Metal Blade Records celebrates 45th anniversary; founder Brian Slagel launches new podcast exploring 25 classic albums in honor of the milestone!

Metal Blade Records – the fiercely independent label that launched Metallica, Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, Armored Saint, and dozens more genre-defining icons, and is the longtime home of King Diamond, Killswitch Engage, Whitechapel, Cattle Decapitation and many more – proudly celebrates its 45th Anniversary in 2027. Founded in 1982 by Brian Slagel with little more than an unwavering belief in underground heavy music and the drive to get it heard, Metal Blade has grown from a grassroots passion project into one of the most influential independent labels in metal history. To mark this milestone, Slagel announces a brand-new podcast series: “Metal Blade Records’ 45th Anniversary Podcast”.

Beginning in JANUARY 2027, Slagel will release one new episode per week throughout the entire year, available on all major podcast platforms. Each episode will feature an in-depth conversation with past and present Metal Blade Records artists and others involved in the making of some of the label’s most celebrated releases – a deep dive into the stories, struggles, and creative visions behind 25 landmark albums that helped shape the course of heavy music. Episodes will drop weekly, branded as the “Metal Blade Records’ 45th Anniversary Podcast”.

Comments Metal Blade Records founder, owner, and CEO Brian Slagel: “I’m super excited to host this new podcast celebrating 45 years of Metal Blade Records! Following my podcast 100 songs that define heavy metal, the concept is basically the same! Going to be fun to talk to everyone each episode!“

Pantheon Media CEO, Christian Swain added, “Brian Slagel didn’t just witness the rise of heavy music-he built the platform that launched it. Partnering with Brian on 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal showed us how passionate this community is for authentic, deep-dive storytelling. We’re thrilled to host the Metal Blade Records’ 45th Anniversary Podcast on Pantheon as Brian opens the vault on 25 landmark albums that reshaped the musical landscape. Nobody tells these stories better.“

The weekly podcast will include bands like Amon Amarth, Armored Saint, Bitch, Bolt Thrower, Cannibal Corpse, D.R.I., Fates Warning, GWAR, Lizzy Borden, Omen, Six Feet Under, The Black Dahlia Murder, Unearth, and more! Check in each week to see who Slagel speaks to and which albums will be discussed.

The “Metal Blade Records’ 45th Anniversary Podcast” will be available on all major podcast platforms beginning JANUARY 2027. New episodes drop weekly throughout the year. Keep an eye on Metal Blade’s site HERE for updates and links.

Metal Blade Records’ greatest achievement is not simply the catalog it built, but the philosophy that constructed it. From the very beginning, the label has prioritized music over the mainstream, careers over trends, and long-term partnerships over short-term gain. That commitment to artist development has remained the label’s foundation for 45 years. Today, its roster reflects metal’s extraordinary diversity – death metal, black metal, thrash, progressive metal, metalcore, darkwave, doom, and countless styles in between – all sharing the same home because they embody the passion, creativity, and individuality that have always defined Metal Blade Records.