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.

#6) MERCYFUL FATE – 9 (1999)

By Martin Popoff

Forsooth, I had MERCYFUL FATE’s lesser-known comeback albums high up my list as well, for when these guys reassemble the cabal, a superlative level of quality is always at hand. Nonetheless, 9, with one of the best Metal Blade album covers of all time, lashed out with a level of aggression not seen from King and Co. since the first two metal mountains from these black art Danes. Lyrically, King was poisonously Satanic to match the raw crunch of the music and yeah, despite fine KING DIAMOND albums all around, 9 nonetheless proved that the real, palpable, abstract scariness was unmistakably the domain of the Mercyful Fate brand and not King solo.

BraveWords.com

Top 30 Metal Blade Releases Of All Time

#30) FALCONER – Falconer (2001)

#29) KING’S X – Black Like Sunday (2003)

#28) LETHAL – Programmed (1990)

#27) SACRIFICE – Apocalypse Inside (1993)

#26) CANNIBAL CORPSE – Kill (2006)

#25) THE RED CHORD - Fed Through The Teeth Machine (2009)

#24) THE CROWN – Deathrace King (2000)

#23) VADER – Revelations (2002)

#22) GWAR – Scumdogs Of The Universe (1990)

#21) FATES WARNING – Awaken The Guardian (1987)

#20) CATTLE DECAPITATION – Humanure (2004)

#19) PRIMORDIAL – To The Nameless Dead (2007)

#18) BRAINSTORM – Liquid Monster (2005)

#17) CIRITH UNGOL – One Foot In Hell (1986)

#16) THE ORGANIZATION – The Organization (1993)

#15) KING DIAMOND – The Puppet Master (2003)

#14) BLACK DAHLIA MURDER – Unhallowed (2003)

#13) SIX FEET UNDER – Warpath (1997)

#12) BOLT THROWER – Those Once Loyal (2005)

#11) AS I LAY DYING - Frail Words Collapse (2003)

#10) GRIP INC. – Nemesis (1997)

#9) FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – Doomsday For The Deceiver (1986)

#8) AMON AMARTH – With Oden On Our Side (2006)

#7) GOATWHORE – Carving Out The Eyes Of God (2009)

#6) MERCYFUL FATE – 9 (1999)