Brian Slagel Says These Are Metal Blade’s Eleven Best Releases

Our most-received industry feedback from MetalSucks’ list of The 25 Most Important People in Metal was “Tell Axl to go take a long walk off a short bridge.” But the second-most received industry feedback from the list was that Metal Blade Records founder and CEO Brian Slagel should have been #1, ahead of even members of Metallica and the single greatest poet in the history of the written word. And not that these lists really mean anything, but for what it’s worth, I think they’re right. About Slagel being ahead of Metallica, I mean. Obviously we 100% nailed it with our top pick.

Point is, metal would not be what it is today, or where it is today, without Brian Slagel and Metal Blade Records. So his list of “The 11 Best Releases on Metal Blade,” as recently published by loudersound.com, will surely be of interest to all metal fans. Slagel’s perspective on the history of metal and these releases’ places within that history is inarguably unique, and he’s probably forgotten more about extreme music than most of us will ever know.

Check out his list below, and go here to read his explanations for his choices. Normally I’d invite you to disagree with Slagel and share your own opinions in the comments section, but holy crap… does anyone really wanna try and tell Brian fucking Slagel he’s wrong???

Armored Saint – Symbol of Salvation (1991)

Various – Metal Massacre (1982)

Fates Warning – The Spectre Within (1985)

Cirith Ungol – King of the Dead (1984)

Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)

Various – New Wave Of British Heavy Metal ‘79 Revisited (1990)

Cannibal Corpse – Butchered at Birth (1991)

Slayer – Hell Awaits (1985)

Witchkiller – Day of the Saxons (1984)

Between The Buried And Me – Coma Ecliptic (2015)

Riot – Fire Down Under (1999)