South West's first-ever Heavy Metal record store to open in central Bristol
Posted on: 06 Apr 2021Black City Records will be opening its doors for the first time this month.
Bristol is about to become the home of the only Heavy Metal record shop in the entire South West Region, with Black City Records set to open on Trenchard Street in the city centre on Saturday 17 April.
Despite successive coronavirus lockdowns and major disruptions to the UK's retail and music industries during the pandemic, seasoned record dealer and devout metalhead David Savage is motivated by a desire to build something new for the community this year.
Opening its doors in line with the government's latest COVID-19 guidance, Black City will be stocking everything from new and second-hand vinyl to CDs, cassettes, merch, magazines, books and more.
Having become increasingly frustrated by the lack of a dedicated spot for Bristol's heavy metal scene, Black City owner David says he wants his store to become a meeting point for metalheads in and around the city, stocking a combination of classic releases and hidden gems.
“We want to be the shop where you can come if you are just discovering the scene and looking to dig into the discographies of the likes of Iron Maiden and Metallica, but also the place to come if you are a seasoned underground metalhead looking to come across something new.
“We're also keen to help promote the local metal scene and hope to physically stock music and merch from up and coming bands, giving them the opportunity to get their music up on a shelf in a shop and in front of people’s eyes and ears,” he explains.
Black City Records will be based in the city centre on the corner of Trenchard Street and Lodge Street, a short walk from another Bristol heavy metal hub, The Gryphon.
Alongside some of the all-time great heavy metal artists, the store will be stocking a wide range of sub-genres and promoting the Bristol music scene wherever possible.
“Bristol is a thriving city for music and music subcultures, and its love of vinyl and the physical format is obvious with so many fantastic record shops in the city,” David says ahead of next week's grand opening.
“With an independent store, in particular a specialist store, you find that the people who run them are passionate everyday fans like yourself. They share the same passion for the music you do and therefore exchange that knowledge and love with their customers that major retailers don’t tend to.
“It’s a personal service - we aim to make that happen for the Bristol metal scene.”
For more information on Black City Records, or to follow news and updates in the coming weeks, find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.