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/

Rain May Fall are a five-piece band based in Liverpool (UK) with a passion for gargantuan riffs, swamp blues leads, power-house drums & melodious vocals all fused together into one coherent driving force.

Formed in 2012, Rain May Fall self-recorded a 2 track demo to critical acclaim resulting in countless gigs and achieving a support slot for the legendary Uli Jon Roth and metal titans Diamondhead.  Following the success of their demo, the quintet went into the studio to record their debut EP “Where It Began”, followed by a sold out EP launch at Liverpool Lomax and a support slot for NOLA sludge lords Crowbar!

RMFs EP “Where it Began” is available now, digital copies via rainmayfall.bandcamp.com or physical copies upon request

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Award winning science/comedy chat with Brian Cox, Robin Ince and guests. Witty, irreverent look at the world according to science with physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince.

Since the release of their debut album ‘New Born Lie’, British heavy metal band I.C.O.N have consistently toured and promoted the album, hammering their sound into various corners of the UK.

As well as headline shows, I.C.O.N have supported Anvil, Breed77, Blaze Bayley, Warrior Soul, Diamond Head, to name a few.

I.C.O.N’s second album THE BLACKLIST was released via Metalbox Recordings on 15th June 2015.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE - www.iconukonline.com

English:
Tommy Blue is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and globetrotter. In various sessions worldwide he performs from an Adele Cover to own blues ballades crossover music, touching your hearts: e.g. Blue Monday in Ithaca / New York (2010), singer / songwriter debut in Vancouver / Canada (2011), Open Mics in Beijing / China (2012), in Long Iceland / USA (2015), in Berlin (2016) and course in Hamburg (sometimes weekly) in one of the many clubs.
There he finds the musicians to realize his music projects as "Tommy Blue's Friends". The goal for CD projects was to bring original high quality music in the world and on stage with different musicians without much rehearsal. The basis for this is a rich song repertoire that Tommy has created since the seventies until today with a lot of love and creativity.
The CD "Rocket Science" was produced in the first half 2013. "Rocket Science" is a song trilogy about working and living in an environment conducting fundamental physics research. This covers corporative aspects "Rocket Science", computer services "3rd Level SysAdmin" and personal experiences "I'Man". All songs are presented in a fresh mixture of country blues with rocking elements and a touch of humor.
The production of the CD "Blue # 2" was launched in late 2013 in a studio in Ann Arbor / Michigan. The album "Blue # 2" is pure blues. The songs tell stories of life and death, of love and pain. The music of seventeen musicians from Hamburg and the world is shaped by Tommy for a personal expression of authentic blues music. It is a rich mixture of styles of different musicians associated with special vocal parts that maybe write rock and blues history. In the spring of 2016 there was a big release concert on the Treibsand-Festival Lübeck.
The live performances of Tommy Blue's Friends bring new grooves and fresh air into the blues: The Blues is still alive!

Deutsch:
Tommy Blue ist Sänger, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist und Weltenbummler. Auf verschiedenen Sessions weltweit gibt es vom Adele Cover bis zur eigenen Bluesballade Crossover-Musik, die ans Herz geht: z.B. Blue Monday in Ithaca / New York (2010), Singer/Songwriter Debut in Vancouver / Canada (2011), Open Mics in Peking / China (2012), in Long Island / USA (2015), in Berlin (2016) und natürlich in Hamburg (manchmal wöchentlich) in einem der vielen Clubs. Von dort kommen auch die Musiker, mit denen er als "Tommy Blue's Friends" seine Musik-Projekte realisiert. Das Ziel für die CD-Projekte war mit unterschiedlichen Musikern ohne viel Übungsraum eigene Musik in hoher Qualität in die Welt und auf die Bühnen zu bringen. Die Basis dafür ist ein reiches Song-Repertoire, das Tommy seit den siebziger Jahren bis heute mit viel Liebe und Kreativität geschaffen hat. Die CD „Rocket Science“ wurde im ersten Halbjahr 2013 produziert. „Rocket Science“ ist eine Song-Trilogie über das Leben und Arbeiten als "Raketen-Wissenschaftler". Es gibt musikalische Einblicke in einen weltweit organisierten EDV-Support für die Grundlagenforschung Physik. Eingepackt in Blues-Rock mit einer Prise Country erlebt man Forschung "Rocket Science", Support "3rd Level SysAdmin" und Persönliches "I'Man" aus einer locker kreativen Sicht.
Die Produktion der CD „Blue #2“ startete Ende 2013 in einem Studio in Ann Arbor / Michigan. Das Album “Blue #2” ist reiner Blues. Die Songs erzählen Geschichten vom Leben und Tod, von Liebe und Schmerz. Die Musik von siebzehn Musikern aus Hamburg und der Welt wird von Tommy zu einem persönlichen Ausdruck von authentischer Bluesmusik geformt. Es ist eine reiche Mischung der Styles der unterschiedlichen Musiker verbunden mit speziellen Gesangsteilen, die vielleicht noch Rock- und Bluesgeschichte schreiben werden. Im Frühjahr 2016 gab es ein großes Release-Konzert auf dem Lübecker Treibsand-Festival.
Auch live liefern Tommy Blue’s Friends gut ab und bringen neuen Groove und frischen Wind in den Blues: Der Blues lebt!

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