Metal Massacre III

Metal Massacre
Cover of Metal Massacre vol. 1
Compilation album
Released	1981 - 2016
Genre	Heavy metal, extreme metal, power metal, progressive metal
Label	Metal Blade
Producer	Brian Slagel

Metal Massacre is a series of compilation albums released through Metal Blade Records. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as The Obsessed, Trouble, Overkill, Metal Church, Metallica, Slayer, Virgin Steele, Hellhammer, Voivod, Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, Possessed and more.

In 1981, Brian Slagel, founder of Metal Blade Records, decided to put out a compilation of unsigned, underground metal bands. Throughout the '80s and early '90s he continued to release more volumes of the compilations. Metal Massacre XII was released in 1995 and was the final Metal Massacre album until Metal Massacre XIII, released 11 years later in 2006. Metal Massacre XIII differed from the previous releases which featured primarily unsigned bands, containing mostly established bands on the Metal Blade roster.