BraveWords.com's Top 30 Metal Blade Releases Of All Time - #28
January 18, 2012, 12 years ago
To commemorate the fine 30th Anniversary of metal’s most venerable and storied label, Metal Blade Records, the writers of BraveWords.com have gotten their metalheads together and come up with a list of the Top 30 coolest, most legendary, rockingest, most influential, most deserving of fame and notoriety, releases founder/CEO Brian Slagel and crew have issued since forging the fire way back in mom’s garage in 1982. As has become tradition ‘round here, we are presenting them – through January and February – in reverse order, leading eventually to the penultimate slab of iron ever to carry an esteemed Metal Blade catalogue number.
By Mark Gromen
Out of nowhere came these Kentuckians’ debut. 1990 was a last hurrah for bigger names, as death metal became in vogue, all other metal threatened to be swept away in a changing tide of “heavy alternative” as it was initially called, spearheaded by the Pacific Northwest. So a traditional-sounding metal platter, from right here in North America, with a singer (Tom Mallicoat) who could do just that (in a higher register to boot)? What’s not to love?! The fact many (myself included) find it the (only) worthy successor to QUEENSRŸCHE’s debut EP only aggrandizes LETHAL that much more.
#30) FALCONER – Falconer (2001)
#29) KING’S X – Black Like Sunday (2003)
#28) LETHAL – Programmed (1990)
