Shred Is Back For The Attack
When the 22-year-old producer Mike Varney founded Shrapnel Records in 1980, it became the first dedicated metal label in the United States, beating Jonny Z’s Megaforce and Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade to market by two years. That’s perhaps a surprising distinction for a label with such a narrow stylistic focus. As the burgeoning thrash and death metal scenes pushed American metal to the bleeding…
Mike Varney, a 22-year-old producer, established Shrapnel Records in 1980, establishing himself as the pioneer of a dedicated metal label in the United States. Two years prior to Jonny Z’s Megaforce and Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade, Shrapnel made its debut. This groundbreaking distinction was achieved by Varney, who maintained a narrow stylistic focus despite the burgeoning thrash and death metal scenes pushing American metal to new heights worldwide.
In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, Varney explained that Shrapnel was founded to address a niche within a niche: "I wasn't finding enough heavy rock records, and as a consumer, I was looking for the next guitar hero. Realizing that I could be the one to discover the best new guitar players of the decade, I saw an opportunity to delve into something I loved."
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