Megaforce Records

Megaforce Records Inc. (abbreviated MRI ) is an independent record label and distributor based in New York City and specializes in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. The label was in the 1980s one of the pioneers for the commercial success of American speed and thrash metal bands like Metallica, Anthrax, Testament and Overkill.

History

Jon Zazula operation in the early 1980s the record store Rock & Roll Heaven in Old Bridge, New Jersey and earned money by organizing concerts of bands that came from outside the United States. He was the first of the Raven ( UK) and Anvil (Canada) booked for appearances in the United States. His efforts to Metallica to gain a recording contract, were to no avail, which is why he and his wife, Marsha, the record label Megaforce Records founded and borrowed the money for the recording and production of an album. 1983 published Megaforce with the Metallica debut Kill ' Em All their first record, which sold within the first two weeks of release already 17,000 times. Spurred on by this success, the label took with Manowar, Exciter, Anthrax and Raven more bands under contract. A short time later a sales contract with Roadrunner Records, which provided that Roadrunner distributes the catalog by Megaforce and Megaforce in Europe will have exclusive distribution rights for Roadrunner bands in North America. Thus, the debut album by Mercyful Fate Melissa appeared with the title in the U.S. on Megaforce. Furthermore, the management company Crazed Management was founded. Their first setback learned the label, as the record deal with Metal Church did not materialize. A little later Zazula could take the legendary rock band Blue Cheer under contract.

In 1984, the three top-selling band left the label and switched to Major Labels: Metallica to Elektra Records, Atlantic Records and Raven to anthrax Iceland Records. The label managed to take further newcomers like Testament and Overkill under contract. One of the best-selling albums of the label was the 1985 debut Speak English or Die by SOD, which so far has sold over a million times. After the 1980s, it became commercially successful in the early 1990s a little quieter around the label and its founder Jon Zazula. The main reason for calling the latter the development of new sub-genres of heavy metal, which they were not, which is why he had founded Megaforce Records, and so the label began to take bands under contract which did not come from the environment of Heavy Metal. In 1992, the label Polygram with a sales contract from the Zazula retrospect designated as an error. The late 1990s, Jon and Marsha Zazula moved with their children back into private life and gave Megaforce on their long -time collaborator Missy Calazzo that leads the company ever since.

In 2000 was found with Ryko Distribution, a new distribution partner. In October 2002 the sub-label Trans Dreamer Records was founded, which specializes mainly on alternative rock, In 2004, Megaforce distribution of specialized in blues label Fat Possum Records. In 2005, Megaforce had distribution agreements with a total of 20 different independent labels.

Bands (selection)

• Ace Frehley
• Anthrax
• Gdansk
• Exciter
• Frehley 's Comet
• King's X
• Living Colour
• Metallica
• M.O.D.
• S.O.D.
• Testament