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Metal Blade Records

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"Metal Blade" redirects here. For the Mega Man weapon, see Mega Man 2 and Mega Man II (Game Boy).

Metal Blade Records
Founded1982; 43 years ago (1982)
FounderBrian Slagel
StatusMajor
Distributor(s)The Orchard (United States)
Sony Music (International)
GenreHeavy metal, extreme metal
Country of originUnited States
Location5632 Van Nuys Blvd #1301, Van Nuys, California U.S.
Official websitemetalblade.com

Metal Blade Records is an American record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label currently[when?] is distributed in the US by The Orchard, and internationally by Sony Music Entertainment. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Records in the United States from 1988 to 1993.

History

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Metal Blade Records was founded by Brian Slagel, 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 titled Metal Massacre, and included Metallica, Ratt, and Black 'n Blue.[1]

Speaking of the label's integral role during the infancy of death metal, Slagel is quoted saying, "when death metal first came out, I thought it was a refreshing new genre of music. It made complete sense to me. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever heard, but it was also really, really good. [...] When Slayer and Metallica came out, that was the heaviest thing ever, and eventually that became mainstream, right? I just knew that was gonna happen to death metal [...] it was only a matter of time before it was gonna get popular."[2] In April of 1987, Metal Blade and Enigma Records signed a long-term distribution and development deal, with Enigma promoting and distributing Metal Blade Records artists' records along with distribution through CEMA, a record-label distribution branch of Capitol-EMI.[3]

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 of Slayer.[4] 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.[5]

In 2019 Metal Blade Records opened a store in Las Vegas, Nevada that sold rare and out-of-print items from them and their artists.[6]

Notable artists

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Current and former artists per Metal Blade Records' website, as of November 2024.[7]

Current

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Former

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References

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  1. ^ "Features". metalupdate.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  2. ^ Coles, T (November 17, 2022). Death Metal. Genre: A 33 1/3 Series (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 47-48. ISBN 978-1501381010. LCCN 2022008924. OCLC 1290377919. OL 36433275M.
  3. ^ "Heavy Metal '88: Major Madness" (PDF). Billboard (magazine). New York City: Penske Media Corporation. May 7, 1988. p. 58. ISSN 0006-2510. OCLC 732913734. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory. In April '87, Enigma and Metal Blade signed a new long-term development and distribution deal which will benefit select Metal Blade acts such as Lizzy Borden, Fates Warning, and Sacred Reich. Previously, Enigma had marketed and distributed those groups' records; now, while also taking them through CEMA distribution, says [Enigma President Wesley] Hein, (...)
  4. ^ Legaspi, Legaspi (December 22, 2016). "Scorpions Among Nominees for Hall of Heavy Metal History". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  5. ^ Bell, Sadie (June 26, 2017). "BMG Will Release a Book on Metal Blade Records on Their Iconic History Later This Summer". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  6. ^ "Metal Blade Records opens store in Las Vegas, NV – rare and out-of-print items now for sale!". Metal Blade Records. October 1, 2019. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "Artists | Metal Blade Records". Metal Blade Records. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
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