Metalcore Record Labels
Metalcore and hardcore-adjacent labels with active roster development.
Metalcore sits at a genre crossroads, and its labels reflect that — some come out of the hardcore scene and still carry that DIY, community-driven approach to signing and releasing bands, while others are general metal labels that built out a metalcore-specific side of their roster once the genre's commercial reach became clear. Both kinds of label can be a legitimate home for the same band; the difference tends to show up more in how hands-on the relationship is and what kind of touring/promotional support comes with a deal, not in genre fit itself.
The genre's own internal range — from melodic, clean-vocal-leaning metalcore to more aggressive, breakdown-heavy or mathcore-adjacent styles — means a label's roster is often a better guide to fit than its self-description. A label built around melodic, radio-adjacent metalcore is a different proposition for a heavier, more chaotic-sounding band than for one closer to that melodic center, even though a listing might tag both simply as "metalcore."
Because metalcore has a stronger connection to active touring and a visible live/social presence than some other metal subgenres, labels in this space often weigh a band's current momentum — recent releases, live activity, audience engagement — more heavily than pure genre or technical fit. That's worth keeping in mind when timing a submission.
A label's actual size, typical roster's career stage, and real selectivity still matter more than the genre tag alone. Comparing your band's specific sound, stage, and goals against the full label database, not just a metalcore label list, is the more reliable way to find labels that actually make sense.
Looking for a label for your metalcore band? Genre is only one part of the match. Compare your style, career stage, location and other factors against labels in our database.
Record Labels Releasing Metalcore
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Century Media Records
Germany
death metal, black metal, melodic death metal, metalcore
Century Media Records is a German metal label founded in Dortmund in 1988 by Robert Kampf, now operating as part of Century Media Group under Sony Music Entertainment following a 2015 acquisition. Its current roster and release slate span extreme-metal subgenres - death metal, black metal, melodic death metal - alongside metalcore and alternative-leaning acts, with recent activity including a January 2026 Crystal Lake album and an August 2025 signing announcement for Gaerea.
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M & O Music
France
Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal, Metalcore, Alternative Metal, Progressive Metal, Gothic/Symphonic Metal
M&O Music is an independent label based in Montpellier, France, operating since 2009. Alongside its distribution and e-shop operations, it works as a music publisher handling synchronization licensing and neighboring-rights collection for its artists, and is closely tied to a sister artist-promotion agency, M&O Office. Its catalog is deliberately broad rather than narrowly specialized: current and past signings span thrash, death, black, metalcore, gothic and symphonic metal, plus progressive and alternative metal, alongside a separate pop-rock, indie and punk roster - reflecting a general independent-label model built around distribution and artist services rather than a single metal subgenre identity.
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Metal Blade Records
United States
death metal, melodic death metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, metalcore/deathcore, doom metal
Metal Blade Records is one of the longest-running independent labels dedicated to heavy metal, founded in 1982 by Brian Slagel out of the Metal Massacre compilation series. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, it has grown into a worldwide operation with additional offices in Germany, the UK, Canada, and Australia, and its current release schedule shows it remains highly active, putting out new records across death metal, melodic death metal, classic heavy metal, thrash, deathcore/metalcore, and doom on a near-weekly basis.
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Napalm Records
Austria
heavy metal, hard rock, gothic/symphonic metal, power metal, folk/pagan metal, death/thrash metal, metalcore, industrial/nu metal
Napalm Records is an Austrian record label founded in Eisenerz in 1992 by Markus Riedler, which grew from a small home-based operation into what it describes as the world's largest independent rock and heavy metal label. It now maintains offices in Austria, Germany and the United States, has released more than 1,000 albums, and represents a roster of over 200 acts spanning genres from folk and pagan metal to gothic, symphonic, power, death, thrash and metalcore.
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Nuclear Blast Records
Germany
Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore Punk, Industrial Metal
Founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany, Nuclear Blast has grown from a punk and hardcore imprint into one of the largest independent metal labels in the world, now operating with subsidiaries in the US and Brazil and a roster of roughly 120 contracted bands spanning thrash, death, black, power and symphonic metal, among other styles. As of August 2026 the label continues to release new material regularly, including albums from Anthrax, Turmion Kätilöt and Madball, and recently added the reunited band Down to its roster.
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Looking for a label for your metalcore band?
Genre is only one part of the match. Compare your style, career stage, location and other factors against labels in our database.
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