Brian Slagel

Brian Slagel ( born 1961 ) is an American music manager, founder and CEO of the record label Metal Blade Records. Slagel was known among other things, that in 1982 he helped Metallica breakthrough by publishing Hit the Lights on the compilation Metal Massacre. Metal Blade is still one of the leading metal labels that discovered bands like Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Fates Warning or Cannibal Corpse and brought out.

Career

Slagel grew up in Woodland Hills, California, on, interested in the heavy metal and soon worked in a record store. Slagel was devoted to the tape trading and imported the music of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which was then in the United States still largely unknown. In addition, he was one of the first metal fanzines, The New Heavy Metal Revue, out. Later Slagel also worked as a columnist for the Kerrang! the Sounds Magazine and other publications.

In 1982, Slagel out the first episode of the sampler Metal Massacre with bands from the Los Angeles area, which was quickly followed by another. Back in 1983, followed by a distribution contract with Enigma Records. Also Slayers debut Show No Mercy sold well. Slagel had introduced on the third episode of Metal Massacre Aggressive Perfector Slayer. Metal Blade expanded and Slagel, who worked until 1988 alone, could take bands like Trouble, Flotsam and Jetsam, GWAR, Sacred Reich and Corrosion of Conformity under contract. Slagel was the end of the 1980s into a cooperation agreement with Warner Bros. Records. Due to artistic restrictions in the course of integration into the WEA, the paths but in 1992 separated again. Slagel signed instead a distribution deal with RED Distribution.

After the death of Cliff Burton was Slagel, Metallica the former bassist of Flotsam and Jetsam, Jason Newsted, suggested the then Burton's successor.

2012 Metal Blade is one of the leading metal - independent labels in the U.S.. Slagel is regarded as spotters, who is also in the documentary Metal - A Headbanger's being interviewed Journey.