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.

The exclusive bundle will include a bookplate signed by Brian Slagel, bookmark, patch, and a 40th anniversary medal, while supplies last!

Watch the promo video here:

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Pre-order it here: https://metalblade.com/swingoftheblade

About Metal Blade Records:
Founded upon ownerBrian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982Metal Bladehas brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seenMetal Bladebuild up a stunning and diverse catalog, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it celebrates its fourth decade.

Metal Blade RecordslaunchedMetallica,Slayer,Armored Saint,Fates Warning,GWAR,Cannibal Corpse,Amon Amarth,Whitechapel,The Black Dahlia Murder,Cattle Decapitation, and dozens more genre giants, shaping four decades and counting of hard rock, metal, and extreme music culture.Brian Slagelworked as a record store clerk when he foundedMetal Bladein 1982, reserving a spot for a young Lars Ulrich on hisMetal Massacrecompilation series.Metal Bladegrew from humble beginnings in Los Angeles to become an international powerhouse, selling millions of albums while remaining fiercely independent. In 2017,Slayer's Kerry King inducted the label into the Hall of Heavy Metal History.Slagel'sFor the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Recordsarrived the same year.

For the Sake of Heaviness(book only)here
For the Sake of Heaviness(35th Anniversary box set)here!

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