Seven Small Online Merch Stores Worth Knowing About
Late last year, I wrote a post listing some of the more prominent online metal merch shops. But while I went relatively underground by featuring companies like Metal Devastation, I didn’t go all the way into the merch abyss. The truth is, with sites like Big Cartel, StoreEnvy, and Etsy out there, any metal fan ready to license artwork and screen pring some shirts can create their own merch portal. And oftentimes, the merch offered by these small indie producers is cooler than that being sold on Rockabilia.
So here are seven independent merch producers making awesome stuff. Click the links in the site names to check out their products. Happy hunting.
Battle jacket warriors will love Muerto En La Cruz for their offerings of rare and limited patch designs for both classic and modern bands. Want both an Iron Maiden Somewhere In Time patch and a creepy Tribulation patch in the same order? You can get them here. The company also produces awesome shirts and cassette versions of killer albums, but the patches are the real Cohibas are. Hopefully they’ll bring back the coffin-shaped Jeff Hanneman tribute patch.
In a world where most bands incorporate fuchsia into their merch designs, the basic black-and-white T-shirts of Dead Tank are sometimes a little too stark, but when they work, they work well. The River’s Edge shirt they offer is chilling in its simplicity, while their old-school band shirts–featuring classic designs for Eyehategod, Death, and more–make their point loud and clear. Meanwhile, this Florida distro’s collection of hardcore, thrash, punk, and sludge records is extensive and obscure, and their current sale prices are fucking exceptional. Load up.
Ho boy. This Lithuanian Etsy shop doesn’t offer much band merch, but is basically where you can get a patch of anything having to do with the occult. I’m talking demon sigils, sacred geometry, crests of ancient civilizations — anything you might want to sew on your jacket in order to freak out your extremely Christian family members and friends (you can also buy a ‘Jesus’ patch if you’re into that). The total dedication to black magic makes the site a little intense, but hey, where else can I get an embroidered Asmodeus sigil?
Remember when metal used to be extremely filthy? Forever Street Metal Bitch does. Their designs tend towards classic Heavy Metal Magazine than modern extreme metal, from buttcrack by Frazetta to Lemmy posing with half-naked women. If nudity makes you squeamish, there are also old-school shirt and button designs being made here, including a button with the anti-Scott Burns symbol on it (remember when black metal dudes hated Scott Burns?). Ordering from here is a little tricky, as the site is just getting started, so inquire as to when your items will ship before making a stink.
Northern Tyrant does mostly shirts, with a pin or patch here and there. But the shirts are fucking dynamite. Rather than go straight black-and-white to imply cult status, these guys work with all the sickly reds, oranges, and blues of vintage ’80s metal merch, and do so convincingly. They also don’t limit themselves to one aesthetic or era; you’ve got your Death and Morbid Angel gear, but also Dodheimsgard and Vomitory shirts as well. As always, you might not find that Tomb of the Mutilated hoodie here, but if that’s what you’re looking for, this is a stupid place to start.
Carve Slayer appears to be original producers of thosee ‘Employees Must Carve Slayer Into Forearms Before Returning To Work’ stickers, which Slayer themselves now make. That and their ‘Matt Pike For President’ stickers and coozies appear to be their only merch offerings…but come on, who doesn’t want a ‘Matt Pike For President’ bumper sticker? While this portal’s products are limited, they’re also pretty fucking cool.
I include Hoofarded Fromthesky last because they don’t make metal band merch, but their selection of patches and pins are too awesome not to include. Anywhere that offers a Molotov cocktail/straight razor two-pin set is a winner in my book, but it’s really the patches, like the Dark Helmet ‘Because Good Is Dumb’ or the ‘Sacrilicious’ pizza cross, that really make these dudes stand out from the rest. If your vest needs a little sprucing up, these are the guys to go to.
Anyone else I forgot who’s worth knowing about? Hit me up in the Comments.
