Metal Storm logo
Record Labels For Metalheads
Album index | Top albums | Bottom albums | Album charts | Top lists | Staff picks


Thumbs up: +17
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 ]



Comments

‹‹ Back to Lists
Comments: 34   Visited by: 82 users
11.01.2017 - 08:28
solar
You made the list I imagined for. Thanks!
Loading...
11.01.2017 - 13:55
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite
Handy list. Maybe an idea to the labels as well, just to make even more convenient?
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
11.01.2017 - 13:58
Paz
777
Elite
Witching Hour Productions is missing
Loading...
11.01.2017 - 14:35
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Loading...
11.01.2017 - 18:26
mz
Cyclic law is also a good label for dark ambient sort of stuff
https://cycliclaw.bandcamp.com/
----
Giving my ears a rest from music.
Loading...
12.01.2017 - 03:53
Vombatus
Potorro
Ván Records is quite neat too (because they have THE BEST BAND URFAUST!!!!!!11!!!1!).

Beyond Eyes is kinda handy if you like Cult Of Fire/Death Karma.
Loading...
16.01.2017 - 19:54
VIG
Account deleted
20 Buck Spin
ANTI-
Avantgarde Music
Bindrune Recordings
Blood Music
Candlelight Records
Crepusculo Negro/Rhinocervs
Dark Descent
Deathwish Inc.
Debemur Mortii
Earache Records
F.O.A.D. Records
Fallen Empire Records
Hells Headbangers
I, Voidhanger Records
Invictus Productions
Iron Bonehead Productions
Listenable Records
Norma Evangelium Diaboli
Northern Silence Productions
Nuclear War Now! Productions
Pagan Records
Profound Lore
Season Of Mist
Southern Lord Recordings
Ván Records
I just had an orgasm from all these awesome labels. Great list man!
Loading...
16.01.2017 - 19:57
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by [user id=159927] on 16.01.2017 at 19:54

I just had an orgasm from all these awesome labels. Great list man!

Cheers man, glad you found some good gems.
----
Loading...
01.03.2017 - 14:11
mz
I found this label, which is specialized in improvised, krautrock-ish,psychedelic and noisy stuff not far from Aluk todolo, HKN, blown out etc. It is a great label, and I'm currently checking their back catalog.

Sky Lantern Records

They seem to be the label with the coolest artworks at the moment, too:









----
Giving my ears a rest from music.
Loading...
01.03.2017 - 19:35
LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted
Https://ritualproductions.bandcamp.com/
Loading...
02.03.2017 - 17:42
mz
Also, Rocket Recordings for some more psychedelic rock/ metal.
----
Giving my ears a rest from music.
Loading...
03.03.2017 - 20:20
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Spain's Discos Macarras put out some good shit.

https://discosmacarras.bandcamp.com/
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 19:13
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by [user id=162327] on 01.03.2017 at 19:35

Https://ritualproductions.bandcamp.com/

Great find, this definitely deserves a place. Added now.
----
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 21:03
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by mz on 01.03.2017 at 14:11

I found this label, which is specialized in improvised, krautrock-ish,psychedelic and noisy stuff not far from Aluk todolo, HKN, blown out etc. It is a great label, and I'm currently checking their back catalog.

Sky Lantern Records

They seem to be the label with the coolest artworks at the moment, too:

Written by mz on 02.03.2017 at 17:42

Also, Rocket Recordings for some more psychedelic rock/ metal.

Both looks really interesting. Will start hunting soon for gems and add them, thanks man!
----
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 21:07
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by BitterCOld on 03.03.2017 at 20:20

Spain's Discos Macarras put out some good shit.

https://discosmacarras.bandcamp.com/

Thanks a ton. I am not aware of even a single band/album there. Do you have any specific standout albums to recommend from there as a starting point?
----
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 21:19
mz
Also check fuzz club record for similar approach to psychedelic music.
----
Giving my ears a rest from music.
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 21:56
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Written by 3rdWorld on 04.03.2017 at 21:07


Thanks a ton. I am not aware of even a single band/album there. Do you have any specific standout albums to recommend from there as a starting point?

A good chunk of some of my reviews or picks over the last two years and change...

Tort, Santo Rostro, Rosy Finch, Aathma, Iron Fist, Ewig Frost, Memest. I've either reviewed or picked like 7 of the first 12 albums on the link.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 22:37
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by BitterCOld on 04.03.2017 at 21:56

A good chunk of some of my reviews or picks over the last two years and change...

Tort, Santo Rostro, Rosy Finch, Aathma, Iron Fist, Ewig Frost, Memest. I've either reviewed or picked like 7 of the first 12 albums on the link.

Great. I did remember seeing Tort and Ewig Frost somewhere. Will check it out asap!
----
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 23:26
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Contributor
Ok bro, this list needs Prophecy Productions, Translation Loss, Neurot Recordings and even Metal Blade.
----
rekt
Loading...
04.03.2017 - 23:30
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by tea[m]ster on 04.03.2017 at 23:26

Ok bro, this list needs Prophecy Productions, Translation Loss, Neurot Recordings and even Metal Blade.

Thanks. Neurot is already in, Metal Blade is too obvious to include and doesn't actually have much "gems" to explore as they are mostly mainstream releases and easy to find. I'll definitely add the other two soon enough.

Edit: Anyway, thanks for reminding. I added Metal blade at the descriptions now.
----
Loading...
05.03.2017 - 00:02
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Inside Out Music? Probably the best label for prog.
----
Most Talented Vocalists In Metal
Tasty Stuff Not Currently Featured On MS
So I Heard You Like Opeth...
Loading...
05.03.2017 - 01:09
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by LeKiwi on 05.03.2017 at 00:02

Inside Out Music? Probably the best label for prog.

Yeah they are really good, totally forgot about them. Added now!
----
Loading...
05.03.2017 - 09:13
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by [user id=4365] on 11.01.2017 at 14:35

Invaluable link: http://metalbandcamp.com/p/metal-labels-on-bandcamp.html

Thanks, I haven't visited metalbandcamp very frequently as I was not sure it was an official/unofficial blog and if they are really active. I know and follow almost half of the labels there and mostly aware of 75% of the labels in that list. But this list is definitely not limited to metal as you can see and tries to list labels that appeal most to metalheads irrespective of the genre.
----
Loading...
07.04.2017 - 23:14
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by tea[m]ster on 04.03.2017 at 23:26

Ok bro, this list needs Prophecy Productions, Translation Loss, Neurot Recordings and even Metal Blade.

Added the first two, thanks!
----
Loading...
08.04.2017 - 09:33
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Interesting list. You get my thumbs up.
----
Cynic's Metal On Spotify

Cynic's Stoner/Sludge/Doom On Spotify
Loading...
08.04.2017 - 16:43
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 08.04.2017 at 09:33

Interesting list. You get my thumbs up.

Thanks bruh.
----
Loading...
17.04.2017 - 20:23
LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted
Some more for your searches

Nordvis has some execellent folk, atmo and raw bm. https://nordvis.bandcamp.com/music
And Baneful is very good at extreme doom http://www.banefulgenesis.com/releases.html
Loading...
29.04.2017 - 14:04
mz
Malignant records is also great for dark ambinet/ blackend drone/ industrial drone

Malignant Records
----
Giving my ears a rest from music.
Loading...
04.05.2017 - 20:27
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Written by mz on 29.04.2017 at 14:04

Malignant records is also great for dark ambinet/ blackend drone/ industrial drone

Malignant Records

They seem to have Aderlating records, interesting, will surely check them out and add it here. Thanks for the suggestion dude.
----
Loading...
04.05.2017 - 20:42
Paz
777
Elite
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?!
Loading...

Hits total: 16342 | This month: 7