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/

Formed in 1994 in Lekunberri (Nafarroa, Basque Country), BERRI TXARRAK boasts a discography currently featuring seven records and a documentary film, each of them a milestone in the band’s unstoppable progression. BERRI TXARRAK (translation: Bad News) has set out from the Basque rock scene to conquer the world through constant international touring, including Europe, Asia, Southamerica, USA…
The band’s line-up, from its formation until 2003, included Gorka Urbizu (vocals and guitar), Aitor Goikoetxea (drums), Mikel “Rubio” Lopez (bass) and Aitor Oreja (guitar). During that period they published their first four works, all of them sung in Basque and under the independent label GOR: Berri Txarrak (1997), Ikasten (1999), Eskuak / Ukabilak (2001) and Libre © (2003).
While their first two albums earned them a considerable local fan base, it was with the third one, and especially with Libre ©, that they succeeded in making a place for themselves throughout Spain, with major reviews in the specialised press (their fourth album was ranked the best release of the year by the editorial team of Rock Sound). This album features the hit ‘Denak ez du balio’, with guest vocals by Tim McIlrath from Rise Against, band with whom they toured all over Europe in 2006. 
In 2004 Aitor Oreja decided to leave the group, and BERRI TXARRAK ventured forward as a threesome, devoting their efforts to composing what would become the key release in their extensive career up to that point: Jaio.Musika.Hil (GOR, 2005). Recorded in a farmhouse in Eraso (Navarra) by Karlos Osinaga (Lisabö) and mixed by Ed Rose in Kansas (USA), this album was very well received by both the public and the press, as evidenced by the fact that publications like Mondosonoro and Entzun lauded it as the “best record of the year”. With this work BERRI TXARRAK exploited the international inroads it had made in previous years, embarking on a mega-tour lasting three years, with over 200 concerts throughout the world: Japan, Taiwan, Nicaragua, USA, Mexico and countless tours around Europe. 
BERRI TXARRAK filmed a 70-minute documentary depicting their feelings and experiences during this mega-tour, together with filmmaker Ibon A. Totorika. The result was Zertarako Amestu (GOR, 2007), a rockumentary shortlisted in several film festivals including London’s Portobello Film Festival (UK) and Zinemastea in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country).
Upon completing this tour, the original bass player, Rubio, left the band and was replaced by David Gonzalez. After devoting 2008 to the composition of new pieces, interspersed with short international outings (Fujirock Festival – Japan, Maifest – Switzerland…), in April 2009 BERRI TXARRAK flew to Chicago’s Electrical Audio studios to record their sixth album with one of the biggest names in sound recording, Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Neurosis…). Entitled ‘Payola’, this was the threesome’s first album on Roadrunner Records – Only In Dreams, published in CD and vinyl format in September 2009. The first song of the album,  ‘Folklore’, won the ‘Best Punk Song Vox Pop’ award at INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS 2010, with Tom Waits or Ozzy Osbourne as judges among others. 
The band (with new drummer Galder Izagirre) chose Ross Robinson (Slipknot, At The Drive-In, The Cure, Sepultura...) to produce their 7th studio album, called 'Haria' ('The Thread'), released in late 2011 by Kaiwoas-Graviton – Only In Dreams. Twelve brand new tracks full of emotion, power and attitude as 'Albo-kalteak', 'Harra' or 'Makuluak' (with lyrics based on a poem by Bertolt Brecht). This album features backing vocals by Matt Sharp (The Rentals, Weezer), on the track 'FAQ'.  This album got really good reviews and brought them to perform at such important events as HELLFEST 2013 in France. 


Founded in 1996, Vagrant Records is currently the home to: The 1975, Active Child, Albert Hammond Jr., Alexander, AlunaGeorge, Bad Suns, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Black Joe Lewis, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Blitzen Trapper, Bombay Bicycle Club, Circa Waves, CRUISR, DIVE IN, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Elected, Fossil Collective, French Kicks, James Vincent McMorrow, John Gold, Justin Townes Earle, Letts, Mark Lanegan, Maudlin Strangers, Mayer Hawthorne, PJ Harvey, Placebo, Rogue Wave, School of Seven Bells, Wake Owl and WATERS.

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