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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/

‘Dutch outfit Mozes and the Firstborn are unpredictable and that’s a complement. They dip their toes into the numerous sub-genres of pop and rock. They can create boisterous, uplifting pop-rock anthems to intense, hair-raising rockers. Whatever approach they opt, they always write dynamic and relatable stories.’ ~ The Revue



Playing a potent mix of sleazy grunge and power pop perfection Mozes and the Firstborn hail from Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The band’s inspirations vary from Guided by Voices and Beck to Weezer and Nirvana. The past year Mozes and the Firstborn have been recording new tunes for their third full-length album Dadcore, due for release on January 25th 2019.  With ‘Dadcore’, Mozes and the Firstborn embrace this sentiment of looking back to what their dads listened to exploring their favourite styles within the paternal genre. The band present the record as a mixtape, a colourful collection of eclectic songs that they’ve hand chosen and want you to fall in love with and pick out your favourites, like any other mixtape. The band worked with a number of producers for this album, including producer/mixer Chris Coady (Beach House, Slowdive) and Roland Cosio (together PANGEA, Fuzz). In 2018 they have already released four singles: 'Baldy', ‘Sad Supermarket Song’, ‘Hello’ and ‘If I’. 

Clash Magazine on their latest single: ‘'If I' is a righteous guitar melter, a sort of fuzzed out Di-nosaur Jr. riff attached to a sunshine pop song, driven by helpless adolescent fantasies.’ 

The Revue: ‘While ‘If I’ will make you wonder about the skeletons that exist in your closet, it will also make you feel alive and renewed. It’ll make you believe that rock music can still move you in ways that no other genre can.’ 

The band started out in 2010 with Melle Dielesen on vocals, guitar and songwriting, Corto Blommaert on bass and Raven Aartsen on drums. Guitar player Ernst-Jan van Doorn joined them later. In 2011 they released their first EP I Got Skills, which title track rather fast became the fan’s favorite. The Californian label Burger Records released their self-titled debut album in 2014. Since then the band has embarked on international tours with The Growlers, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and together PANGEA, crisscrossing the United States and Europe. In 2016 the band released Great Pile of Nothing, a more introvert and mellow album. 

Mozes and the Firstborn released their third EP Marianne in 2017, followed by the Cassette Club EP a year later. This EP was released as a preparation of the Mozes Cassette Club. This is a ‘club’ for a limited number of members who get premium access on new tracks, demo’s and stories in the shape of a cassette. The latest singles of the new album Dadcore were also released on cassette for the Cassette Club.

Contacts.

Band eagullsuk@gmail.com
Management caroline@vectormgmt.com
Booking Agent: Matt Cooper
matthew.cooper@13artists.com

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