Metal Blade Records history by Dan Slessor:
Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalogue, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it strides into its fourth decade.

What perhaps makes this achievement all the more notable is the fact that Slagel never even intended to start a label. Working in an LA record store and writing for various publications, Slagel was acutely aware that many great bands in the local metal scene were being ignored, and he decided to release a compilation of tracks drawn from these ranks. "There were a lot of really good bands and I was just bummed out that nobody could hear them. It just seemed like I could help them out and have some fun at the same time, and that compilation was the first Metal Massacre," he states. Collating tracks from then unknown bands including Ratt, Bitch, Cirith Ungol, and Metallica amongst others, the compilation sold out immediately. "How important is Metal Blade to our career? They're only the reason we are enjoying the worldwide success we have today," states Metallica's James Hetfield. "Without Brian's openness to some raunchy teens with a crap sounding cassette tape we would be who knows where, and playing who knows what!" With the popularity of the tape spurring Slagel on, the first seeds of Metal Blade were sown. "After the success of those compilations I just started putting out records of bands that I was friends with, but without ever really intending it to be a label at all," he explains. "After I put out four or five releases I started to feel like something was happening, and I decided to quit the record store and quit college and see where it went."

Battling through the first few lean years, when the label consisted solely of Slagel working out of his mom's poorly ventilated garage in the San Fernando Valley, it gradually grew in both revenue and stature. Within a few years Metal Blade would go on to release the debuts of Slayer, Armored Saint, Trouble, and Corrosion Of Conformity amongst others, fanning the flames of the burgeoning metal scene and launching careers of bands that would go onto reap global success. "Without Metal Blade, there is a damn good chance we never would've made it out of L.A," says Slayer's Kerry King. "That was the one bit of luck we needed. You can be the most awesome band on the scene, and if no one notices you, you don't catch on. And Brian Slagel is still one of the biggest metalheads I know!" This genuine love and devotion to metal is central to the relationship many of the artists have with Metal Blade, and King Diamond credits much of its relevance and strength to this passion. "I refer to it as having 'boots on the ground'," the mighty Dane states. "It's not like a major label where some people might be into what you're doing but a lot of them just see it as a job – there's a genuine love for metal there. Through staying true to that and doing their own thing they've carved out a very specific niche that they control, and as an artist it's wonderful to be a part of that."over the years. Clearly without those people we couldn't do what we do, and to everyone out there who has helped us along by being a fan we are so very grateful to you."

Read more: http://www.metalblade.com/us/about-us/

Dirty Pagans are a stoner doom metal band, formed in early 2016 in Adelaide,

Dirty Pagans conjure up the face-melting sounds from the 1970s doom scene on their recently released self-titled EP, with vocals that reach the unholiest of altitudes, hypnotizing guitar riffs, heavy basslines and explosive drumbeats. Dirty Pagans deliver a high energy performance with an electric groove so hot – Dirty Pagans are guaranteed to cause a nosebleed.

Since 2013, red-dust desert rock outfit “Kitchen Witch” have been wowing audiences with their powerful twist of femme-driven heavy rock grooves with some extra low-end riffage to spare. Dubbed as South Australia’s response to the California desert/stoner rock scene, the quartet continue to go from strength to strength with their uniquely Australian blend of blues & soul, 70’s rock, desert psychedelia and stoner metal doom. They've cast a spell on audiences on stages across Australia with 1000 Mods, The Sword, Brant Bjork (Kyuss), Earthless, Samsara Blues Experiment and many more international riff-wizards worthy of note. Can you resist the Siren's call? 

"Desert, doom and the 70’s come together in a stylish and grooving melting pot that’s one earworm rhythm after another" - Doom Charts

"Smoky blues tones and acid-laced doom riffs get blended together with some strong melodies that serve to bind the galaxy together" - Desert Highways

"A maddeningly catchy mix of desert, stoner, and doom with crunch to spare" - Stoner HiVe

"Zeppelin, Kyuss, The Kills, Deap Vally all huffing the one monster spliff, riffing you a sweet stoner blues lullaby" - Spoz’s Rant 

"A force to be seriously reckoned with" - Desert Psychlist

A wolf in wolves clothing.

A main stay of Adelaide’s underground punk and rock scenes for two-and-a-half decades.  

Featuring in a number of that City’s most loved and respected bands of this time, including ‘Meatbeaters’, ‘Perdition’, most recently ‘Cull - the Band’, and ‘The Gels’ from 1996 to 2010 and intermittently since.

Released debut “solo” CD album ‘The Baddest Man In Shit Town’ (2014), and ‘This Might Hurt A Bit: Live at Enigma Bar’ (2017), both as Ben Gel & the Boneyard Saints.

CD EP ‘Anarchy In TwentyTwenty’ released April 2020 and CD EP ‘Is That Sarcasm You Taste On My Breath?’ May 2021.

Digital singles Snap My Spine, Not Just Another Riot and Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance To The Radio all appeared in late 2022 at 5 week intervals.

All appear on the LP My Circus! My Shitshow!! available Feb 17 2023, here https://bengel.bandcamp.com/album/my-circus-my-shitshow

Sad Sad Tim is an Adelaide-based singer-songwriter.

NEXT GIG: Sunday afternoon of July 23rd at The Olivia Hotel with Emma Luker and Soursob Bob. All ages welcome. Tickets available through humanitix now: https://events.humanitix.com/sad-sad-tim-with-emma-luker-and-soursob-bob-with-emma-luker-ly2kcfn9



EP 'Songs That Need Not Exist' out on all streaming platforms on and also available on CD at Mr V Music Semaphore South Australia.

Kitchen Witch is following