The landscape of heavy metal wouldn’t exist without Brian Slagel. The simple independent record store clerk turned the world upside down in 1982 when he founded the revered, genre-defining Metal Blade Records, creating a platform for new and emerging bands of the time such as Metallica and Slayer.
It’s been a hell of a journey, and one that Slagel is happy to share with us. 2017 saw the release of his acclaimed book For The Sake Of Heaviness, which served as both a memoir and an industry crash course. Now five years later, Slagel is treating us to yet another book, Swing Of The Blade: More Stories From Metal Blade Records. If the press release is any indication of what’s in store, it looks like metal fans the world over have a lot to look forward to:
“Swing of the Blade: More Stories from Metal Blade Records follows Brian Slagel’s critically acclaimed 2017 book, For the Sake of Heaviness, which delivered a compelling inside look at how a metal-obsessed California teen built Metal Blade Records into the preeminent international home of heavy music.
Rabid readers demanded more anecdotes, more bands, and more of Slagel’s musical wisdom.
With Swing of the Blade, he delivers.
Featuring a foreword by Slayer‘s Kerry King, the new book is part-memoir, part-music-business primer, and all metal – delving deep into scenes and bands that fans worldwide obsess about.
Slagel serves up more of his favorite memories about iconic musicians and events, and delves into even greater detail about his long and ongoing relationships with Metallica, Armored Saint, King Diamond, and other heavyweights. Swing of the Blade is told in Slagel’s humble but authoritative voice.
His view for the last 40 years – from the studio, in the crowd and boardroom – offers an unprecedented look into the music, business, and passion that has made both Slagel and Metal Blade champions of discovering and nurturing the best heavy music on the planet.”
Pre-order it here: metalblade.com/swingoftheblade