How a 22-Year-Old Made Shrapnel Records the First US Metal Label

In 1980, Mike Varney, then 22, founded Shrapnel Records, making it the first dedicated metal label in the United States. That puts it two years ahead of other early heavyweights like Megaforce and Metal Blade, which is a notable distinction for a label so focused on one style. Varney told Guitar World in 2023 that he started Shrapnel because he couldn't find enough heavy rock records and wanted to discover the best new guitar players of the decade. While thrash and death metal pushed American heavy music to new extremes, Shrapnel stayed true to its narrow mission of spotlighting guitar heroes, carving out a niche within a niche.

What's a guitar-driven album or artist that made you appreciate technical playing?

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