When I first got turned on to cassette tapes, I was hooked. During the 80’s, it was the cassette tape that was our go-to source of music, because most of us did not have record players. We would go to certain record stores with our own blank tapes and the owner would fill them up with the latest hardcore releases. If we really really liked a band, we would play it until the tape gave out. In 2017, I still consider myself a tape collector of all sorts of genres, and I do not see myself stopping anytime soon. Honestly, there are tape labels that release some of my favorite music hands down, and I’m not alone – the proof in this can be found in the fact that many bigger labels look to the smaller labels for bands. Many of the labels in this feature have found bands that have gone on to put out records on more established outlets plus toured the world – all made possible by awesome tape labels. Today we want to shine light on 6 labels that are pushing their genres to the next level, not only with the music they release, but with their passion!
Vrasubatlat: This Portland collective has not put out one whack tape yet! Everything they put out is the kind of black sonic bile I can’t get enough of…Support Eternal!
VT-XVI || Adzalaan
VT-XV || The Loins of Repentance
VT-XII || Charnel Ground
Sentient Ruin Laboratories: This Bay Area one man operation is a beast! I can’t keep up with how many of his bands have changed the underground this year alone. It’s pretty rad how he takes chances and is never held captive by one genre or sound.
Aversio Humanitatis ‘Longing for the Untold’
Leucosis “Liminal”
american ‘Violate and Control’
Caligari Records: Calling all fucking metal heads – you can never go wrong buying a tape from this label. I don’t even know how he is so consistent and on point with every band he puts out!
SHRINE OF THE SERPENT / BLACK URN: Split
UTTERTOMB “Necrocentrism – The Necrocentrist”
SHAMAN RITUAL Sinister Totem
Graven Earth Records: This operation is fairly new but came into the game with Black Tomb, which was an instant classic. Now Graven Earth Records is putting out some of the raddest doom tapes this year. Don’t get it twisted – they also have their horns in the Thrash Metal cauldron.
Nightfear “Cryptasm”
Witchhelm “All Hail ... And Death”
Palehorse/Palerider “Burial Songs”
Transylvanian Tapes: The underground would not be the same without this outfit. They released the first CHRCH tape, which is a classic, and now they just put out the Battle Hag which is a straight beast!!!
BATTLE HAG – TONGUE OF THE EARTH
Owl Coven – Cosmic Void
Demonsmoke – Morphine Moonshine
Run State Tapes: How rad can a punk get? Well, the punks that run this tape label are pretty rad and never stop putting out the sickest tapes! If you want some raging fucking D-Beat or some Witchy Post Punk, Run State Tapes can meet all of your needs and then some.
INEPSY – The Lost Tracks
LEBENDEN TOTEN – XIII---IV/Static
NAPALM RAID – Wheel of War
