Megaforce Records

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Megaforce Records
Active years since 1982
founder Jon Zazula
Seat New York City
Website www.megaforcerecords.com
Label code 08046
Sub-label Transdreamer Records
distribution Ryko Distribution
Genre (s) Hard rock , heavy metal

Megaforce Records Inc. ( MRI for short ) is an independent label and distributor based in New York City and specializes in hard rock and heavy metal . In the 1980s, the label pioneered the commercial success of American speed and thrash metal bands such as Metallica , Anthrax , Testament and Overkill .

history

Jon Zazula ran the Rock & Roll Heaven record store in Old Bridge , New Jersey in the early 1980s and made money organizing concerts for bands from outside the United States. He was the first to book Raven ( UK ) and Anvil ( Canada ) to perform in the US. His efforts to get Metallica a record deal were unsuccessful, so he and his wife Marsha founded the record label Megaforce Records and borrowed the money to record and produce an album. In 1983 Megaforce released their first record, the Metallica debut Kill 'Em All , which sold 17,000 times within the first two weeks of its release. Spurred on by this success, the label signed other bands with Manowar , Exciter , Anthrax and Raven. A short time later, a distribution agreement with Roadrunner Records followed , which provided that Roadrunner would distribute the Megaforce catalog in Europe and Megaforce would receive the exclusive distribution rights for Roadrunner bands in North America. The debut album by Mercyful Fate with the title Melissa was released in the USA via Megaforce. Furthermore the management company Crazed Management was founded. The label experienced the first setback when the record deal with Metal Church was not concluded. A little later, Zazula was able to sign the legendary rock band Blue Cheer .

In 1984 the three best-selling bands left the label and switched to major labels : Metallica to Elektra Records , Raven to Atlantic Records and Anthrax to Island Records . The label managed to sign other newcomers such as Testament and Overkill. One of the best selling albums of the label, the 1985 debut was Speak English or Die by SOD , which so far sold over one million copies. After the commercially successful 1980s, things got a little quieter around the label and its founder Jon Zazula in the early 1990s. The main reason given by the latter was the development of new sub-genres of heavy metal that were not why he founded Megaforce Records, and so the label began to sign bands that did not come from the heavy metal environment . In 1992 the label signed a distribution agreement with Polygram , which Zazula described in retrospect as a mistake. At the end of the 1990s, Jon and Marsha Zazula withdrew into private life with their children and handed Megaforce over to their long-time employee, Missy Calazzo, who has been running the company ever since.

In 2000 a new sales partner was found with Ryko Distribution . In October 2002 the sub-label Transdreamer Records was founded, which has mainly specialized in alternative rock , in 2004 Megaforce took over the distribution of the label Fat Possum Records, which specializes in blues . In 2005 Megaforce had distribution agreements with a total of 20 different independent labels.

Bands (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ian Christe : Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal . ItBooks, 2004, ISBN 978-0-380-81127-4 , pp. 86 .
  2. ^ Ian Christe: Sound of the Beast . P. 92.
  3. ^ Ian Christe: Sound of the Beast . P. 93.
  4. ^ Ian Christe: Sound of the Beast . P. 94.
  5. ^ Ian Christe: Sound of the Beast . P. 177.
  6. ↑ a b Tom T. Vader: Behind the Screams - Part 4: Megaforce Records. In: Midwest Metal Magazine # 25. metalupdate.com, accessed June 12, 2010 .
  7. ^ Todd Martens: MRI Offers Indies Mega Potential . In: Billboard Magazine . February 5, 2005, p. 35 .