Metal Blade Records, the fiercely independent label that launched Metallica, Slayer, Armored Saint, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, and dozens more iconic heavy metal bands, continues its 40th Anniversary Celebration in 2022 with the release of a new playlist featuring a selection of songs from the label’s 10’s catalog spanning 2010-2020.
In conjunction with the release of the label’s 10’s playlist, a brand-new merch design created by American artist Samwise Didier. Samwise serves as senior art director at Blizzard Entertainment, having acted as art director for the flagship games of the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises, the producer of several games, and an artistic contributor to almost every game released under the name Blizzard Entertainment.
Check out the new playlist, available on Spotify and Apple Music, and the new shirt design at: metalblade.com/40thanniversary
In other news; Metal Blade is proud to announce being the sponsor of Decibel Magazine’s Metal and Beer Fest 2023 in Philadelphia, PA. Thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies descend on Philadelphia to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut by playing the crossover classic in its entirety (along with a helping of other hits), while melodic death metal kings THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER make their triumphant east coast return as a Metal & Beer Fest headliner.
But the exclusive anniversary sets don’t end there. NOLA sludge lords Eyehategod will celebrate 30 years of bad times with the first-ever full performance of Take as Needed for Pain, while U.S. death metal progenitors Incantation will honor the 25th anniversary of masterwork Diabolical Conquest with an exclusive start-to-finish performance of the record. One more special set, honoring the 30th anniversary of an iconic album, will be revealed soon.
The already stacked artist bill, presented by Metal Blade Records, is rounded out by: Northwest black/doom force Mizmor; Fort Worth deathstorm Frozen Soul; old-school metallic hardcore heroes All Out War; New York death metal newjacks Undeath; Vermont’s metalcore finest Drowningman; blackened doom swamp dwellers Worm; crusty death metal cretins Fuming Mouth; cavernous death metal upstarts Phobophilic; and New England blast furnace Escuela Grind.
But that’s just the half of it! The weekend’s malt maelstrom is totally covered via America’s most metal breweries! The year’s beer lineup is presented by craft beer legends 3 Floyds (IN) and includes featured breweries Broken Goblet Brewing (PA), Wake Brewing (IL), WarPigs Brewing (IN), TRVE Brewing (CO), Widowmaker Brewing (MA), Bone Up Brewing (MA), Kings County Brewers Collective (NY), Yards Brewing (PA), Magnanimous Brewing (FL) and flagship meadery Brimming Horn Meadery (DE).
Get tickets here:
Fri 4/14: ticketmaster.com/event/02005D4DF95C7EA0
Sat 4/15: ticketmaster.com/event/02005D4DF9607EA4
2 Day Pass: ticketmaster.com/event/02005D4DF9627EAD
About Metal Blade Records:
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 celebrates its fourth decade.
Metal Blade Records launched Metallica, Slayer, Armored Saint, Fates Warning, GWAR, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cattle Decapitation, and dozens more genre giants, shaping four decades and counting of hard rock, metal, and extreme music culture. Brian Slagel worked as a record store clerk when he founded Metal Blade in 1982, reserving a spot for a young Lars Ulrich on his Metal Massacre compilation series. Metal Blade grew from humble beginnings in Los Angeles to become an international powerhouse, selling millions of albums while remaining fiercely independent. In 2017, Slayer‘s Kerry King inducted the label into the Hall of Heavy Metal History. Slagel‘s For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records arrived the same year.
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 