The Top 5 Heavy Metal Music Labels
Find out which heavy metal music labels are the most metal of them all! From Nuclear Blast to Century Media, these are the top 5 metal labels out there.
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is a record label founded in 1980 by Jon Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula. The label was a pioneer of heavy metal music, signing bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. Roadrunner is also home to some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal, such as Slipknot, Stone Sour, and Trivium.
Founded in 1980
Roadrunner Records is a major record label that specializes in heavy metal and hard rock music. It was founded in 1980 by Jon Zazula and his wife, Marsha Zazula. The label has been home to some of the biggest names in metal, including Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Testament. Roadrunner is also known for signing bands that would go on to be highly successful, such as Stone Temple Pilots, Limp Bizkit, and Slipknot.
Based in New York City
Roadrunner Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal and hard rock. It is a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.
The label was launched in 1980 in the Netherlands by Dutch businessmen Gerald Van den Bergh and Mario Ebbers. In 1991, the label was acquired by Time Warner.
Since its inception, Roadrunner has signing several influential heavy metal and hard rock bands, including Slipknot, Nickelback, Stone Sour, Machine Head, Trivium, Dream Theater, Killswitch Engage, and Megadeth. In 2004, the label launched a sister label called Loud & Proud Records.
Roadrunner Records has been nominated for several Grammy Awards and has won one for Slipknot’s “Wait and Bleed” in 2000.
home to bands such as Slipknot, Megadeth, and Stone Sour
Roadrunner Records is a record label founded in 1980 by Cees Wessels and his wife Gloria. The label is home to bands such as Slipknot, Megadeth, and Stone Sour. The label has been extremely successful, selling over 100 million records worldwide.
Roadrunner was originally an independent record label, but was later acquired by Warner Music Group in 2003.
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a German independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. In October 2018, the label had thirty-nine artists on its roster.
Founded in 1987
Nuclear Blast is a record label founded by Markus Staiger in Germany in 1987. Despite its name, the label specializes in a variety of heavy metal genres. In 2007, Staiger acquired the German heavy metal magazine, Rock Hard. As of 2018, Nuclear Blast has released over 1530 albums. Nuclear Blast’s headquarters are located in Donzdorf, Germany.
Nuclear Blast was one of the first independent metal record labels to achieve mainstream success. In February 2014, the label celebrated its 27th anniversary. In 2016, it was announced that Nuclear Blast had signed a worldwide distribution deal with Universal Music Group. In May 2018, it was announced that Nuclear Blast had entered into a strategic partnership with Sony Music Entertainment.
As of 2018, some of the label’s most notable bands include:
-Amon Amarth
-Arch Enemy
-Behemoth
-Cannibal Corpse
-Children of Bodom
-Deathstars
Eluveitie
Gojira
Kreator
Mastodon
Based in Germany
Nuclear Blast is a German independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. In the 1990s the company signed scions of the new wave of British heavy metal such as Paradise Lost, Sodom, Sepultura, and Night in Gales. In the same decade, Nuclear Blast began to release retrospectives of classic metal bands.
Today, Nuclear Blast signs and promotes both veteran metal acts like witnessing Filter’s The Sun Comes Out Tonight, as well as young guns like California rock outfit New Years Day, who are making their debut on the label with Unbreakable. British doom metal legends My Dying Bride also made their return to Nuclear Blast with their 2013 release Feel the Misery.
home to bands such as Amon Amarth, Sabaton, and Nightwish
Nuclear Blast is a German independent record label and mail order record distributor with a focus on heavy metal music. The company was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. In the 1990s, the label began to sign more punk, alternative rock, and hardcore bands. They also began to release music in the United States. Today, Nuclear Blast is one of the most successful heavy metal labels in the world. They are home to bands such as Amon Amarth, Sabaton, and Nightwish.
Century Media
Founded in 1988
Century Media is a heavy metal music label that was founded in 1988 by Robert Kampf in Dortmund, Germany. The label has been home to some of the biggest names in metal, including Megadeth, Slayer, and Devin Townsend. Century Media is also known for its innovative marketing campaigns and support of up-and-coming artists.
Based in Los Angeles
Century Media Records is an American heavy metal music label formed in 1988. It is currently the largest independent heavy metal label in the world, with a roster that includes some of the most successful and acclaimed artists in the genre.
The label was founded by Roland Grapow and Gottfried Koch, two former members of the German metal band Helloween. Koch had previously worked as a A&R representative for major labels such as EMI and Phonogram, while Grapow had been running his own record label, Donga Disco, which specialized in releasing imports of American metal and hardcore punk bands.
The first band signed to Century Media was Swedish death metal band Morgana Lefay, and the label went on to release albums by some of the most prominent names in metal, including Testament, Manowar, Overkill, Exodus, Armageddon, King Diamond, and many others.
In recent years, Century Media has been home to some of the biggest names in metalcore and deathcore, including As I Lay Dying, Misery Signals, Parkway Drive, Atreyu, Trivium, Suicide Silence, The Devil Wears Prada, Bring Me the Horizon, Whitechapel, Job for a Cowboy, Carnifex, and Despised Icon.
home to bands such as Arch Enemy, Opeth, and In Flames
Century Media is a heavy metal music label that is home to bands such as Arch Enemy, Opeth, and In Flames. The company was founded in Dortmund, Germany in 1988 by Marco Barbieri and Manfred Schütz. Century Media was acquired by the Entertainment One Group in 2015.
Metal Blade Records
Founded in 1982
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. It is the largest metal label in the world, with a roster that includes some of the most successful and well-known metal bands, including Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Lamb of God, Testament, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, Mastodon, Trivium, and others. The label has also released albums by hardcore punk and punk rock bands such as the Misfits, Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, and Cro-Mags.
Based in Los Angeles
Founded in 1982, Metal Blade Records is the longest running independent heavy metal label in the world. It was started by CEO and President Brian Slagel, who had previously worked at New York based record label Island Records. The first release on Metal Blade was the Death compendium album “Metal Massacre.”
Death, who would go on to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history, was discovered by Brian Slagel while attending a local show in Pomona, California. Slagel was so impressed with Death that he_contacted the band and offered to put out a compilation album featuring them and other unsigned bands from the area. The rest is history, as Metal Blade has gone on to release albums by some of the biggest names in heavy metal, including Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and many more.
Today, Metal Blade is based in Los Angeles and continues to release cutting edge heavy metal music. In addition to running the label, Brian Slagel is also a member of the band Obey The Brave.
home to bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and King Diamond
Founded in 1982, Metal Blade Records is one of the most influential and renowned heavy metal record labels in the world. Home to bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and King Diamond, Metal Blade has helped define and shape the metal genre for over three decades.
With a commitment to quality music and artist development, Metal Blade has released some of the most groundbreaking and successful metal albums of all time. If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, then you need to check out Metal Blade Records!
Relapse Records
Relapse Records was founded in 1990 by Matt Jacobson. The label has since released music from a variety of metal bands, including Neurosis, Mastodon, and High on Fire. Relapse Records is known for working with talented up-and-coming artists and helping them reach a wider audience. The label has a strong commitment to quality metal music and has been praised for its A&R department.
Founded in 1990
Relapse Records is an American independent record label specializing in heavy metal and hard rock music. It was founded in 1990 by Matthew Fike, who was later joined by friends in the music industry including Bart Weaver, Detroit native Scott Weinrich, and Jeff Wagner. The label has released music by a variety of artists, including Coalesce, Neurosis, Botch, Converge, Opeth, Mastodon, High on Fire, Dillinger Escape Plan, Disembodied, and Dead Kennedys. Relapse’s first release was Repulsion’s Horrified LP.
Based in Philadelphia
Relapse Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal music. It was founded by Matt Jacobson and Thomas Habington in 1990, and has its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Throughout the label’s history, it has released music by a variety of metal subgenres, including death metal, sludge metal, grindcore, doom metal, black metal and post-metal. top 5 heavy metal music labels.
The label has helped bring many underground bands to prominence, including Neurosis, Napalm Death, Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Converge. In 2004, the label moved from Maryland to Philadelphia. In May 2018, Relapse entered into a partnership with Adult Swim to release a series of 7-inch split singles featuring both established and up-and-coming metal bands.
home to bands such as Mastodon, Neurosis, and High on Fire
Relapse Records is an American independent record label specializing in heavy metal and punk rock music, founded in 1990 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It is home to bands such as Mastodon, Neurosis, and High on Fire. The label has helped to launch the careers of many artists, including Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, andbotch. Relapse was founded by Matthew Fung and Scott Weinrich in 1990. The first signees were the band Autopsy and the7-inch label Deep Six Records. Release by early death metal band Cynic helped build buzz for the label’s early roster. Matthew Fung left Relapse in 1997, leaving the label to Scott Weinrich.
