Brian Slagel (born Feb 14th, 1961) is the owner and founder of
Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for giving
Metallica their first break in 1982, with an appearance on
Metal Massacre, a compilation album on Metal Blade, and has since released seminal albums by
Slayer,
Mercyful Fate,
Cannibal Corpse,
Fates Warning,
Amon Amarth and
The Black Dahlia Murder, among others.
Biography
Slagel grew up in
Woodland Hills, California, and with an early love of
heavy music, began working at a rock record store, Oz Records, as a teenager.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.] With the
New Wave of British Heavy Metal sweeping the underground metal scene, bands such as
Iron Maiden,
Def Leppard and
Diamond Head were virtually unknown in the US, outside of the tape trading underground. Slagel began importing NWOBHM records, and noticing a public interest in European metal, organized one of the first metal
fanzines,
The New Heavy Metal Revue.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.] As the fanzine started to pick up steam, Slagel began working as a columnist for
Kerrang!,
Sounds Magazine, and other music publications.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.]In 1982, Slagel organized the release of a
compilation album, featuring all local Los Angeles metal bands, called
The New Heavy Metal Revue Presents Metal Massacre. The album featured the first recordings of
Ratt,
Steeler,
Malice,
Avatar,
Cirith Ungol,
Bitch and
Metallica. The album quickly sold all 5,000 copies that were printed, and led to a distribution deal with
Enigma Records in 1983. Slagel founded
Metal Blade Records in 1983, and released albums by
Warlord,
Bitch,
Armored Saint and
Slayer's
Show No Mercy, which sold 40,000 copies worldwide.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.]Metal Blade quickly expanded, signing bands such as
Trouble (band),
Flotsam and Jetsam,
GWAR,
Sacred Reich, and
Corrosion of Conformity, and although the label's roster expanded, Slagel ran the company alone until 1988.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.]With heavy metal's popularity exploding in the late 1980s, many Metal Blade artists began moving to
major labels. After the expiration of their distribution deal with Enigma Records, Metal Blade entered a partnership with
Warner Bros. Records, who would distribute and market some of the independent label's releases, but Warner was soon bought by Time, Inc, and incorporated into
WEA.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.] At the same time,
Body Count's "Cop Killer", also released on WEA, was causing controversy, and after public backlash, the band was dropped from WEA. Following Body Count's troubles, WEA introduced new policies regarding controversial lryics, and attempted to censor
GWAR's
America Must Be Destroyed. Not wanting to compromise the artistic integrity of any Metal Blade acts, WEA and Slagel parted ways in 1992, with Metal Blade giving WEA the
Goo Goo Dolls, and receiving a distribution deal with
RED Distribution.
[German, Eric. "Behind the Screams Part 2: Interview with Brian Slagel", at ; last accessed December 5, 2006.]Today, Metal Blade remains one of the top independent heavy metal record labels, with a current roster of over 30 bands.
See also
