 |
The recession seems not to have affected Metal Blade. In the first half of this year, the label had 29 releases, compared to 23 and 19 in the first halves of 2008 and 2007, respectively. Partnerships with Ironclad (label of Unearth’s Trevor Phipps), Blackmarket Activities (label of The Red Chord’s Guy Kozowyk), and Rise Above have swelled the label’s roster. Metal Blade now also signs anything that moves and can play tightly. The result is a bewildering profusion in which Moss and I Killed the Prom Queen both carry the Metal Blade nameplate. Of course, the label still has blue chips like Cannibal Corpse and Goatwhore. But now it carries loads of metalcore dreck with limited shelf life. Will excessive growth dilute the Metal Blade brand?
Primordial – Infernal SummerAmon Amarth – Metalwrath
The label has exercised restraint in one area, though: reissues. (It is probably too busy looking forward to look backward.) Metal Blade seems to release reissues only for occasions like anniversaries, or to reintroduce deleted classics. Two such reissues this year are Primordial’s Imrama (1995) and Amon Amarth’s The Avenger (1999). Imrama suffered a limited release on a small label, and will reach many for the first time this time. The debut found Primordial working its Celtic roots through a black metal framework. Primitive yet powerful, it was a fine start for one of the finest metal bands of today. (You can read a good interview with vocalist Alan Averill about Imrama here.) The Avenger is less obscure. A fine slab of Viking-themed death metal, it was the band’s first record with its current lineup. The reissue comes with a second disc of the original album played live in its entirety — pointless but charming. Times are tough, and time is precious. If Metal Blade’s blitz of new releases confuses you, these reissues should serve you well for a while.
Buy:
Metal Blade (CD, MP3)
Primordial – Amazon (MP3)
Amon Amarth – Amazon (MP3)
29 releases. How many are worth listening to? 2? Good to see that Primordial put out again, though.
A friend of mine and I have been discussing this for the last year: what in the hell are Metal Blade (and, admittedly, many other labels) going to do with all these metalcore and deathcore bands when the genre goes tits up? Is there going to be some sort of housing bubble-like debacle (subprimecore?) that'll put Metal Blade under? Though that's probably not likely, in 2 or 3 years, they're gonna have a lot of bands on their roster that won't be doing much for them.
I disagree that the Amon Amarth bonus live disc is pointless. Though I suspect I'm all alone on this one, I prefer it to the studio version, because I didn't like Johan Hegg's vocal style on the first two Amon Amarth albums – too close to a black metal screech, rather than the manly bark he developed later on. On the live versions of the old songs, he uses his current vocal style and the material is thus improved.
Me not like Viking longship pillage destroy briaded men head musics. Ugh. Hmm. Me like the Blue Oyster. Go to sleep now. Ugh. Hmm.
Shaun, I have also thought about the bubble issue. I suspect that Metal Blade (and probably the other big labels) know how short-term their deathcore/metalcore acts are. Thus they're probably protecting themselves by (1) *not* signing multi-album deals, (2) only taking on acts that finance their own recordings, and/or (3) doing those infamous 360 deals. With so many acts on the roster, I can't see any sort of serious artist development going on. Find a trend, milk it dry, move on.
Yo, Vince from Metal Blade here. We don't do 360 deals. Ever.
Good to know, Vince. Thanks for checking in.