Metal Massacre is a series of compilation albums released through Metal Blade Records. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as The Obsessed, Trouble, Overkill, Metal Church, Metallica, Slayer, Virgin Steele, Hellhammer, Voivod, Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, Possessed and more.
In 1981, Brian Slagel, founder of Metal Blade Records, decided to put out a compilation of unsigned, underground metal bands. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s he continued to release more volumes of the compilations. Metal Massacre XII was released in 1995 and was the final Metal Massacre album until Metal Massacre XIII, released 11 years later in 2006. Metal Massacre XIII differed from the previous releases which featured primarily unsigned bands, containing mostly established bands on the Metal Blade roster.
Metal Massacre II – 1982
- "Lesson Well Learned" – Armored Saint – 2:51
- "Mind Invader" – 3rd Stage Alert – 3:51
- "Rivet Head" – Surgical Steel – 3:03^
- "Shadows of Steel" – Obsession – 4:31
- "Scepters of Deceit" – Savage Grace – 3:45
- "No Holds Barred" – Overkill* – 4:12
- "Lucifer's Hammer" – Warlord – 3:18
- "Such a Shame" – Trauma** – 2:53
- "It's Alright" – Dietrich – 3:26
- "Inversion" – Molten Leather – 4:04
- "Kings" – Hyksos – 6:11
- "Heavy Metal Virgin" – Aloha*** – 3:01
^ Surgical Steel featured Jeff Martin and Greg Chaisson who reunited in Badlands in the early 1990s.
* The Overkill on the compilation is not the same as the East Coast Overkill on Vol. 5.
** Trauma featured Cliff Burton who later became the bassist for Metallica.
*** Aloha featured Marty Friedman, later of Cacophony and Megadeth fame.