Metal Reviews

Hey folks. So I've got a band, and we're nearing completion (eventually anyway) of a shittily produced basement demo. This is probably pretty premature, but in your vast metal knowledge, what record labels might be interested in this type of thing, and are known for being fair to their bands. We live in the vancouver area and play a mix of power and thrash metal. Kind of like a mix of Iron Maiden and Lamb of God, if you can imagine that. If not, we're in the Promote Your Band forum, so you can hear it yourself.
We don't actually expect to get signed or anything at this point, but a friend of mine's band just got signed by a british label, and I figured we should at least start trying to get some interest. Get some of them at least watching us and so forth.
So yeah, I know a lot of artists will create record labels of their own to sign up and coming bands, and that was kind of the thing I was thinking. I know the singer from Yellowcard has his own record label, so I was wondering if there was anything of the sort in the metal community.

In this day and age it's really almost unacceptable for a band to release a shitty-sounding recording. You can buy a killer digital recording studio for well under $1000.

And that would be fine and dandy, but I'm the only guy in the band with any sort of money, and I'm not forking out ALL of it

EDIT: Did you mean buy a recording studio or buy a studio recording? Cause it was recorded in my semi-decent basement recording studio. It's not horrible but I just meant it wasn't professional quality.

What are you after? A list of record labels? Fuck, just send it to everyone from Epic to Earache, and to magazines and websites so it gets publicised. When people get to know it, it'll have more of a chance.

No, I meant buying something like the Boss BR1180. Studio quality isn't necessary, you said "shittily recorded," I was referring to recordings that sound like ass like that Man's Evil CD I reviewed. No band has any business sending that out as quality product. If your recording sounds decent that's cool. I thought you were saying it sounded like shit.

Record labels like bands who can tour

Your best bet would be to just start sending your demo out to review websites(such as this fine establishment ). As many as you can afford to. When and if it gets positive reviews, labels will start contacting you if they are interested.

Not necessarily, but sending the demo out for reviews first is a good idea. Then you can get an idea of what your music is doing for people. Labels get tons and tons of demo submissions daily. You need something special to grab their attention, a demo with a lot of positive reviews is a step in the right direction. It gives the demo a more solid foundation even before it gets to the A&R guy/girl's desk.

tour like hell and send your demo to EVERYONE. make sure you always have it with you too, you never know who you're going to meet and where.

yeah i was at a show playing the part of sound tech for a friuend of mines death metal band and a guy was there by chance that worked with a label from boston and he wanted a demo. They didn't have one but they gave him there myspace and stuff. The guy never went to it because he couln't have somthign in his hand to show his co workers