Haunting the Chapel is an extended play (EP) released by American thrash metal band Slayer in 1984 through Metal Blade and Enigma Records. Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy became Metal Blade's highest-selling, leading to producer Brian Slagel wanting to release an EP. Recorded in Hollywood, the recording process proved difficult when recording drums in a studio without carpet, although it resulted in drummer Dave Lombardo meeting Gene Hoglan who was to become an influence in his drumming style and speed. It was during the recording of this session that Lombardo first had the double bass added to his kit. Hoglan, working for Slayer at the time, sat at the kit and played a double bass for the first time. Lombardo was impressed and although Hoglan never gave him lessons, he did give him tips regarding the use of the double kick drum.
Night on Bröcken is the debut studio album by the American progressive metal band Fates Warning, released in September 1984 through Metal Blade Records.
The Spectre Within is the second studio album by progressive metal band Fates Warning, released in October 1985 through Metal Blade Records. It has been reissued three times: first as a double album together with Night on Bröcken (1984) in 1992, followed by a remastered edition in 1994, and again in 2002 with four bonus tracks as well as new cover art.
Inside Out is the seventh studio album by progressive metal band Fates Warning, released on July 26, 1994 through Metal Blade Records. The album continues with the commercial sound that Parallels began. It was the last to feature long-time bassist Joe DiBiase, who left after its release, as well as the last to feature guitarist Frank Aresti until his return to band in 2005. Aresti later appeared on their 2013 album Darkness in a Different Light as a full-time member and on the 2016 album Theories of Flight as a guest. DiBiase would return in 2010 and 2016 for a number of shows, but did not officially rejoin.
Psalm 9 is the debut studio album by American doom metal band Trouble, released by Metal Blade Records in March 1984. The album was originally released eponymously and later renamed to Psalm 9 after the release of the band's fourth studio album, which was their 1990 self-titled release. Along with Saint Vitus' self-titled debut album from the same year, Psalm 9 is considered by many critics to be one of the first doom metal releases.
The Skull is the second studio album by the American doom metal band Trouble, released by Combat and Metal Blade Records on April 15, 1985.
Ignorance is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich. It was released on October 13, 1987 by Metal Blade Records, and was followed up by the 1988 EP, Surf Nicaragua.
The American Way is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich, released on May 15, 1990 via Metal Blade Records. The video for "The American Way" was used in the 1992 film Encino Man. The album debuted at No. 153 on September 1, 1990 on the Billboard 200 charts, lasting for nine weeks. An enhanced remastered version released in 2009 contains pre-production demo recordings and a free patch. A second remastered version released that year contains the same songs plus "The American Way" promo video CD-ROM. The American Way is also Sacred Reich's final full-length studio album with drummer Greg Hall, who left the band in 1991.
Atrophy is an American thrash metal band formed in Tucson, Arizona.
Violent by Nature is the second album from Arizona thrash metal band Atrophy, released in 1990 on Roadrunner Records. Like their previous album Socialized Hate, it was co-produced by prolific producer/engineer Bill Metoyer, and recorded in Los Angeles. The band followed up the album with tours of the US and Europe with the likes of Sacred Reich, Coroner and Forced Entry. However shortly after, Chris Lykins left the band to pursue a medical school course and the band split up after Roadrunner Records lost confidence in the band due to the departure of one of its leading songwriters; as such, Violent by Nature would be Atrophy's final album for 34 years, until the release of their third album Asylum in March 2024. The model for the artwork was Richie Bujinowski, who would later become Max Cavalera's adopted stepson and the frontman of Incite.
The Collected Works of Tourniquet is the first compilation album by the American Christian metal band Tourniquet. It was released on Intense Records in 1996. The album features fourteen songs: eleven songs are taken directly from the band's previous releases, though "The Skeezix Dilemma" has been edited in that it uses the majority of the studio recording and segues into the live version's ending from Intense Live Series, Vol. 2 (1993), and it introduces two new songs, "Perfect Night for a Hanging" and "The Hand Trembler".
Evildead is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1986. The band was originally composed of members of two former bands, Agent Steel and Abattoir, including guitarist Juan Garcia, who is their only remaining original member. During their initial nine-year run, Evildead released two studio albums: Annihilation of Civilization (1989) and The Underworld (1991). Evildead was plagued by extended inactivity due to lineup changes and problems with making a third album, which resulted in their official breakup in 1995. After a short-lived reunion from 2008 to 2012, the band reformed once again in 2016, and they have since released two more studio albums: United $tate$ of Anarchy (2020) and Toxic Grace (2024).
Warpath is the second studio album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. Tracks on this album include "Death or Glory", which is a cover of a song originally done by Holocaust, and "4:20", a song four minutes and twenty seconds in length which, according to the liner notes, was recorded at 4:20 PM on April 20, 1997. The last album to feature founding guitarist Allen West.
Deliverance is the 1989 debut album by the Christian speed/thrash metal band Deliverance. The original Intense Records pressing is now considered a valuable collectable. It was reissued, minus 2 songs in 1998 on KMG Records as a two-disc set along with the 1990 album Weapons of Our Warfare. It was officially re-released late 2008 with two bonus tracks on Retroactive Records. The album was ranked at No. 44 on Metal Hammer's top 50 thrash metal albums of all-time list. In 2010, HM Magazine listed Deliverance No. 31 on its Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time list stating that "'If You Will' into 'The Call' is almost as good as metal gets " and that "this record would forever change and impact me and the Christian metal music scene as we knew it!"(-Bill Balford). Heaven's Metal fanzine ranked it No. 3 on its Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list. About.com writer Dan Marsicano wrote "Metal with a religious concept is not for everybody, and Deliverance doesn’t try to pander to the secular crowd. So, if you don’t mind a little preaching, their music is straight-to-the-gut thrash metal at a time where the genre was getting more expansive with its themes and sound. For giving Christian metal a thrash hero to rally behind, Deliverance gets the nod for this week’s Retro Recommendation."
Death Rituals is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released on November 11, 2008, through Metal Blade Records. It is also available in a limited digipak edition with three live bonus tracks.
The Curse is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Omen. It was originally released in 1986 by Metal Blade. In 1996, Metal Blade re-released The Curse with the EP Nightmares as bonus tracks.
Bill Metoyer is an American record producer who has recorded with Slayer, Deliverance, Hirax, Morbid Angel, Trouble and Tourniquet. He has worked at Metal Blade Records for several years as house producer and currently works as A&R. He also works with Alpha Omega Management as A&R as well. Metoyer formed Skull Seven Productions.
United States of Anarchy is the third studio album by the American thrash metal band Evildead, released on October 30, 2020. It is the band's first studio album since The Underworld (1991), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career. Nearly five years in the making, the album was produced by Bill Metoyer, and also sees four-fifths of the Annihilation of Civilization lineup reunited, with Karlos Medina replacing original bassist Mel Sanchez. Just like their previous two albums, the artwork for United States of Anarchy was designed by Ed Repka.
Punching the Sky is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Armored Saint. It was released on October 23, 2020. The album was produced by Bill Metoyer and bassist Joey Vera, and mixed by Jay Ruston. The track "End of the Attention Span" was the first single and was released on August 12, 2020, along with a music video. A music video was also made for the next single "Lone Wolf" on June 29, 2021.
Asylum is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Atrophy, released on March 15, 2024. This is their first studio album in 34 years, following Violent by Nature (1990), the longest gap between studio albums for the band. It is also the first Atrophy album to be recorded with a different lineup and their first release on Massacre Records.
