![Sumerian Records: Based out of Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, the label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen. They work the phenomenal commercial success of Asking Alexandria. Other roster highlights include the awesome Dillinger Escape Plan who regularly get heralded as one of the best heavy bands on the planet.]()
Sumerian Records: Based out of Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, the label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen. They work the phenomenal commercial success of Asking Alexandria. Other roster highlights include the awesome Dillinger Escape Plan who regularly get heralded as one of the best heavy bands on the planet.
![Holy Roar: An independent label with a suitably debaucherous back story to boot. The name of the label is said to have derived from a vision the founder Alex Fitzpatrick had whilst on LSD. The vision came to Fitzpatrick as he listened to Slayer in the form of a lion with the face of Jesus. Due to the significance of the music and the vision it was decided that the label would be be known as]()
Holy Roar: An independent label with a suitably debaucherous back story to boot. The name of the label is said to have derived from a vision the founder Alex Fitzpatrick had whilst on LSD. The vision came to Fitzpatrick as he listened to Slayer in the form of a lion with the face of Jesus. Due to the significance of the music and the vision it was decided that the label would be be known as "Holy Roar", the holy referring to the face of Jesus, and the roar referring to the lion. Mental story aside, the labels current roster includes the incredible Rolo Tomassi. They've also got a good track record of discovering fresh talent having put out the Gallows demo, 2005. Of their new signings Haast's Eagled seem promising having just received play on the Radio 1 Rock Show.
![UNFD: Home to Architects and breakthrough artist Northlane from Sydney, among other fiercely energetic acts. The label was formed in 2011 by Jaddan Comerford in Melbourne. Comderford's sharp A&R skills meant that his artists were gaining a lot of traction outside Australia and he signed a partnership with US label Rise Records back in 2014. The future looks bright for UNFD, especially with the release of Brighton band Architects new album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us set for release on 27 May.]()
UNFD: Home to Architects and breakthrough artist Northlane from Sydney, among other fiercely energetic acts. The label was formed in 2011 by Jaddan Comerford in Melbourne. Comderford's sharp A&R skills meant that his artists were gaining a lot of traction outside Australia and he signed a partnership with US label Rise Records back in 2014. The future looks bright for UNFD, especially with the release of Brighton band Architects new album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us set for release on 27 May.
![Basick: Founded by Nathan]()
Basick: Founded by Nathan "Barley" Phillips and his half brother Jake Smith in 2005. They were the first people to release material from Enter Shikari. The label are currently home to Sikth, and Sikth's side project, Aliases. Meanwhile, new band Napoleon are ones to watch for 2016 with a debut album out 27 May.
![Season Of Mist. This label is based in Marseilles, France and Philadelphia, USA. Season of Mist is well known in the Metal circles and beyond for being an innovative, wide spectrum label. They cover black metal, pagan metal and death metal, avant-garde metal, gothic metal, and punk to name a few. Their most successful artists include, Arcturus, Carthapian Forest, Solefald, and CYNIC. Apart from being a record label they distribute records for its own label and 90 other labels.]()
Season Of Mist. This label is based in Marseilles, France and Philadelphia, USA. Season of Mist is well known in the Metal circles and beyond for being an innovative, wide spectrum label. They cover black metal, pagan metal and death metal, avant-garde metal, gothic metal, and punk to name a few. Their most successful artists include, Arcturus, Carthapian Forest, Solefald, and CYNIC. Apart from being a record label they distribute records for its own label and 90 other labels.
![Visible Noise: An independent label that focuses solely on British bands. Ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir set it up and she can proudly say she released Bring Me The Horizon's awesome second album Suicide Season and singed Bullet For my Valentine on a licensing deal. Her current roster includes Peasant King who Huw Stephens describes as 'absolutely brilliant'.]()
Visible Noise: An independent label that focuses solely on British bands. Ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir set it up and she can proudly say she released Bring Me The Horizon's awesome second album Suicide Season and singed Bullet For my Valentine on a licensing deal. Her current roster includes Peasant King who Huw Stephens describes as 'absolutely brilliant'.
![Epitaph Records: Hollywood based hardcore punk label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally]()
Epitaph Records: Hollywood based hardcore punk label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record label. Current artists include Refused, Pennywise, and Defeater.
![Relapse Records:The label has put out music from Mastodon, Baroness, and Dillinger Escape Plan in the past. Meanwhile, Munich-based death metal band Obscura, and the NYC doom supergroup Serpetine Path are stand outs on their current roster. Lastly, death metallers Grusome seems promising newcomers, as they have announced their forthcoming EP Dimensions of Horror on the label.]()
Relapse Records:The label has put out music from Mastodon, Baroness, and Dillinger Escape Plan in the past. Meanwhile, Munich-based death metal band Obscura, and the NYC doom supergroup Serpetine Path are stand outs on their current roster. Lastly, death metallers Grusome seems promising newcomers, as they have announced their forthcoming EP Dimensions of Horror on the label.
![Hummus Records: This is one of the best independent labels in Switzerland and the label, though not strictly metal, has a strong hard rock and metal representation including, Olten, Closet Disco Queens, and Darius. The label is run by Jonathan Nido who plays in Closet Disco Queens who just returned from tour with Baroness. This is one of the smaller labels in this list and it's one that exhibits a lot of promise for the future.]()
Hummus Records: This is one of the best independent labels in Switzerland and the label, though not strictly metal, has a strong hard rock and metal representation including, Olten, Closet Disco Queens, and Darius. The label is run by Jonathan Nido who plays in Closet Disco Queens who just returned from tour with Baroness. This is one of the smaller labels in this list and it's one that exhibits a lot of promise for the future.
![Cacophonous Records: One of the most influential and respected British labels in underground metal history, Cacophonous Records had a huge impact on the burgeoning black metal scene in the '90s. In particular their release of Cradle Of Filth's debut album was of monumental importance as it catapulted the label to the forefront of the underground. They're also well known for early records by Dimmu Borgir and Bal-Sagoth. But a decade ago they disappeared from view. The good news is they're back after that prolonged hiatus for 2016. New signings The Infernal Sea, and The King Is Blind show the label have still got killer instinct when it comes to finding great dark, gothic, and extreme music.]()
Cacophonous Records: One of the most influential and respected British labels in underground metal history, Cacophonous Records had a huge impact on the burgeoning black metal scene in the '90s. In particular their release of Cradle Of Filth's debut album was of monumental importance as it catapulted the label to the forefront of the underground. They're also well known for early records by Dimmu Borgir and Bal-Sagoth. But a decade ago they disappeared from view. The good news is they're back after that prolonged hiatus for 2016. New signings The Infernal Sea, and The King Is Blind show the label have still got killer instinct when it comes to finding great dark, gothic, and extreme music.
![Prosthetic Records: This heavy metal label was foundede by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald, both former employees of Columbia Records in 1998. They are most famous for having released the first two albums by Lamb of God and are currently home to Scale The Summit, Skeletonwitch and more. New signing Felix Martin is an intriguing proposition. He's a graduate of the prestigious Berklee School of Music, and he writes and performs an eclectic, exhilarating hybrid of instrumental prog-metal, jazz, fusion and world music on an instrument he invented himself - the 14-string guitar.]()
Prosthetic Records: This heavy metal label was foundede by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald, both former employees of Columbia Records in 1998. They are most famous for having released the first two albums by Lamb of God and are currently home to Scale The Summit, Skeletonwitch and more. New signing Felix Martin is an intriguing proposition. He's a graduate of the prestigious Berklee School of Music, and he writes and performs an eclectic, exhilarating hybrid of instrumental prog-metal, jazz, fusion and world music on an instrument he invented himself - the 14-string guitar.
![7hz Recordings: Their main signing is Neil Davidge who wrote the Halop 4 original soundtrack, which is the highest charting game soundtrack ever. They've also signed hard rockers Cage The Gods who'd go down well at Download, and Shoshin, who have an eclectic sound that's as indebted to hip hop, reggae, and rock as it is metal. Their appeal to metal fans lies in their technical guitar riffery and heavy, loud, live performances. They're definitely ones to watch since The Fall manager Ed Blaney just took them under his wing.]()
7hz Recordings: Their main signing is Neil Davidge who wrote the Halop 4 original soundtrack, which is the highest charting game soundtrack ever. They've also signed hard rockers Cage The Gods who'd go down well at Download, and Shoshin, who have an eclectic sound that's as indebted to hip hop, reggae, and rock as it is metal. Their appeal to metal fans lies in their technical guitar riffery and heavy, loud, live performances. They're definitely ones to watch since The Fall manager Ed Blaney just took them under his wing.
![Hopeless Records: This label based in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley in LA was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and is currently run with only eight employees. The label are celebrated for their astute and timely A & R skills. Their most famous signing is Avenged Sevenfold, who are now signed to Warner. Of their current roster, Wrexham's Neck Deep are doing particularly well at the moment, having broken the top 20 in the US billboard with their second album. Posen also has started a sister label called Sub City which was created to donate profits. So far more than $2 million has been donated to more than 50 nonprofit organisations. Fair play.]()
Hopeless Records: This label based in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley in LA was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and is currently run with only eight employees. The label are celebrated for their astute and timely A & R skills. Their most famous signing is Avenged Sevenfold, who are now signed to Warner. Of their current roster, Wrexham's Neck Deep are doing particularly well at the moment, having broken the top 20 in the US billboard with their second album. Posen also has started a sister label called Sub City which was created to donate profits. So far more than $2 million has been donated to more than 50 nonprofit organisations. Fair play.
![Eleven Seven Music: This label has some of the biggest names in metal including Motley Crue, SIXX: AM, Drowning Pool, Buckcherry, and Papa Roach. They have done a phenomenal job of getting heavy music into the charts .]()
Eleven Seven Music: This label has some of the biggest names in metal including Motley Crue, SIXX: AM, Drowning Pool, Buckcherry, and Papa Roach. They have done a phenomenal job of getting heavy music into the charts .
![Earache Records: Based out of Nottingham and New York, the trans atlantic label helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records during the 90s. It was founded in 1985 by Digby]()
Earache Records: Based out of Nottingham and New York, the trans atlantic label helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records during the 90s. It was founded in 1985 by Digby "Dig" Pearson and at the moment the labels focus is on the very best rock blues bands such as Rival Sons, The Temperance Movement, and Blackberry Smoke.
![Best Before Records : This London label covers a variety of genre's associated with rock. But they do have a good metal representation with the signing of Northhamptonshire's ACODA, who are a phenomenal live band.]()
Best Before Records : This London label covers a variety of genre's associated with rock. But they do have a good metal representation with the signing of Northhamptonshire's ACODA, who are a phenomenal live band.