This week at Thrash Hits we’ve been listening a bit too much to Grind Madness at the BBC, the forthcoming 118-track mammoth compilation of John Peel’s infamous Earache live sessions. And it got us thinking – what better way to open our series of label-themed Spotify Slaylists than with one for the great British metal success story that is Earache Records?

Since 1985, Earache Records have been one of the reasons that Nottingham can lay claim to being the UK’s second city of metal (after Birmingham, of course). One of the cornerstones of extreme metal, its debatable that without the label set up by Digby “Dig” Pearson whether death metal and grindcore would exist in the forms we know them today. Even a skim reading of bands that call or have called Earache home throws up name after legendary name that has changed the course of metal. Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Iron Monkey, Carcass….

Why not go check out Earache Record’s frankly excellent “Ask Earache” blog while you check out the Slaylist? Digby Pearson’s gloriously candid look at the history, rumours, and inner machinatons of Earache Records is an unrivalled and unique insight into one of the all-time great metal labels. Check it out.

Spotify are still limiting new free users to their service, but since we’ve got an absolute shedload of invites anyone who hasn’t downloaded Spotify already can just send us an email and we’ll get you sorted quick-snap. Neat, huh?

Listen to our Sunday Spotify Slaylist: Earache Records Special

Watch a bizarre interview with Akercocke from BBC Belfast

We’ve got a few more of these label-themed Slaylists coming up, but are there any labels in particular you’d like to see get the Slaylist-treatment? Give us a shot in the comments below and we’ll make it happen.