Metal Blade Records history by Dan Slessor: Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalogue, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it strides into its fourth decade. Metallica's Lars Ulrich has nothing but admiration for everything the label has done, not only in helping launch his own band but in remaining so vital over three decades. "The fact that Brian and Metal Blade have maintained their integrity over thirty years is obviously very admirable," he enthuses. "Even today I'll call him up and ask him what bands I should be checking out, who is going to blow me away and who should we be thinking about taking on tour with us, because he knows. He's so connected with what's going on out there in a way the rest of us mere mortals can't quite compete with! I also love that not that much has changed over the years – when we get together we're still those enthusiastic metalhead outcasts who got all pumped listening to all these amazing bands. Maybe we have a little less hair, and what we do have is a little grayer, but it's the same shit it's always been, and I love that."