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Record Labels For Metalheads


Handpicked list. For tracking/self-use. Omits certain obvious/very mainstream labels like Metal Blade Records, Century Media, Nuclear Blast, Peaceville Records, Roadrunner Records etc.

⭐ - Very solid label with almost all releases being good and worthwhile to listen. Good store, merchs, packaging and physical editions.
⭐⭐ - Very solid label with few outstanding releases. Good store, merchs, packaging and physical editions.
⭐⭐⭐ - Not even a single release hinging on even being mediocre. Best labels in their respective genres and outstanding at physical editions, merchs and packaging.

1. Caligari Records
2. Sentient Ruin Laboratories
3. Darkness Shall Rise Productions
4. Floga Records
5. Dark Descent Records
6. Iron Bonehead Productions
7. Blood Harvest Records
8. Hells Headbangers Records
9. Defying Danger Records
10. Season Of Mist

11. Shadow Kingdom Records
12. Invictus Productions
13. Transcending Obscurity Records
14. I, Voidhanger Records
15. Argonauta Records
16. Willowtip Records
17. Nuclear War Now! Productions
18. Sepulchral Voice Records
19. Xtreem Music
20. Rise Above Records

Created by: 3rdWorld | 10.01.2017



1. 20 Buck Spin - Doom/Death/Black/All Genres ~ USA
2. Agonia Records ⭐ - Death/Black ~ Poland
3. An Out Recordings - Black/Drone/Noise ~ US ~ Self proclaimed anarchist, feminist and anti-racist black metal, doom, drone, and noise label.
4. ANTI- - Country/Indie folk/Indie rock/Soul - USA
5. Apathia Records ⭐ - Experimental ~ France
6. Arachnophobia Records ⭐ - Death/Black/Thrash ~ Poland
7. Argonauta Records ⭐⭐ - Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic ~ Italy
8. Avantgarde Music - Ambient/Avant-garde/Darkwave ~ Italy
9. Barghest - Black Metal ~ United Kingdom
10. Bindrune Recordings ⭐ - Atmospheric black/Doom/Folk ~ USA
11. Black Market Activities - Deathcore/Metalcore/Grindcore/Mathcore ~ USA
12. Blood Harvest ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Thrash ~ Sweden
13. Blood Music - Synthwave/Darksynth/Retrosynth/Black/Folk ~ Finland
14. Breathe Plastic Records - Doom/Sludge ~ Netherlands ~ Cassette tape label
15. Caligari Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Doom/Unsigned & Demo albums ~ USA ~ Specalized label/distro for cassette tape releases
16. Candlelight Records - Black/Death/Thrash/Melodic Death ~ UK ~ Now a part of Spinefarm Records
17. Caverna Abismal Records - Black ~ Portugal
18. Chaos Records - Death ~ Mexico
19. Consouling Sounds ⭐ - Doom/Sludge/Ambient/Experimental ~ Belgium
20. Crepusculo Negro - Black ~ USA ~ Includes musicians from Rhinocervs which was also part of the Black Twilight Circle as CN.
21. Crucial Blast Records/Crucial Blaze - ⭐ ~ USA ~ Ambient/Noise/Drone/Black/Experimental
22. Cryo Chamber - Dark Ambient/Drone ~ USA
23. Cyclic Law - Ambient/Atmospheric/Drone/Field Recordings ~ Germany
24. Daemon Worship Productions - Black/Death ~ Russia
25. Dark Descent Records ⭐⭐⭐ - Death/Black/Doom ~ USA
26. Darker Than Black Records - NSBM/Black/Pagan ~ Germany
27. Darkness Shall Rise Productions - Black/Death ~ Germany ~ Cassette tape-only label
28. Deathwish Inc. ⭐ - Hardcore Punk/Metalcore/Post-metal ~ USA
29. Debemur Mortii - Black ~ France
30. Defying Danger Records - Death/Thrash ~ Germany
31. Doomentia Records - Doom/Sludge/Death/Thrash ~ Czech Republic
32. Drid Machine Records - Extreme/Experimental ~ Norway
33. Dry Cough Records - Sludge/Hardcore ~ UK
34. Earache Records ⭐ - Death/Grind/Thrash ~ UK ~ Among the greatest metal labels ever. Released early albums of Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower & Morbid Angel
35. EEE Recordings - Black/Ambient/Noise/Field Recordings ~ USA
36. Essential Purification Records - Black ~ Austria
37. Existentiell - Black/Doom ~ Ireland
38. Extremely Rotten Productions - Extreme ~ Denmark
Specialized in Tape releases
39. F.O.A.D. Records - Death/Thrash/Hardcore ~ Italy
40. Fallen Empire Records ⭐ - Black ~ USA
41. Fallen Temple - Black ~ Poland
42. Floga Records - Black/Death/Doom ~ Greece ~ Well known for their tape releases
43. Folkvangr Records - Black/Folk Black/Atmoblack/Viking/Dark Ambient ~ USA ~ Specialized in tape releases
44. Fragile Branch Recordings - Black/Doom/Experimental ~ US ~ Specialized in tape releases
45. Goatprayer Records - Grind ~ UK
46. Good Fight Music - Hardcore/Metalcore/Punk/Metal ~ USA
47. Gore House Productions - Death/Grind ~ USA
48. Graceless Recordings - Extreme Metal ~ USA
49. Grimoire Records ⭐ - Stoner/Grind/Doom/Death ~ USA ~ Specialized in self produced, recorded and released Tape & CD albums.
50. Halo Of Flies Records - Hardcore/Grindcore/Punk/Metal ~ USA
51. Headsplit Records - Death/Thrash/Grind/Black ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape
52. Heavy Chains Records & Tapes - Extreme ~ Australia ~ Tape label
53. Hells Headbangers ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Thrash ~ USA
54. Hellthrasher Productions - Death/Black/Thrash ~ Poland
55. Holy Roar Records - Post/Sludge ~ UK Sublabel: Truthseeker Music
56. Home Taping Cruelties - Extreme ~ Germany
57. Hydra Head Recordings ⭐ - Stoner/Sludge/Doom/Noise ~ USA
58. Hypertension Records - Doom/Sludge ~ Belgium
59. I Hate Records - Doom/Thrash ~ Sweden
60. I, Voidhanger Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Atmospheric Black/Doom ~ Italy
61. Inside Out Music - Prog Metal/Prog Rock ~ Germany
62. Invictus Productions ⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death ~ Ireland
63. Iron Bonehead Productions ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Heavy ~ Germany ~ Owns a sublabel, Necroshine Records.
64. Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions ⭐ - Black/Atmospheric Black/Experimental Black ~ France
65. Listenable Records - Death/Thrash/Prog Death ~ France
66. Lycanthropic Chants - Death ~ Germany ~ Underground German death metal tape & vinyl label/distro.
67. Malignant Records - Dark Ambient/Power Electronics/Industrial ~ USA
68. Mass Deadening Records - Grindcore ~ Canada ~ Grindcore label and record distro based out of Winnipeg, Canada
69. Memento Mori - Death/Doom ~ Spain ~ Official site: http://www.memento-mori.es/
70. Me Saco un Ojo Records - Extreme ~ United Kingdom
71. Mystiskaos - Black ~ USA ~ Sub label of Fallen Empire.
72. Napalm Records - Symphonic/Power ~ Austria
73. Neurot Recordings - Doom/Sludge/Post-metal ~ USA
74. Never Dead - Black ~ France
75. Norma Evangelium Diaboli ⭐ - Black ~ France ~ Owns a sublabel, End All Life Productions
76. Northern Silence Productions - Black ~ Germany
77. Nuclear War Now! Productions - Black/Death/Thrash ~ USA ~ Sublabel: Cell
78. Osmose Productions ⭐ - Death/Black/Doom/Thrash ~ France
79. Pagan Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death ~ Poland
80. Paradigms Recordings - Psychedelic/Drone/Indie/Folk/Ambient/Electronic ~ UK
81. Pesanta - Black ~ USA ~ Pesanta Urfolk
82. Profound Lore ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Doom/Sludge/Experimental ~ Canada
83. Prophecy Productions - Black/Gothic/Folk/Post- ~ Germany
84. Prosthetic Records - Extreme ~ USA
85. Psychic Violence Records - Black ~ USA
86. Red River Family Records - Black/Acoustic/Neofolk ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape releases
87. Relapse Records ⭐⭐ - Death/Grind/Sludge ~ USA
88. Rise Above Records ⭐⭐ - Heavy/Rock/Retro ~ UK
89. Ritual Productions - Doom/Drone/Stoner ~ UK
90. Satan's Claw Tapes - Extreme ~ UK
91. Season Of Mist ⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Gothic/Progressive ~ France ~ Sublabel: Season of Mist Underground Activists
92. Selfmadegod Records - Grind/Hardcore/Punk ~ Poland
93. Sentient Ruin Laboratories ⭐⭐ - Crust/Doom/Grind/Sludge/Noise ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape
94. Sepulchral Voice Records ⭐⭐ - Death/Black ~ Germany
95. Shadow Kingdom Records ⭐ - Classic Heavy/Thrash/Death ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape releases
96. Signal Rex - Black ~ Portugal
97. Snake Oil Kassettforlag - Extreme ~ Germany
98. Sol Y Nieve - Black/Death ~ USA ~ Tape label & Distro
99. Solitude Productions - Doom/Funeral Doom/Death Doom/Melodic doom ~ Russia
100. Southern Lord Recordings - Sludge/Black/Doom/Death/Drone/Hardcore ~ USA
101. Spinefarm Records - Heavy/Melodic ~ Finland
102. Sumerian Records - Metalcore/Deathcore/Mathcore/Progressive Deathcore/Djent ~ USA
103. Tartarus Records ⭐ - Stoner/Drone/Doom ~ Netherlands
104. Terratur Possesions - Black ~ Norway
105. Till You Fukkin Bleed - Black/Death ~ Poland
106. The Flenser ⭐ - Experimental Metal/Rock ~ USA
107. The Throat - Black/Raw Black/Noise ~ Netherlands ~ Specialized in tape releases. Link: http://thethroat.nl/#
108. The Sign Records - Rock/Metal/Retro ~ Sweden
109. Third I Rex - Sludge/Post-metal/Post-rock/Black/Ambient ~ UK
110. Throatruiner Records - Hardcore/Post-hardcore/Black ~ France
111. Totenmusik - Black ~ Germany
112. Transcendental Creations - Black/Experimental ~ Canada
113. Transcending Obscurity Records ⭐⭐⭐ - Death/Black/Doom/Sludge/Grind/Thrash/Experimental ~ India
114. Translation Loss Records - Sludge/Post ~ USA
115. Tumult Records - Black/Experimental ~ USA
116. Unique Leader Records - Brutal/Slam/Technical/-core Death ~ USA
117. Ván Records - Black/Pagan/Doom/Heavy ~ Germany
118. Vanagandr - Black ~ Iceland
119. Vault Of Dried Bones - Black/Death ~ Canada
120. Vrasubatlat - Black/Dissonant Black ~ USA
121. Weed Hunter Records - Thrash/Death ~ Germany
122. World Terror Committee Productions - Black ~ Germany
123. Willowtip Records ⭐ ⭐ - Death/Techdeath/Grind ~ USA
124. Witching Hour Productions - Black/Death ~ Poland
125. Xtreem Music ⭐⭐ - Death/Grind/Thrash ~ Spain



Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by 3rdWorld ]



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Comments: 34   Visited by: 81 users
16.09.2017 - 22:09
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by Paz on 04.05.2017 at 20:42

Thumbs up because of ⭐.

An interesting fact: On my home laptop the stars are big, gold and awesome but in work they're grey and small. WTF?!

First time I am seeing them in gold myself today. Dunno if the browser/OSes matter in it but indeed looks a lot better and useful when they are in color.
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06.09.2018 - 00:30
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Needs moar Mystiskaos. Sure they're young and only have like 5 or 6 bands on the roster right now, but it's definitely a "less is more" type thing and they're going places.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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06.09.2018 - 00:53
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by Auntie Sahar on 06.09.2018 at 00:30

Needs moar Mystiskaos. Sure they're young and only have like 5 or 6 bands on the roster right now, but it's definitely a "less is more" type thing and they're going places.

Added. Was thinking it was only a sub-print of Fallen Empire and they are indeed but a separate entry wouldn't hurt I guess. And yes they have very little releases and I hope they put out more in the coming days.
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06.09.2018 - 02:06
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by 3rdWorld on 06.09.2018 at 00:53

Added. Was thinking it was only a sub-print of Fallen Empire and they are indeed but a separate entry wouldn't hurt I guess. And yes they have very little releases and I hope they put out more in the coming days.

There's more stuff on the near horizon, when I interviewed Alex Poole he said this year and next are planned to be ones of major expansion for the label. They kind of have to anyway because Fallen Empire is actually ending soon, so that inevitably means more Mystiskaos stuff is just going to be handled by them directly going forward. Right now it's just Skaphe, Wormlust, Ljain, and Afsprengi Satans on the Bandcamp page but I'm pretty sure Entheogen is considered a part of it as well, and there's also a full length for this coming soon as well as this guy who just got added into their ranks. The future definitely looks up
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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