Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by

Brian Slagel Brian Slagel (born February 14, 1961) is an American music executive. He is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for having initiated the ''Metal Massacre'' series of compilation albums in 1982 ...

in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the US by RED Distribution, and in Canada by Sony Music Entertainment. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Records in the United States from 1988 to 1993.

History

Metal Blade Records was founded by

, who at the time was a record store employee in suburban Los Angeles, as a way to increase the recognition of local metal bands. The label's first release was a compilation album called ''The New Heavy Metal Revue presents Metal Massacre'', and included Metallica, Ratt, and Black 'n Blue. Metal Blade artists that have appeared on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart include Goo Goo Dolls,

Amon Amarth Amon Amarth () is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology an ...

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

, As I Lay Dying,

Behemoth Behemoth (; he, בְּהֵמוֹת, ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation; he is paired with the other chaos-monster, Leviathan, and ...

, the Black Dahlia Murder,

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...

, Fates Warning (the first Metal Blade band to have achieved this), Lizzy Borden, Anvil,

Gwar Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. After th ...

, King Diamond, Job for a Cowboy, Whitechapel, Armored Saint, The Red Chord, Unearth, Between the Buried and Me, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Corrosion of Conformity and Cattle Decapitation. From 1985 to 1998, Metal Blade had a sublabel called Death Records, which released recordings by, and signed bands like D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, Civilian Terrorists, Mission of Christ, School of Violence,

Cryptic Slaughter Cryptic Slaughter is an American crossover thrash band based in Santa Monica, California, and originally formed in 1984. Biography Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans (age 17), Scott Peterson (age 14), and Adam Scott (age 15), ...

, The Mentors,

, Atheist, Angkor Wat, Loss for Words, Dr. Know, Beyond Possession, and Dark Funeral. In 2010 Metal Blade Records joined the RIAA. IronClad Recordings is an

imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

. On January 18, 2017 Metal Blade Records was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for their large contribution to the Heavy Metal library. Brian was inducted by special guest

Kerry King Kerry Ray King (born June 3, 1964) is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and remained a member for nearly four decades. ...

of Slayer. On August 29, 2017, BMG Rights Management published ''The Sake of Heaviness: the History of Metal Blade Records'', a book on the label's history, co-written by Mark Eglington and the label's founder Brian Slagel.

Notable artists

Current

* Abnormality *

Act of Defiance Act of Defiance is an American heavy metal supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2014 by guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover of Megadeth after they both resigned from the band on the same day, vocalist Henry Dere ...

* Aeon * Allegaeon *

* Anaal Nathrakh *

Anima Anima may refer to: Animation * Ánima (company), a Mexican animation studio founded in 2002 * Córdoba International Animation Festival – ANIMA, in Argentina Religion and philosophy * Animism, the belief that objects, places, and creatur ...

* Arch/Matheos * Armored Saint * Battlecross *

* Beyond the Sixth Seal *

Bitch Bitch may refer to: * A female dog or other canine * Bitch (slang), a vulgar slur for a human female Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''The Bitch'' (film), a 1979 film starring Joan Collins * ''Bitch ...

* The Black Dahlia Murder * Blood Stain Child * Brainstorm *

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

* Candiria *

* Cataract * Cattle Decapitation * Charred Walls of the Damned *

Church of Misery is a Japanese doom metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1995. Church of Misery's musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock; most of the band's songs are about serial killers and mass murderers. Bassist Tatsu Mikami ...

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...

* Cult of Luna * Cut Up * Dawn of Ashes * Desaster *

Destrage Destrage are an Italian progressive metalcore band, formed in 2002. They have released five studio albums (with a new release, SO MUCH. too much, due September 2022) and are currently signed to 3DOT Recordings.The Devil's Blood * Dew-Scented * Disillusion * Don Jamieson *

Downfall of Gaia Downfall of Gaia are a German extreme metal band formed in 2008 by Dominik Goncalves dos Reis (vocals, guitar) and Anton Lisovoj (vocals, bass). Their current lineup is completed by drummer Michael Kadnar and guitarist Marco Mazzola. Transforming ...

* DragonForce * Entheos * Ensiferum * Exumer * Falconer * Fates Warning *

Fleshcrawl Fleshcrawl is a German death metal band formed in Illertissen, Bavaria, in 1987. Their most recent album, ''Into the Catacombs of Flesh'', was released in 2019 under Apostasy Records. History 1987–1997 Fleshcrawl was formed by Stefan H ...

* Fleshwrought * Flotsam and Jetsam * Goatwhore *

God Dethroned God Dethroned is a Dutch extreme metal band from Beilen, originally formed in 1990. Biography God Dethroned was formed in 1990 by singer and guitar player Henri Sattler, with Hans Leegstra (guitar) and Ard de Weerd. Sattler and Leegstra had p ...

Hail of Bullets Hail of Bullets was a Dutch old school death metal supergroup from Rotterdam. The band's lyrical content deals with the Second World War, and is based upon the research of vocalist Martin van Drunen, who has been described as the band's "resident ...

Hammers of Misfortune Hammers of Misfortune is an American heavy metal band from San Francisco, California. The band's style has varied from album to album, at times incorporating different elements of folk metal, doom metal, NWOBHM, black metal, 1970s rock, and th ...

* Harms Way *

Hate Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is s ...

If These Trees Could Talk If These Trees Could Talk is an instrumental post-rock band from Akron, Ohio. The band self-released their self-titled debut EP in 2006. Independent record label The Mylene Sheath re-released the EP on vinyl in 2007, and went on to release the ba ...

Igorrr Gautier Serre (born June 5, 1984), better known by his stage name Igorrr, is a French musician. Under the Igorrr alias, he combines a variety of disparate genres, including black metal, baroque music, breakcore, and trip hop, into a singular soun ...

In Solitude In Solitude was a Swedish heavy metal band from Uppsala. History The band formed in 2002 with Henrik Helenius, Niklas Lindström, Gottfrid Åhman, and Uno Bruniusson. Pelle Åhman (Gottfrid's brother) joined the band as their lead vocalist in ...

* Ingested * Intronaut *

Jim Breuer James E. Breuer (born June 21, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, and radio host. He was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 1998 and starred in the film ''Half Baked'' (1998). Early life Breuer was born ...

* Jim Florentine * Job for a Cowboy *

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and A ...

* King Diamond * King of Asgard * Lightning Swords of Death * Lizzy Borden * Malefice * Mercyful Fate * Mother Feather * Neaera *

Negligence Negligence (Lat. ''negligentia'') is a failure to exercise appropriate and/or ethical ruled care expected to be exercised amongst specified circumstances. The area of tort law known as ''negligence'' involves harm caused by failing to act as ...

* The Ocean Collective * OSI * Paths of Possession * Pentagram * Poison Headache *

Primordial Primordial may refer to: * Primordial era, an era after the Big Bang. See Chronology of the universe * Primordial sea (a.k.a. primordial ocean, ooze or soup). See Abiogenesis * Primordial nuclide, nuclides, a few radioactive, that formed before t ...

* The Red Chord * Revocation * Rivers of Nihil * Sacrifice * Satan * Serpentine Dominion * Shai Hulud * Six Feet Under *

Skyforger Skyforger is a heavy metal band from Latvia which was formed in 1995 out of the remains of doom metal band Grindmaster Dead. Musical style and lyrical themes Most of their songs are about Baltic mythology and warfare; they also play Latvian ...

Slough Feg Slough Feg (also known as The Lord Weird Slough Feg) is an American heavy metal band from Pennsylvania, formed in 1990 and currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Taking their name from the Celtic folklore-influenced comic book Sláine ...

Soilent Green Soilent Green is an American extreme metal band formed in 1988 in Chalmette/ Metairie on the suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana. Described as a sludge metal and grindcore band, the group blends elements of death metal, black metal, hardcore, an ...

* System Divide * Transatlantic * Tombs * Twitching Tongues * Týr *

Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats (written as Uncle Acid and the deadbeats or simply Uncle Acid) are an English rock band, formed in Cambridge by Kevin Starrs. The band have released five albums – the most recent, ''Wasteland'', was released in Octob ...

* Vio-lence * Vomitory * Whitechapel * Wovenwar

Former

* 3 * Abiotic * The Absence *

Akercocke Akercocke are an English extreme metal band from London, formed in 1997 by Jason Mendonça and David Gray. The band also features Paul Scanlan and Nathanael Underwood. History Akercocke's first album, '' Rape of the Bastard Nazarene'', was sel ...

* Aletheian * Anacrusis (active) * Ancient (active) * Anterior (disbanded 2012) * Anvil (active) * Angel Witch *

John Arch John Arch (born John Maurice Archambault; May 15, 1959) is an American singer most well known for his work with the progressive metal band Fates Warning. Fates Warning Arch co-wrote the majority of the band's songs with guitarist Jim Matheos ...

(inactive) * Artch (active) * As I Lay Dying (active, with

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label move ...

) * Atheist (active) *

Austrian Death Machine Austrian Death Machine is an American thrash metal side project from San Diego, California, founded by As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis to be a parody of and tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger's films. Biography Austrian Death Machine relea ...

(on hiatus) * Autumn * Believer (active, Independent) * Between the Buried and Me (active, with Sumerian) * Beyond the Embrace (inactive) *

Bison B.C. Bison (formerly Bison B.C.) is a heavy metal band from Vancouver, formed in 2006 by vocalist and guitarist James Farwell. The band was formerly signed to California-based Metal Blade Records. The band was released from its contract with Metal Bl ...

Bolt Thrower Bolt Thrower were an English death metal band from Coventry. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling ba ...

* Born from Pain * Brain Drill *

Callenish Circle Callenish Circle was an extreme metal band from the Netherlands. They recorded three of their albums for Metal Blade Records, and broke up in February 2007. In the early 2000s things were going well for the band. In 2002 they toured with God De ...

(disbanded 2007) * Cellador * Chemlab (active) *

Cirith Ungol In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to ...

(disbanded 1992; reformed 2016) * Cradle of Filth (active, with

) *

The Crimson Armada The Crimson Armada was an American metalcore band formed in Westerville, Ohio in 2007 by Kyle Barrington and David Puckett. Following a one-year hiatus in 2008, the band returned to increased popularity, releasing its first EP, ''Behold the Ar ...

(disbanded 2012) *

Cycle Sluts from Hell The Cycle Sluts from Hell were an American heavy metal band from the late 1980s to early 1990s. The band was made up of four women singing under the stage names Queen Vixen, She-Fire of Ice, Honey One Percenter, and Venus Penis Crusher, backed ...

* Dance Club Massacre * Dark Funeral * Darkness Dynamite *

Demiricous Demiricous is a death/thrash metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana formed by Nate Olp, Scott Wilson, Ben Parrish (of Upheaval), and Christopher Cruz. In 2005, they self-released a demo which caught the attention of Metal Blade. After the release ...

(active) * Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (active) *

Eidolon In ancient Greek literature, an eidolon (; grc, εἴδωλον 'image, idol, double, apparition, phantom, ghost'; plural: eidola or eidolons) is a spirit-image of a living or dead person; a shade or phantom look-alike of the human form. Litera ...

(on hiatus) *

Enthroned Enthroned is a Belgian black metal band formed in Charleroi. It is one of the premier acts of the Belgian black metal scene. History The band was founded in 1993 by drummer Cernunnos. He soon recruited guitarist Tsebaoth and a vocalist from g ...

Epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectious ...

* Evergreen Terrace (active, with Rise Records) * Flotsam and Jetsam (active, Driven Music Group) * Fragments of Unbecoming *

Galactic Cowboys Galactic Cowboys are an American heavy metal band based in Houston, Texas. They combine progressive metal with a vocal style influenced by The Beatles and the heavy playing style of thrash bands such as Anthrax. They have been described as "pos ...

(disbanded 2000) * Goo Goo Dolls (active, with Warner Bros. Records) * Hatchet *

Hate Eternal Hate Eternal is a death metal band from St. Petersburg, Florida. The band currently consists of founding guitarist/vocalist Erik Rutan and bassist J. J. Hrubovcak. To date, Hate Eternal has released seven studio albums: '' Conquering the Throne' ...

Haunted Garage Haunted Garage was a horror punk and heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. Fronted by singer and B-movie actor Dukey Flyswatter, the band were recognized for their campy horror and science fiction-inspired songs and outrageous shock ro ...

Hecate Enthroned Hecate Enthroned are an English symphonic black metal band initially founded with members from both Wales and England, but are now primarily based around Cheshire, England. The band formed in 1993 as a blackened death metal act under the name ...

(active; signed to M-Theory Audio) * Helstar (active, with AFM Records) *

Hirax The Hydrogen Intensity and Real-time Analysis eXperiment (HIRAX) is an interferometric array of 1024 6- meter (20 ft) diameter radio telescopes, operating at 400-800MHz, that will be deployed at the Square Kilometer Array site in the Karoo regi ...

(active, with Black Devil Records) * I Killed the Prom Queen (active, with Epitaph Records) *

Impious Impious is a Swedish thrash/death metal band. History Swedish thrash/death metal band Impious was formed by Valle Adzic and Martin Åkesson in April 1994. The band had some difficulties finding a permanent drummer, so a friend of theirs, Joh ...

* In Battle (active, with Nocturnal Art Production/ Candlelight Records) * Into the Moat *

Jacobs Dream Jacob's Dream is an American power metal band originally based in Columbus, Ohio. The band formed in the mid-1990s under the name of Iron Angel. Their first three full-length releases were released on the Metal Blade Records label. Biography ...

* King's X (active, with Inside Out Music) * Lazarus A.D. (disbanded 2015 ) * Liege Lord (disbanded 1990) (reformed 2013) *

Lord Belial Lord Belial is a Swedish black metal band. History The band formed in 1992 and released their debut album in 1995; placing them among the pioneers of Swedish black metal. Their sound has been compared with bands such as Dissection. In January ...

(disbanded, then reactivated) * Manowar (active, with Magic Circle Music) * Mentors (active) *

Molotov Solution Molotov Solution is an American deathcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

(on hiatus) * Mount Salem * Omen (active, with DSN Music) * Overcast *

Powerwolf Powerwolf, often stylized as POWERWOLF, is a German power metal band founded in 2003 in Saarbrücken by members of Red Aim. The band consists of vocalist Karsten Brill as " Attila Dorn", lead guitarist Benjamin Buss as " Matthew Greywolf", bassi ...

(active, now signed to

Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label late ...

) *

Psyopus Psyopus (sometimes written as PsyOpus) was an American mathcore band from Rochester, New York. History Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the unorthodox and extremely technical guitar techniques of Christopher Arp, often referred to as "Arpm ...

(disbanded 2012) *

Pyrithion Timothy Peter Lambesis (born November 21, 1980) is an American musician and producer, best known as the founding member and lead vocalist of American metalcore band As I Lay Dying. He also had a solo/side thrash metal project in tribute to ac ...

The Red Death The Red Death was an American extreme metal band from Bath, New York. History Formed in 2002 after the demise of Another Day Forgotten by singer Paul Hamblin, guitarist Josh Williammee, and drummer Graham Mitchell, the original lineup was rounde ...

* Rigor Mortis * The Rotted * Sacred Reich (active, with Hollywood Records) * Sacrifice (active) * Slayer (disbanded 2019) * Sonic Reign * Spock's Beard (active, independent) * Symphorce (disbanded 2011) *

Taramis Taramis was an Australian heavy metal group, which began as Prowler in 1983. Initially they played covers of other artists' work; in 1985 they developed more original material and changed their name. By that time their line-up was Dave Browne ...

(disbanded 1993)McFarlane
'Taramis'
entry. Archived fro
the original
on August 3, 2004. Retrieved March 21, 2013. *

This Ending This Ending is a Swedish melodic death metal band formed in 1991. History This Ending was formed in 1991 as A Canorous Quartet by Fredrik Andersson, Mårten Hansen and Linus Nirbrant. After some changes, the line-up was complete with the add ...

* Thought Industry * Tommy Giles Rogers *

Torture Killer Torture Killer is a Finnish death metal band from Turku, formed in 2002. The band consists of five members: guitarists Jari Laine and Tuomas Karppinen, bassist Kim Torniainen, drummer Tuomo Latvala and the current vocalist Pessi Haltsonen. Th ...

(active, with Dynamic Art Records) *

Tourniquet A tourniquet is a device that is used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood. It may be used in emergencies, in surgery, or in post-operative rehabilitation. A simple tourniquet can be made from a stick an ...

, (active, with Pathogenic Records) *

Trigger the Bloodshed Trigger the Bloodshed are a British death metal band from Bath, England, formed in 2006. The band comprises guitarist Rob Purnell, vocalist Jonny Burgan, bassist Dave Purnell and drummer Dan Wilding. Trigger the Bloodshed has released three s ...

(active, with Century Media Records) * Unearth * Vader (active, with

) * Viking (disbanded 1990, reformed 2011, currently unsigned) * Voivod (active, with Century Media Records) * Woe of Tyrants * Yob (active, with Profound Lore Records)

References

External links