up and singer William DuVall replaces the late Layne Staley.
• Body Count releases their first album in nine years, Murder 4 Hire. The album features the band's new line-up: Bendrix (rhythm guitar), Vincent Price (bass), and O.T. (drums).
• Slayer releases their tenth studio album, Christ Illusion. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 5—the band's highest U.S. chart position to date. The single Eyes of the Insane won the Best Metal Performance category at the 49th Grammy Awards.
• Extreme reunite for a second time – now with their "classic" original line-up – to do a small three-show reunion tour in New England.
• System of a Down goes on a long-term hiatus.
• Jesse Pintado of Terrorizer and formerly of Napalm Death passes away.
• Opeth drummer Martin Lopez officially and permanently leaves Opeth on May 12, 2006, due to illness and is replaced by Martin Axenrot.
• Metalocalypse airs on the Adult Swim network.
• Mercenary bassist/vocalist Henrik "Kral" Andersen leaves in March and is replaced by René Pedersen.
• Visions of Atlantis keyboardist Miro Holly quits and is replaced by Martin Harb.
• Chimaira drummer Andols Herrick rejoins the band (after leaving in 2003), forcing the departure of Kevin Talley.
• Tapio Wilska was fired from Finntroll due to personal differences.
• Iggor Cavalera leaves Sepultura due to "artistic incompatibility".

• 2006 in Swiss music