“We weren’t scared of grunge. We would see Dave Grohl wearing Sepultura t-shirts”: It was built on death metal – until three iconic bands helped turn this underground record company into the most influential metal label of the 90s

Type O Negative posing for a photograph in 1993.

The early 1990s was fast becoming a turbulent time for metal. Grunge and alternative rock had stolen the spotlight, and six-string heroics, gut-punching riffs and flailing hair were seen as passé. The success of Pantera aside, metal’s days as a mainstream force seemed numbered.

Except that wasn’t quite the whole picture. On the fringes, exciting things were still happening. Death metal had outgrown its gore-obsessed adolescence and headed into more melodic waters. A new wave of Scandinavian black metal bands were causing mayhem in the name of Satan. Brazil’s Sepultura were waiting in the wings for their shot at the big-time.