Founded in 2008, Divebomb Records is well-known among metal aficionados for consistently delivering high-quality CD reissues across all forms of heavy metal. Their catalog includes such notable names as Anacrusis, Apocrypha, Chastain, Confessor, Cro-Mags, D.B.C., Deathrow, Grinder, Meliah Rage, Poltergeist, Reverend, Scanner, Toranaga, and Watchtower. We spoke with the label’s founder Matthew Rudzinski.
Hi Matt! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. Please briefly introduce yourself, Tribunal and Divebomb Records, as well as your band Killwhitneydead.
Greetings, all! I am Matt and I own two records labels, both mentioned above. I started Tribunal in 1999 and Divebomb in 2008. I was also the vocalist for (early) deathcore/metalcore band Killwhitneydead for roughly 10 years.
Please explain the difference between Tribunal and Divebomb. Both labels have been releasing CDs for the last several years, and both issue new material in addition to reissues.
Tribunal Records started first in 1999, mainly working within the North Carolina hardcore/metalcore scene. Over time, I expanded into different genres of music and by the end of its first run Tribunal had over 100 releases. Most notably working with artists like Prayer For Cleansing, He Is Legend, Animosity, and Atreyu.
Divebomb Records came about because I wanted to start reissuing old out of print metal albums and I didn’t want to do that via Tribunal Records, so I started a subdivision to create less confusion. As the reissues started becoming popular the brand itself was getting more attention, so I decided to sign newer bands playing styles of music that I was reissuing. But, I am back again to simply doing reissues and working with new bands already signed to the label. We are no longer actively seeking out new artist signings.
If I am counting correctly, over the last several years, Divebomb has been releasing around 10 albums per year and Tribunal slightly fewer. What is your forecast for the next couple of years?
Tribunal actually “shut down” around 2012 or so. I just couldn’t keep up doing both labels at same time, and my focus had totally been put toward Divebomb and doing reissues. I only fired Tribunal back up last year for the 25th anniversary of the label. Some bands had remixed their old albums and so we decided to put out some limited releases. There is more to come this year, because once again, running both labels proved to be a daunting task and not everything we set out to do during the 25th anniversary got finished, so we will continue until done and then Tribunal will become dormant again, most likely.
Without revealing any business secrets that you don’t want to share, can you describe what steps are involved to reissue an album? What is the usual timeline? Which reissue was quickest to complete, and which took the longest?
It's pretty basic stuff. Find band, talk to band, make offer, sign the deal, gather materials, put together layout while restoring and remastering the audio, ship that all off to the plant, CDs are made and shipped back to me, distribute and sell the releases.
Now, where it gets complicated is all the time it takes to accomplish each step. Some releases have taken a year or less to put together, others have taken upwards of 8 years to complete. It all varies and is based on how quickly bands deliver materials. The important thing to remember is these old bands haven’t been bands in a VERY long time. So, the band is not their life’s priority. They gather materials when they can and at their own speed. I don’t rush anyone, because if you rush them they might leave something behind that we want to include. Slow and steady wins the race.
Who usually holds the copyright of an obscure 80s/90s release? Is it more often band members or a record label? Do cases where a few band members have sadly passed away increase the complexity of signing a licensing deal for the reissue?
It's been my experience that if it’s a professionally recorded album, chances are there is a financier (a manager, record label, etc.) who still controls the master recording rights. If it’s a demo or a self-released lower budget album, the band usually controls their master recording rights. I don’t think I have worked with a band who had a member that had passed away before the reissue was worked on. There have definitely been some members that passed away after the fact.
You probably have a good forecast on what sales to expect. What surprised you most in terms of either sales exceeding expectations or sales happening unusually fast?
These days it’s much harder to predict, because in 2008 there wasn’t much competition for reissue labels, but now in 2025 they are everywhere. I knew the Elysia reissue I just did on Tribunal would sell well, simply because originals were selling for $400 – 500, but more importantly you could watch people trade them around in Facebook groups like stock trading. So, I knew if I could offer the fans a regular priced version everyone would buy it. The band said we should do 500 and I said nothing less than a 1,000 would do. We sold nearly all 1,000 copies just in pre-orders via the store. Anvil Bitch was another one I knew would do well, and it did. The more obscure bands I can never tell and don’t really reissue that stuff expecting them to sell out immediately. There are still people discovering reissues we did at the beginning of the label, so that is always cool to see.
If your initial pressing runs out, do you repress?
Depends how quickly it sells out. Pyracanda sold out pretty fast, so we pressed more. The second batch of 500 is taking much longer to sell through, so that one will most likely be done after these sell out. Anvil Bitch is getting a second pressing because we sold the bulk of them in under 3 months. We get requests to reissue old stuff all the time, especially things that other reissue labels did maybe 8 - 10 years ago, but I always try and do research on how fast the label sold out the first time, etc. Here is an example of doing my research: there is an album people have been asking me to reissue again that was reissued by another label and while it’s hard to find now, the label was selling copies for $5 before they went out of business. So, that is an example of something I would never reissue again based on lack of demand originally.
How do you decide what to do with the sound of the original album that you plan to reissue and what are your options usually? Have you ever had to cancel a release due to not seeing any way to get an adequate sound quality?
The first thing I get from the band before making a deal is the audio to determine quality of their master sources. So we never get to signing a deal if I don’t already approve of the audio sound quality the band is providing me. It’s very important to me that the Divebomb brand put forth solid sounding reissues. I want people to know when they are getting one of our reissues, it’s going to sound good. There are a few exceptions in the catalog where my love for that band helped me to overlook some flawed audio, but that is all that existed, so we went forward with the release.
Can you name any reissues that have a massively improved sound?
I mean, if people could hear the original audio files I would say the biggest and most difficult projects were 313 and Surrealist. 313's original audio was restored masterfully by Jamie King. I tweaked that audio with him for probably a year. Eventually, I get burned out and take a break for a couple months and come back to it with fresh ears. Surrealist was another one we worked on to fix a bunch of problems the original sources had. Glitched audio, random noises, etc. In the end, it came out great and I thank the bands for their patience.
One day I will take full pictures of my edit notebooks, which have times and notations of things we fix. Some have very little, but those old demo cassettes usually have a minimum of 30 - 40 dropouts we repair.
What are your personal criteria for evaluating the sound quality? Would you describe yourself as a very picky person when judging the sound quality?
Picky doesn’t even cover what I am. If I put on headphones, I can hear the most faint noises (despite losing my hearing), and once I hear them I have to fix them. It’s a curse I tell people, but I want everything to sound great. Like I mentioned above, I won’t sign a band if the quality of a band’s masters is below my normal standards or something I don’t think we can repair to a place where I would approve. I have passed on plenty of projects over the years because of sub-par audio sources.
Brothers Grimm is one of the few progressive metal bands that could have left a notable mark in the genre had they continued after their very obscure debut cassette tape. How and when did you find out about them? Was it easy or difficult to reissue their material and how long did it take from the first contact with the band?
At this moment I cannot recall how I came across them or how long it took. Once we got the materials gathered it was done quickly. Band had DAT sources so that was easy to sort out. I will say this, after 250+ releases the specific details of some projects all kind of blur, especially after 4 - 5 years have gone by and new releases have been put together and released.
I would like to use this opportunity to satisfy my personal curiosity here. Can you tell a bit about how Arcane, Donor and Surrealist reissues happened? I like all these bands and I have had originals of the first two for a long time.
They all happened like other reissues. I tracked down a member or two and reached out and told them my ideas. Arcane was cool because I think that was one of the earliest “remixing” projects we did and man, those demos sound AMAZING now. Not slighting the album, but I jam the second CD way more now.
Donor was fun, too. Took a bit of time if I recall due to family and life issues, but in the end both of those reissues came out great. Getting to use the original art and restoring them to the artist's original vision was cool, too.
Surrealist was one of those projects that took forever, which was completely my doing. That and because of the glitched master audio I hounded them to try and find a better master source. Once every stone was turned and nothing was found, I set off trying to get the audio into workable shape. My brain was having a hard time accepting the defects and so I kind of put it aside and came back to it a bit later, and thankfully Jamie King was able to work some .wav file surgical magic and we released something everyone was stoked on!
Based on the Divebomb albums I own, reissues with multiple demos, EPs, or albums usually start with the most recent recordings. Is that correct? Is it because the more recent songs are typically more mature?
I don’t have a set method other than the best sounding stuff starts a CD and that is usually the final stuff a band records before breaking up. Nothing worse than putting in a CD and it starts off sounding like complete ass. Nobody wants that, do they? Start a CD with that demo from 1981 that the last surviving copy was the copy that sat in the back seat of their car 30 years ago. It was such a beater copy that they used a pencil to wind it back into its shell [laughs]. That kind of stuff is at the end, and if someone REALLY wants to listen to it they can.
Now if it’s a deluxe edition type of situation, the album content always comes first and then everything else is bonus stuff.
Imagine a situation where you meet a person who likes "popular" metal like Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, but has zero knowledge of the underground, and asks you to recommend three releases from your catalog to check out. Which ones would you recommend?
I hate doing this stuff [laughs]. I would tell them to go to Bandcamp and download any of the samplers and give them a spin and see what sticks. Just because someone likes those mainstream bands, I feel it’s impossible to tell what they will enjoy most from the catalog. I prefer to just let the music do the talking and see what stands out to them. As I always say, it’s in the ear of the beholder.
You release a big variety of styles. Are there some metal genres that you favor more than others? Are there any that you don’t enjoy too much?
I personally like everything from black metal to pop music. It’s always about what kind of mood I am in. Do I want to listen to Journey or Michael Jackson or some Entombed or Catherine Wheel? It all depends.
As far as the label goes, sales dictate things now. The label has been going for 15+ years and my days of “experimentation” are pretty much over. I am sure people can look through the catalog and see those moments here and there. Now, I have a clear vision of what will sell the best and stick to that. Maybe down the line I will throw a curveball at everyone, but those will come few and far between.
You also release some new music as well. What criteria does new material and the band have to fill?
I used to do it. As I mentioned before, I am back to doing the very thing I started Divebomb for in the first place: the reissues. New bands have an impossible task these days which is attempting to cut their way through the noise of the internet just to get people to take notice. When I started signing new bands it was a different landscape, but now it’s just so much harder and I felt the reissue output was suffering because of the focus I had on finding “the next big thing.” I realized it was time to refocus myself and the label. I do admit, I hate getting a great demo from a new band and knowing it would be cool to put something out, but I can’t and I just have to stay the course.
Many of the reissues target the late 80s and 90s releases. Will the pool of reissue candidates ever dry out? Do you see any likelihood of the reissues shifting focus from the 80/90s to the 00s?
For me, yes. Other labels? Probably not. Some things I hear and see getting reissued I have to ask myself as a collector: why? A band who did 2 songs 40 years ago getting a 2CD reissue set filled with rehearsals and live tracks? To me, there is no need for that kind of stuff. That is what Bandcamp can be utilized for. I am not saying that music shouldn’t be made available, but on a physical format? That isn’t for me, the collector. However, the market will dictate if there is a need or not. If releases of that type stop selling and labels cannot move that stock then I am sure their strategies will change. Similar things have happened to me and as a business you adjust. So, time will tell if I am right.
I feel like the reissue market has become a place where quality is slipping. Just because a band was never signed, doesn’t make that fact a crime against the metal world as a whole. Some bands never got signed because at that time their music wasn’t good enough to stand up against the best of the best, and just because 30 years have passed doesn’t mean the music has gotten any better. In fact, it’s usually extremely dated and sounds worse and still doesn’t match up against their better rivals. So the question becomes do those types of artists just exist in the digital world or should everyone be given a physical release? The market is already overcrowded, so it’s something that could be examined over time.
But ultimately, it’s all up to the listeners to decide what they like and want to buy. But I know what I like and it’s not every unsigned band from the 1980’s [laughs].
It would only make sense that reissue labels start looking at bands from the 00s. I think once things start hitting that 20-25 year mark nostalgia starts to kick in and genres and styles we were once adamantly against start to creep in. For instance, I have been on a big nu-metal kick recently [laughs]. I would say it’s a guilty pleasure, but I never feel guilt jamming music that makes me happy or feel good.
Can you mention any releases that you think will never be reissued by you or another label for some reason, even if there seems to be a demand.
I used to have a list, but even my list is shrinking because bands are changing their minds. So, I will keep that one to myself because nothing like never saying never and then being proven wrong.
Over the years, it looks like the world is getting more global in terms of information sharing, but it is getting more difficult to sell items to other countries due to increased postage costs, import taxes or new regulations. What is your take on this? Do you get angry when facing a new restriction? What are the best ways today for non-US customers to get your products?
When I started the labels it was amazing getting orders from all over the world. It makes everything seem more connected, which was a very cool feeling. In the last 10 years or so the world seems like it is sectioning itself off from commerce be it through higher shipping costs, ever increasing import taxes, etc. It is definitely hard to get products to people who want to buy them outside the USA, which sucks.
I used to get angry about it, but it’s out of my control so best thing to do is adapt and find new ways and avenues to get the product out there.
I have always had DIY distributors in various territories that I trade with or wholesale too, but now it’s becoming more apparent that those relationships are more important now than ever before.
Your releases have some digital presence. For example, one can buy digital releases on Bandcamp, and some of the albums are on Spotify. Do you foresee this expanding in the future?
I have always used Bandcamp because I am able encode their player into my store and website. I want people to be able to preview music from bands they might not know in an instant. If they are reading the bio on the website and it sounds intriguing, I don’t want them to have to search to give it a listen. It’s all right there.
The digital distribution thing is newer. I never put digital rights into Divebomb contracts because the bands can control all that, but what I found was despite bands telling me they were going to do it very few had actually done it. So, I slowly started going back to the bands and explaining digital distribution as a way to permanently archive their music for people to discover and enjoy long after the CDs have sold out. Most of them agreed with me and we began a campaign of getting all these reissues archived digitally. That took several months [laughs]!
Can you describe what your regular work day looks like?
I get up and get the kid off to school. Then it’s either down to the basement or up to the office depending on the workload for the day. Some days it is packing orders; others it’s dealing with emails; and others it’s editing texts, previewing master audio, and setting up DDP files for production, etc.
Do you notice any shifts in trends regarding what formats people buy more (digital or CDs), or has it been pretty much similar in the last several years?
I focus on the CDs. I pay no attention to the digital. If people are enjoying streaming that is great, but my goal is selling CDs to people who want to buy CDs.
Would you agree with the statement that mostly CD collectors still buy CDs and that their average age is growing?
I tell bands dragging their feet still trying to decide to reissue their music that the base isn’t getting any younger and we are losing customers every year! However, I feel like music is always attracting a younger audience, but are they buying reissues? Probably not, they are buying the current bands that look like them and are singing about topics that interest them. Which is great.
What is the geography of your customers? Are there any particular countries where people are more interested in what you do?
I sell all over the world. Higher postage costs and import taxation plays a big factor in why I don’t get many orders from certain parts of the world I would say. Just the way the world is these days and I have to roll with it.
From what I know, you are a music collector yourself. Can you tell a bit about your “collector side”. Does your collection grow each year, or do you try to get rid of some stuff to keep it the same size? Do you collect more CDs or vinyl? Since you work in the music industry, how do you divide your listening time between “work” listening and “hobby” listening, if you distinguish between the two?
I am a hoarder. My collection has always been out of control. I have way too many CDs, but it’s really a disease at this point. Truly an addiction.
The only paring down I did was involuntary when I survived an apartment fire in 2005. Thousands of my CDs were destroyed and I was crushed, but that was a catalyst moment in my life and without it happening Divebomb (most likely) would have never happened, nor my band doing all that it did, etc. So, all the CDs I lost were the cost of better things to come.
I hate vinyl, the only vinyl I have is the vinyl I had as a teenager. It’s in storage in North Carolina. Once CDs were released on the market I never looked back. I hate the popping and the noise and all that crap. CDs are pristine sounding and my ears love it.
I try not to let work listening dominate my time. I do much less of it now that I am not cranking out 15 - 20 releases a year. I like it much better that way. I do my “hobby” listening when I am in the basement pulling and packing orders. It’s great.
How do you listen to music most often? Do you use a stereo system and speakers, headphones, or listen in your car?
In the basement I have an old stereo set up, which I love because it sounds great. In my office it’s on my computer. I always listen to music in the car, always.
Do you like any particular metal websites, either for current news, or for researching some obscure past items?
I love Metal Archives, honestly. It’s great to be able to go to that site and know some truly dedicated metal fans out there in the world have listed info on bands despite them having very little output. Metal fans are the best at archiving things no matter how big or small the bands are. It’s a huge help.
As far as news sites, I am admittedly way behind on current stuff. It’s just not where my head is at these days.
You have been doing label work for quite some time. What do you like most about the job and what drives you forward? How do you try to cope with “boring” activities?
Interacting with customers who tell me how much they enjoy the reissues. That is the main driving force. We live our motto: “For the fans, by the fans.”
What are you looking forward to in the next coming years? How far ahead do you plan? Do you plan for the next several months, one year, or a longer time horizon?
We have some fun stuff coming up. The only planning that can be done is once we get all the materials. Other than that once the contracts are signed it’s a waiting game, like I said. Some bands get us stuff in a month or two, some can take 5 years [laughs].
Thanks for the interview!
Thank you for the chat, this was fun!
Aftermath, Anacrusis, Arcane, Chastain, Night in Gales, and Watchtower are just some of the bands with reissues on Divebomb featured in the fanzines hosted at Press of Darkness. Click on a band photo to read their interviews!
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