Audio Interview With Metal Blade's BRIAN SLAGEL

On August 29th, Metal Blade Records and BMG released “For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records” – written by label founder and CEO Brian Slagel with Mark Eglinton, and featuring a foreword by Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich. Celebrating the storied label’s 35th anniversary, “For the Sake of Heaviness” is an inside look at how Slagel built Metal Blade from a one-man operation in his mom’s non-air-conditioned garage to the preeminent international home of heavy music that it is today. Get more information HERE!

On August 3rd, Tarja Virmakari (ALPHA OMEGA's Media Director and Metal Shock Finland‘s CEO/Founder/President) had a chance to interview BRIAN SLAGEL, talking about his book “For the Sake of Heaviness: the History of Metal Blade” in detail. Alpha Omega's A&R and Producer Bill Metoyer features at 14:28. See below the list of main topics. Join the conversation below, enjoy!



More information on BILL METOYER (Alpha Omega's US Office) A&R – Legendary Audio Engineer and Producer, (Producer of Slayer, W.A.S.P, D.R.I, Twisted Sister, Thrust, etc. and ex Vice President of Metal Blade USA). “Metal” as we know it today, was built upon the foundation that Bill Metoyer has laid. The roots of Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Hard Core, and Metal Core all started with bands like Slayer, Trouble, D.R.I., and Corrosion Of Conformity just to name a few. In the mid 1980’s this rising scene was known as the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal, and was due largely in part to Metal Blade Records and staff producer Bill Metoyer. For the past 33 years Bill has produced, engineered and mixed countless numbers of records for Metal Blade, Elektra, Capitol, Hollywood, Earache, and Roadrunner Records.

The main topics of the interview:

(0:20) Now that the book is written, what are your feelings?

(1:14) When was the moment you decided to write it with Mark Eglinton?

(1:55) The name of the book: “For The Sake of Heaviness” is the song of Armored Saint…

(2:29) Lars Ulrich wrote in his foreword: “When you tell the story of Brian Slagel and chart the course of Metal Blade Records, the three words that come to my mind are loyalty, consistency, and dependability.” How do you respond to his definition?

(3:20) Reading the book, it’s clear that you really live what you do! so the passion is your real life-style, philosophy! But please tell me, was there a moment that you just wanted to give up and change the direction?

(5:03) How important was the work of the talent scouts? You tell in the book that often you went to gigs, looking around for new bands, who played live, after a hard work and long time they had spent in the rehearsal rooms. While today anyone can record a demo with the simple computer intake and softwares…

(6:47) Talking about different metal genres, I think now-a-days it’s pretty difficult to categorize some bands, also because new sub-genres are born nearly every day, but to your opinion, is it so important today to stamp the bands under the specific styles?

(8:44) Your personal favourite sport has always been ice hockey, and you’ve had some many great opportunities to put it together with metal, would you like to tell me some of your greatest memories?

(11:20) Metal Blade has been involved in almost every movement that has happened in heavy music since 1982. You havent really followed any mainstream trends, but you’ve singed the bands that you like, despite their music style or what the others think about them. Is this the leading guideline for the success of Metal Blade?

(13:29) Also your mother’s role in all this was very important…

(14:28) I’m part of Alpha Omega Management, and as Bill Metoyer is part of our team, too, I just have to ask about him and his contribution… you also mention him several times in the book.

(16:09) you wrote: “it’s unrealistic to hope that you’re going to hit the board with every dart you throw. That’s not going to happen, but I’m a firm believer in the idea that, to be successful, you’ve got to keep throwing the darts.”

(17:39) To your opinion, where is the record business going?

(20:51) “For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records” comes out On August 29th, what will happen the day after?

(21:38) With the exclusive box-set, besides the book, there’s also a music casette including great songs from the Metal Blade history! The choice to put them on a handwritten casette was something that tells a lot of your “old school” passion.

(22:40) A classic question (honestly this one comes from my 12-yrs daughter): if you would find yourself stuck in a desert island for a month, which 5 albums or things you would take with you?

(23:40) What is your message to all those bands out there whose dream is to become “somebody” and who would want to be signed by Metal Blade?

To read the interview on Truemetal.it, in Italian, go HERE!


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Tags:  BRIAN SLAGEL, BILL METOYER, Metal Blade Records, For the Sake of Heaviness 

Red Baron    September 14, 2017