Once at the forefront of extreme metal, Roadrunner Records (see also R/C and Roadracer) was founded in Holland in 1980 and slowly moved through the 80's building quite a brand for releasing quality and timely metal, with bands as notable as Mercyful Fate, Pestilence, Obituary and Sepultura through to some of the most inventive 90's acts such as Atrocity, Believer, Suffocation and Type O Negative. The label caved to mid 90's trends of power groove and nu-metal and hard alternative, all of which paled in comparison to the much more visceral and rabid music they had unleashed on the world just a few years earlier. In the early 00's, Warner Music bought the lion's share of the label and it continues today, releasing (for the most part) far fewer and far less interesting releases, baring little resemblance to the RR of old. This edition of OFK will celebrate some Roadrunner's best moments primarily focusing on the years of 1985-1995.
- KBOO