Relapse Records

United States • Upper DarbyFounded 1990

Relapse Records is an American independent extreme metal label founded in 1990 by Matthew F. Jacobson in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, with an office in Philadelphia. It features grindcore, death metal, metalcore, sludge metal, and experimental artists. The label employs 9 people and is distributed by The Orchard (US), INgrooves/Fontana (Canada), and eOne Music (worldwide).

Contact & HQ

Headquarters

Upper Darby Township, PA, USA (office in Philadelphia)

Ownership & Distribution

Label Type

Independent Label

Parent Company

Independently owned

Distribution

The Orchard (US), INgrooves/Fontana (Canada), eOne Music (worldwide)

Additional Details

Genres

GrindcoreDeath MetalMetalcoreSludge MetalHardcore PunkExperimentalIndustrial

Signing Process

Relapse runs its own A&R. Unsolicited demos are not accepted. The label signs extreme metal and experimental artists through A&R scouting at shows and on streaming, and through referrals. Relapse favors bands with strong technical ability and underground credibility.

Demo Policy

No unsolicited demos. Submit through representation or build a strong underground profile first.

Notable Artists

Neurosis
Mastodon (early)
Death (catalog)
Dillinger Escape Plan (catalog)
Baroness (early)
Pig Destroyer

Relapse Records is an American independent extreme metal label founded in 1990 by Matthew F. Jacobson in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, with an office in Philadelphia. It features grindcore, death metal, metalcore, sludge metal, hardcore punk, and experimental artists. The label employs 9 people and is distributed by The Orchard (US), INgrooves/Fontana (Canada), and eOne Music (worldwide).

Relapse built its reputation on extreme metal and grindcore. Its catalog includes Death (one of the most influential death metal bands), Neurosis (post-metal pioneers), Mastodon and Baroness (early work before they moved to larger labels), Dillinger Escape Plan (mathcore), and Pig Destroyer (grindcore). The label's roster spans the extreme end of metal, from death and black metal to sludge, grindcore, and experimental noise. Its alumni have moved to Elektra Music Group, Spirit Music, Season of Mist, and Century Media Records.

How Relapse Operates

Relapse runs dedicated A&R for extreme metal and experimental music from its Upper Darby and Philadelphia offices. It is distributed by The Orchard in the US, giving it major-distribution reach while remaining independently owned. The label's strength is its deep ties to the underground extreme metal community and its history of signing bands that define subgenres (Neurosis in post-metal, Pig Destroyer in grindcore).

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you make grindcore, death metal, sludge, or experimental extreme metal, Relapse is one of the most respected independent labels in those niches. Its track record of signing bands that go on to define subgenres (Neurosis, Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan) shows it can identify and develop artists who shape extreme metal.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

Genre focus: Relapse signs extreme metal and experimental music. Artists outside that world should look elsewhere.
No unsolicited demos: Relapse does not accept cold submissions.
Underground expectations: Relapse favors bands with underground credibility and strong technical ability.
Small team: A 9-person operation means limited marketing bandwidth.