Hell Awaits is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released in March 1985 by Metal Blade Records. The band's 1983 debut Show No Mercy became Metal Blade Records' highest-selling release, and as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album. To that end, Slagel financed a recording budget and recruited several experienced producers to help in the studio.
Venom are an English extreme metal band formed in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982)—are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Venom's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal.
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have drawn controversy due to some of their concerts, which have featured impaled sheep heads and mock crucifixions. The band is named after the dead plateau of darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.
To Hell with the Devil is the third studio album, by the Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1986. It was the first Christian metal album to achieve platinum status, selling over one million copies. It remained the best-selling Christian metal album until P.O.D.'s Satellite in 2001.
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut.
God Dethroned is a Dutch extreme metal band from Beilen, originally formed in 1990.
Virgin Steele is an American heavy metal band from New York City, originally formed in 1981.
Altaria was a heavy metal band from Jakobstad, Finland, who have released four albums on the record label Metal Heaven and a fifth on Escape Music.
Leaves' Eyes is a German symphonic metal band from Germany and Norway. They were formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, the former lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy and the entire line-up of Atrocity. To date, the band has released seven studio albums, a single, six EPs, one live album and a DVD.
Rex Robert Brown is an American musician and author, who is best known as having been the longtime bassist for the band Pantera (1982–2003). He is a former member of Down (2001–2011), and is the former bassist for the band Kill Devil Hill. He released his debut solo album Smoke on This on July 28, 2017. For the first time in Brown's career, the work features him not only as a bassist but also as lead vocalist and guitarist.
Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 in Birmingham, England. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. The band's name comes from Merlin's Charm of Making in John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur. The band recorded two demos in 1999, which were later released as an album.
Joe Stump is an American guitarist and composer. He is currently playing for the band Exorcism, Raven Lord, HolyHell and his solo project. Stump plays in a style original to Yngwie Malmsteen and has released albums with his band, Reign of Terror, as well as with an earlier band from Boston called Trash Broadway, and as a solo artist.
Hirax is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984 under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena, the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with the other new thrash metal bands of the area such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer. The band was an early example of thrash metal, speed metal and crossover thrash.
3, also known as Three, is an American progressive rock band formed in Woodstock, New York in the early '90s.
Love Is Hell is the fifth studio album by alternative country artist Ryan Adams, released on May 4, 2004. The album was originally released as two EPs, Love Is Hell pt. 1 and Love Is Hell pt. 2, at the insistence of Lost Highway, who deemed that the album was not commercially viable. A full-length version of the album was released when the EPs proved to be more of a commercial success than anticipated.
One Foot in Hell is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. The original LP was produced by Brian Slagel and Cirith Ungol. It was released in August 1986 on Metal Blade Records and re-released in March 1999 by Metal Blade Records on CD. Greg Lindstrom said in an interview:
It's an excellent album although I thought the songs overall were not as strong as King of the Dead, and Flint’s bass seems to have gotten lost in the mix.
Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet, Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson, and Robert Sweet (drums).
Heller is a Serbian and former Yugoslav speed/thrash metal band from Belgrade, notable as one of the first Yugoslav thrash metal bands and one of the pioneers of former Yugoslav extreme metal. The band's debut self-titled album is arguably the first extreme metal album in former Yugoslavia, and one of the first of the kind in Southeastern Europe.
Hell Yeah! is the fifth studio album by the American glam metal band Black 'n Blue, released in 2011.
Chimaira was an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the group was a member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, the band had numerous line-up changes, leaving vocalist Mark Hunter as the only constant member. The band dissolved in 2014, but announced a one-off reunion in late 2017.
