Brian Slagel

Brian Slagel (born February 14, 1961) is the owner and founder of Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for giving Metallica their first break in 1982, with an appearance on Metal Massacre, a compilation album on Metal Blade, and has since released seminal albums by Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Cannibal Corpse, Fates Warning, Amon Amarth and The Black Dahlia Murder, among others. Slagel grew up in Woodland Hills, California, and with an early love of heavy music, began working at a rock record store, Oz Records, as a teenager. With the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sweeping the underground metal scene, bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Diamond Head were virtually unknown in the US, outside of the tape trading underground. Slagel...