Independent company, specialised in metal and related music styles. Founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger.

About NB and their different regional companies:

NUCLEAR BLAST Europe – Label, Mailorder, Wholesale, Fulfilment Service and Distribution for several labels spread over the whole European continent. Placed in Donzdorf, Germany.

NUCLEAR BLAST America – US Company with identical business tasks in cooperation with Century Media.

NUCLEAR BLAST South America – in cooperation with Century Media.
Labelmanager: Gerard Werron
Email: gerard@nuclearblast.de
Phone: +55-11-30978117
Fax: +55-11-38161195
Rua Paolistania 407
BR 05440-000 Sao Paulo - SP -Metro Vila Magdalena

PROPHECIES PUBLISHING Hamburg – The publisher for the NUCLEAR BLAST artists is administrated from Hamburg, Germany and takes care of all publishing and legal purposes of the artists, songwriters and composers. There is a tight cooperation between publisher and label regarding artist roster, song placement (e.g. compilations like Death Is Just The Beginning, Beauty In Darkness, NB Soundcheck Series, NB News CD and others) as well as handling of the mechanical royalty statements for all parts of the world, promotional cooperations with Nuclear Blast and major publishers.

Label: Worldwide release and marketing of approx. 50 new releases per year.
Mailorder: Worldwide delivery of all kinds of Metal music (Gothic, Power, Death, Melodic Metal). Catalog includes more than 5.000 individual items (CDs, merchandise, videos, books and others). 120.000+ customers all over the world.
Merchandise: Production and distribution of merchandise (shirts, longsleeves, caps, jackets and special merch) of the NB artists.
Radiation Records: A division for worldwide distribution of partner labels.
Service Fulfilment: Full pressservice for external customers, including production of CDs/LPs/Cassettes and merchandise.
Publishing: Contact for composers and songwriters, administration of artist’s legal purposes.

International distribution partners and licensing:
ICARUS Argentina / Licensing
RIOT DISTRIBUTORS Australia
EDEL MUSICA Austria
MUSIC SHOCK/SUBURBAN Belgium
PARADOX Brazil/ Licensing
GOLDEN HILL Brazil/ Licensing
WIZARD Bulgaria/Licensing
PHD Canada
CORNUCOPIA Columbia/Licensing
TROLIK D.O.O. Croatia
M.A.B RECORDS Czech Republic/Slovakia
VOICES MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT Denmark
SPINEFARM RECORDS Finland / Licensing
M 10 France
NTS Replica France / Licensing
WARNER MUSIC Germany
COSMIC STORM Greece
S.U.L.Y. / HAMMER MUSIC Hungary
RESSWARA Indonesia / Licensing
VARIANT MUSIC Indonesia / Licensing
M.M.I. Israel
RAVEN MUSIC Israel / Licensing
AUDIOGLOBE S.R.L. Italy
DIES IRAE / PSYCHIC SCREAM Malaysia/Singapore/Licensing
SUBURBAN B.V. Netherlands
TUBA AS Norway
MYSTIC PRODUCTION Poland
MASTERTRAX Portugal
ROCRIS DISC Romania
ART MUSIC Russia
IROND Russia/Licensing
MORDOR DISTRIBUTION Slovenia
ALTER EGO South Africa
DREAM ON RECORDS South Korea/+Licensing
ONCE MUSIC South Korea/+Licensing
MASTERTRAX Spain
MUSIKVERTRIEB AG Switzerland
MAGNUM MUSIC Taiwan / Licensing
SIAM PACIFIC INTER MARKETING Thailand
ATLANTIS Turkey
PLASTIC HEAD UK
CARLOLINE USA

General info on cat.# and barcodes
A release by Nuclear Blast features at least 1 obvious cat.#. This catalogue number has the following format: NB XXXX-F and should be entered exactly as it appears on the release, including the 'NB' suffix.

XXXX is the catalogue number.
Note: Earlier releases might only have 3 digits.

F determines the format. This is not always consistent, but here is a general idea of what you might find:
-0 limited first edition (Digipak, O-Card, whatever) for both CD and DVD
-1 LP or other vinyl format
-2 jewelcase CD or promo CD, DVD, sometimes also used for the limited first edition
-3 video tape (VHS), now out of use
-4 tape (MC), now out of use
-5 box sets, limited mailorder editions, bonus CDs and DVDs (in general: limited bonus stuff)
-7 some vinyl 7”s carry this as format
-8 shape CDs (not all, however)
-9 picture vinyl (not all, however, esp. when the release was only available as a picture vinyl or comes with cover, you may find a –1 here)

Barcodes and formats:
As with most professional labels, the cat.# and barcode correspond. This makes it easier to track sold copies for charts, but results in the problem, that NB needs to use some other cat.# for internal purposes (manufacturing etc.), esp. to keep track of all the different editions they release. In fact, most releases since 2001 have another (“true” or internal) cat.# as stated in the barcode or on the back of the item. Be aware that it only goes for releases manufactured in Europe. Please check the back of your item for the “Manufactured in…” statement. “Manufactured in Germany (Europe)” is to be added here as well as “Manufactured in the US(A)”, but only the first might have an additional cat.#. American releases usually don’t have these special internal cat.# numbers!

The barcode for current NB CDs with cat.# higher than 1000 is 7 27361 XXXXF X.
Releases with a cat.# between NB 123 and NB 716 have a barcode pattern like 7 27361 6XXXF X.
Releases prior to NB 123 have a barcode that differs from their cat.# (e.g. NB 033 is 7 27361 6009FX).
Releases between NB 090 and NB 123 can have a barcode like 7 27361 68XXF X.

Beware: barcodes between 717 and 999 (pattern 7 27361 6XXXF X) are most likely distribution codes of records that were distributed by Nuclear Blast, so their are not to be listed under Nuclear Blast, but their real label. Since Radiation Records is the distribution division of Nuclear Blast, you can add this code there, but in general the discogs rules state something different: no addition of distribution codes.

There are only 10 releases known between 856 and 865 that were later released on NB.
NB 856 Therion Deggial CD (10 track version without “O Fortuna”)
NB 857 Various Nuclear Blast black box 5xCD
NB 858 Dimmu Borgir World Misanthropy MCD/12” (also bonus CD from the limited DVD)
NB 859 Primal Fear Black Sun CD (promo snipped version)
NB 860 (unknown)
NB 861 Crystal Ball Look In My Eyes MCD (rare item, seems to be used for promo in Switzerland only)
NB 862 Various News from NB 7 CD
NB 863 (unknown)
NB 864 PrimeSth I Don’t Envy You MCD (promo only)
NB 865 PrimeSth I’m Stupid (Don’t Worry ‘bout Me) MCD (promo only)

How to add a new release correctly
Please use the cat.# derived from the barcode (with the format NB XXXX-F) as the primary cat.#. In addition to that, add the internal cat.# as a second cat.# (maybe also a third, fourth one etc., in case the releases has more than 2 discs).
General suggestion: please add the barcode in the notes of the release.

To know what the internal number is, read and understand and try out the following:
CD, DVD: turn the disc, and try to read the inprints in the silver inner ring. There should be a statement like NB XXX-F or XXXX-F. This is the internal cat.#. and the internal format type. Sometimes you might find inconsistent information in the barcode, on the backside and on the the CD label. Stick to the silver side information.
CDs released since 2001 will also have a manufacturing code from Technicolor in Luxemburg that reads like LUXXXXX with some additional digits. These are manufacturing codes and not cat.#s. Feel free to put them in the notes.
Up to the release of Hypocrisy’s “10 Years of chaos and confusion” on 30.07.2001, NB had their CDs manufactured by DOCData in Berlin, Germany. You can identify this easily on the silver side of the disc, sometimes you will find a statement like BOD (meaning Berlin Optical Disc) which is the same as DOCData.
Nuclear Blast had made some test items via Technicolor prior to the aforementioned release:
Code 5445 NB 411 S.O.D. Bigger Than The Devil CD (Limited edition)
Code 5601 NB 398 Therion Crowning Of Atlantis
Code 15026 NB 560 Children Of Bodom Follow The Reaper CD
Code 15619 NB 514 Narnia Desert Land CD

LP: all releases since 1997 might(!) have a different cat.# than what the barcode indicates. Try to read the engraved part of the vinyl (the small ring next to the label) and you will maybe find a statement like NB XXXX-X.
Some records since 2002 only have a manufacturing code, in this case you should stick to the cat.# derived from the barcode.

Labelcode: LC 07027 / LC 7027