Record Labels For Metalheads

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Record Labels For Metalheads

List image
A list by
3rdWorld
Created
January 10, 2017
Entries
125
Endorsements
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
125.
1.
Barghest - Doom/Death/Black/All Genres ~ USA
125.
2.
Agonia Records ⭐ - Death/Black ~ Poland
125.
3.
An Out Recordings - Black/Drone/Noise ~ US ~ Self proclaimed anarchist, feminist and anti-racist black metal, doom, drone, and noise label.
125.
4.
ANTI- - Country/Indie folk/Indie rock/Soul - USA
125.
5.
Apathia Records ⭐ - Experimental ~ France
125.
6.
Arachnophobia Records ⭐ - Death/Black/Thrash ~ Poland
125.
7.
Argonauta Records ⭐⭐ - Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic ~ Italy
125.
8.
Avantgarde Music - Ambient/Avant-garde/Darkwave ~ Italy
125.
9.
Barghest - Black Metal ~ United Kingdom
125.
10.
Bindrune Recordings ⭐ - Atmospheric black/Doom/Folk ~ USA
125.
11.
Black Market Activities - Deathcore/Metalcore/Grindcore/Mathcore ~ USA
125.
12.
Blood Harvest ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Thrash ~ Sweden
125.
13.
Blood Music - Synthwave/Darksynth/Retrosynth/Black/Folk ~ Finland
125.
14.
Breathe Plastic Records - Doom/Sludge ~ Netherlands ~ Cassette tape label
125.
15.
Caligari Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Doom/Unsigned & Demo albums ~ USA ~ Specalized label/distro for cassette tape releases
125.
16.
Candlelight Records - Black/Death/Thrash/Melodic Death ~ UK ~ Now a part of Spinefarm Records
125.
17.
Caverna Abismal Records - Black ~ Portugal
125.
18.
Chaos Records - Death ~ Mexico
125.
19.
Consouling Sounds ⭐ - Doom/Sludge/Ambient/Experimental ~ Belgium
125.
20.
Crepusculo Negro - Black ~ USA ~ Includes musicians from Rhinocervs which was also part of the Black Twilight Circle as CN.
125.
21.
Crucial Blast Records/Crucial Blaze - ⭐ ~ USA ~ Ambient/Noise/Drone/Black/Experimental
125.
22.
Cryo Chamber - Dark Ambient/Drone ~ USA
125.
23.
Cyclic Law - Ambient/Atmospheric/Drone/Field Recordings ~ Germany
125.
24.
Daemon Worship Productions - Black/Death ~ Russia
125.
25.
Dark Descent Records ⭐⭐⭐ - Death/Black/Doom ~ USA
125.
26.
Darker Than Black Records - NSBM/Black/Pagan ~ Germany
125.
27.
Darkness Shall Rise Productions - Black/Death ~ Germany ~ Cassette tape-only label
125.
28.
Deathwish Inc. ⭐ - Hardcore Punk/Metalcore/Post-metal ~ USA
125.
29.
Debemur Mortii - Black ~ France
125.
30.
Defying Danger Records - Death/Thrash ~ Germany
125.
31.
Doomentia Records - Doom/Sludge/Death/Thrash ~ Czech Republic
125.
32.
Drid Machine Records - Extreme/Experimental ~ Norway
125.
33.
Dry Cough Records - Sludge/Hardcore ~ UK
125.
34.
Earache Records ⭐ - Death/Grind/Thrash ~ UK ~ Among the greatest metal labels ever. Released early albums of Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower & Morbid Angel
125.
35.
EEE Recordings - Black/Ambient/Noise/Field Recordings ~ USA
125.
36.
Essential Purification Records - Black ~ Austria
125.
37.
Existentiell - Black/Doom ~ Ireland
125.
38.
Extremely Rotten Productions - Extreme ~ Denmark
Specialized in Tape releases
125.
39.
F.O.A.D. Records - Death/Thrash/Hardcore ~ Italy
125.
40.
Fallen Empire Records ⭐ - Black ~ USA
125.
41.
Fallen Temple - Black ~ Poland
125.
42.
Floga Records - Black/Death/Doom ~ Greece ~ Well known for their tape releases
125.
43.
Folkvangr Records - Black/Folk Black/Atmoblack/Viking/Dark Ambient ~ USA ~ Specialized in tape releases
125.
44.
Fragile Branch Recordings - Black/Doom/Experimental ~ US ~ Specialized in tape releases
125.
45.
Goatprayer Records - Grind ~ UK
125.
46.
Good Fight Music - Hardcore/Metalcore/Punk/Metal ~ USA
125.
47.
Gore House Productions - Death/Grind ~ USA
125.
48.
Graceless Recordings - Extreme Metal ~ USA
125.
49.
Grimoire Records ⭐ - Stoner/Grind/Doom/Death ~ USA ~ Specialized in self produced, recorded and released Tape & CD albums.
125.
50.
Halo Of Flies Records - Hardcore/Grindcore/Punk/Metal ~ USA
125.
51.
Headsplit Records - Death/Thrash/Grind/Black ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape
125.
52.
Heavy Chains Records & Tapes - Extreme ~ Australia ~ Tape label
125.
53.
Hells Headbangers ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Thrash ~ USA
125.
54.
Hellthrasher Productions - Death/Black/Thrash ~ Poland
125.
55.
Holy Roar Records - Post/Sludge ~ UK Sublabel: Truthseeker Music
125.
56.
Home Taping Cruelties - Extreme ~ Germany
125.
57.
Hydra Head Recordings ⭐ - Stoner/Sludge/Doom/Noise ~ USA
125.
58.
Hypertension Records - Doom/Sludge ~ Belgium
125.
59.
I Hate Records - Doom/Thrash ~ Sweden
125.
60.
I, Voidhanger Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Atmospheric Black/Doom ~ Italy
125.
61.
Memento Mori - Prog Metal/Prog Rock ~ Germany
125.
62.
Invictus Productions ⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death ~ Ireland
125.
63.
Iron Bonehead Productions ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Heavy ~ Germany ~ Owns a sublabel, Necroshine Records.
125.
64.
Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions ⭐ - Black/Atmospheric Black/Experimental Black ~ France
125.
65.
Listenable Records - Death/Thrash/Prog Death ~ France
125.
66.
Lycanthropic Chants - Death ~ Germany ~ Underground German death metal tape & vinyl label/distro.
125.
67.
Malignant Records - Dark Ambient/Power Electronics/Industrial ~ USA
125.
68.
Mass Deadening Records - Grindcore ~ Canada ~ Grindcore label and record distro based out of Winnipeg, Canada
125.
69.
Memento Mori - Death/Doom ~ Spain ~ Official site: http://www.memento-mori.es/
125.
70.
Me Saco un Ojo Records - Extreme ~ United Kingdom
125.
71.
Mystiskaos - Black ~ USA ~ Sub label of Fallen Empire.
125.
72.
Napalm Records - Symphonic/Power ~ Austria
125.
73.
Neurot Recordings - Doom/Sludge/Post-metal ~ USA
125.
74.
Never Dead - Black ~ France
125.
75.
Norma Evangelium Diaboli ⭐ - Black ~ France ~ Owns a sublabel, End All Life Productions
125.
76.
Northern Silence Productions - Black ~ Germany
125.
77.
Nuclear War Now! Productions - Black/Death/Thrash ~ USA ~ Sublabel: Cell
125.
78.
Osmose Productions ⭐ - Death/Black/Doom/Thrash ~ France
125.
79.
Pagan Records ⭐⭐ - Black/Death ~ Poland
125.
80.
Paradigms Recordings - Psychedelic/Drone/Indie/Folk/Ambient/Electronic ~ UK
125.
81.
Pesanta - Black ~ USA ~ Pesanta Urfolk
125.
82.
Profound Lore ⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Doom/Sludge/Experimental ~ Canada
125.
83.
Prophecy Productions - Black/Gothic/Folk/Post- ~ Germany
125.
84.
Prosthetic Records - Extreme ~ USA
125.
85.
Psychic Violence Records - Black ~ USA
125.
86.
Red River Family Records - Black/Acoustic/Neofolk ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape releases
125.
87.
Relapse Records ⭐⭐ - Death/Grind/Sludge ~ USA
125.
88.
Rise Above Records ⭐⭐ - Heavy/Rock/Retro ~ UK
125.
89.
Ritual Productions - Doom/Drone/Stoner ~ UK
125.
90.
Satan's Claw Tapes - Extreme ~ UK
125.
91.
Season Of Mist ⭐⭐⭐ - Black/Death/Gothic/Progressive ~ France ~ Sublabel: Season of Mist Underground Activists
125.
92.
Selfmadegod Records - Grind/Hardcore/Punk ~ Poland
125.
93.
Sentient Ruin Laboratories ⭐⭐ - Crust/Doom/Grind/Sludge/Noise ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape
125.
94.
Sepulchral Voice Records ⭐⭐ - Death/Black ~ Germany
125.
95.
Shadow Kingdom Records ⭐ - Classic Heavy/Thrash/Death ~ USA ~ Specialized in cassette tape releases
125.
96.
Signal Rex - Black ~ Portugal
125.
97.
Snake Oil Kassettforlag - Extreme ~ Germany
125.
98.
Sol Y Nieve - Black/Death ~ USA ~ Tape label & Distro
125.
99.
Solitude Productions - Doom/Funeral Doom/Death Doom/Melodic doom ~ Russia
125.
100.
Southern Lord Recordings - Sludge/Black/Doom/Death/Drone/Hardcore ~ USA
125.
101.
Spinefarm Records - Heavy/Melodic ~ Finland
125.
102.
Sumerian Records - Metalcore/Deathcore/Mathcore/Progressive Deathcore/Djent ~ USA
125.
103.
Tartarus Records ⭐ - Stoner/Drone/Doom ~ Netherlands
125.
104.
Terratur Possesions - Black ~ Norway
125.
105.
Till You Fukkin Bleed - Black/Death ~ Poland
125.
106.
The Flenser ⭐ - Experimental Metal/Rock ~ USA
125.
107.
The Throat - Black/Raw Black/Noise ~ Netherlands ~ Specialized in tape releases. Link: http://thethroat.nl/#
125.
108.
The Sign Records - Rock/Metal/Retro ~ Sweden
125.
109.
Third I Rex - Sludge/Post-metal/Post-rock/Black/Ambient ~ UK
125.
110.
Throatruiner Records - Hardcore/Post-hardcore/Black ~ France
125.
111.
Totenmusik - Black ~ Germany
125.
112.
Transcendental Creations - Black/Experimental ~ Canada
125.
113.
Transcending Obscurity Records ⭐⭐⭐ - Death/Black/Doom/Sludge/Grind/Thrash/Experimental ~ India
125.
114.
Translation Loss Records - Sludge/Post ~ USA
125.
115.
Tumult Records - Black/Experimental ~ USA
125.
116.
Unique Leader Records - Brutal/Slam/Technical/-core Death ~ USA
125.
117.
Ván Records - Black/Pagan/Doom/Heavy ~ Germany
125.
118.
Vanagandr - Black ~ Iceland
125.
119.
Vault Of Dried Bones - Black/Death ~ Canada
125.
120.
Vrasubatlat - Black/Dissonant Black ~ USA
125.
121.
Weed Hunter Records - Thrash/Death ~ Germany
125.
122.
World Terror Committee Productions - Black ~ Germany
125.
123.
Willowtip Records ⭐ ⭐ - Death/Techdeath/Grind ~ USA
125.
124.
Witching Hour Productions - Black/Death ~ Poland
125.
125.
Xtreem Music ⭐⭐ - Death/Grind/Thrash ~ Spain
More lists by 3rdWorld ››
Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Comments: 34 Visited by 83 users
3rdWorld
China was a neat

Posts: 4367
Permalink
16.09.2017 - 22:09
3rdWorld
China was a neat

Posts: 4367


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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Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress

Posts: 5989
Permalink
06.09.2018 - 00:30
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress

Posts: 5989


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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3rdWorld
China was a neat

Posts: 4367
Permalink
06.09.2018 - 00:53
3rdWorld
China was a neat

Posts: 4367


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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Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress

Posts: 5989
Permalink
06.09.2018 - 02:06
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress

Posts: 5989


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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