Heavy metal writing
Albums, bands and the nights that made them
Label-style writing on heavy metal: album guides, band histories, record collecting and the live shows where all of it gets loud.
New on the site
Latest from the catalogue
How to Organize Records by Genre or Artist: Practical Guide 2026
Learn how to organize records by genre or artist with a simple cataloging system, storage plan, and metal-specific examples that make browsing…
How to Catalog a Music Collection the Easy Way, Updated 2026
Learn how to catalog a music collection in with a clear system for identifying, sorting, recording, backing up, and updating albums, CDs,…
How to Flatten a Warped Vinyl Record (October 2026)
Learn how to flatten a warped vinyl record safely in using flat plates, 50 to 60 pounds of books and mild heat,…
How to Find First Pressing Vinyl: Collector’s Guide 2026
Learn how to find first pressing vinyl in using catalog numbers, matrix numbers, label designs, sleeve tells and seller photos, then confirm…
How to Grade Used Records Before Buying (October 2026)
How to grade used records before buying in : confirm the pressing, inspect vinyl and sleeve under bright light, play test for…
Why Some Albums Get Picture Disc Releases: An Updated Guide 2026
Why some albums get picture disc releases explained: the label decisions, the artwork reasons, the sound trade-off, and what collectors check before…
Why Vinyl Records Warp and How to Prevent It (2026)
Why vinyl records warp and how to prevent it: heat softens the PVC, pressure bends it. Learn safe temps, humidity and storage…
Why Bands Release Compilation Albums: 8 Reasons (2026)
Learn why bands release compilation albums, from back-catalogue income and anniversary marketing to rare tracks, royalties and how streaming changed the math…
What Colored Vinyl Does to Sound Quality 2026
What colored vinyl does to sound quality, how pigments and pressing affect noise, why mastering matters, and what collectors should check before…
House style
What the writing owes the record
Pressings are not interchangeable
A reissue is not the record its first pressing was, so a guide here says which cut it is talking about.
Subgenres are signposts
Thrash, doom, death and black metal are here to lead you to the next record, never to rank the people listening.
Loud music, legible page
The music can be heavy without the page being a mess: the words carry the noise, nothing on screen shouts over them.
Inside the sleeve
Why Mausoleum Records exists
Mausoleum Records is a writing project about heavy metal records, the bands who made them and the rooms where those songs are played loud. It keeps album guides, band histories, collecting notes and live-music writing in one calm place, laid out like a catalogue rather than a fan page.