From time to time I will be reviewing the record companies who provide us with the hard rock and metal that keeps us alive. This month we are going to take a look at Mascot Records.
Mascot Records is an independent record company based in The Netherlands and specializes in guitar music, from Metal to (instrumental) Guitar, Hard Rock, Prog Rock and (guitar) Fusion artists.
The label is home to a catalog which is a whose who of rockers over the last 20 years, such as: Sadus, Vicious Rumors, Agent Steel, Volbeat, Lingua, Masters of Reality, LA Guns, Everon, C-187, Racer X amongst others. Guitarists such as Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, John 5, Andreas Kisser, John Norum, Marc Rizzo, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Michael Schenker, George Lynch, Jake E Lee, Steve Morse and many more.
If your into classic metal artists like me, I'm pretty sure you know the majority of these musicians. Mascot Records built their portfolio pretty much as the major labels and other indies dropped artists due to downsizing or shutting down their companies.
This European based record company did not have to suffer from the music industry collapse in Hollywood, or the music biz in general, and picked up some pretty big artists. Their diverse roster also allowed them breathing room going from one end of the spectrum with groups like thrashers Pestilence to guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert.
Now Mascot is breaking into the U.S. market with artists like Heathen, with their long awaited album of 17 years, Heathen is one of the best melodic thrash bands to emerge out of the San Francisco bay area, named by their fans as the "mighty Heathen".
This label is bringing life to rockers who were on top of their game 10 and 20 years ago and back to release new content. You have to tip your hat to a company willing to make a gamble like that, but with an artist roster like the one they have, I'll take those odds!
Record Label Review Rating
Mascot Records 5*****
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