# Shrapnel Records

Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the Shrapnel Records record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive metal. In the 1990s, he also started the Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International sublabels to promote fusion and blues.
Blues Bureau artists include Rick Derringer, Eric Gales, Marc Ford, Chris Duarte, Leslie West and Pat Travers.
Tone Center Records grew out of Varney's admiration for the jazz fusion of the 1970s and groups such as The Tony Williams Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, and Soft Machine. Tone Center's early releases included drummer Steve Smith and guitarists Larry Coryell, Frank Gambale, and Scott Henderson.

## History

Guitarist Marty Friedman (formerly of Megadeth and Cacophony), one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii and release the album One Nation Underground for Shrapnel. In 1981, a friend gave Mike Varney a tape featuring a 17-year-old Swedish guitarist named Yngwie Malmsteen. A year later, Malmsteen wrote to the label stating that he wanted to export his music to America. Varney, who started writing a column called "Spotlight" for Guitar Player magazine in 1982, featured Malmsteen in his February 1983 column. The record executive flew Yngwie to California and set him up with vocalist Ron Keel's new band called Steeler. Steeler's self-titled album became a best selling release for Shrapnel Records.
Blues Bureau was created as a subsidiary in 1992, as an American guitar oriented, blues, and blues rock independent record label.
The label was acquired by The Orchard, subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, in November 2015.

## Related labels

In 1989, Mike Varney co-founded progressive rock/metal label Magna Carta Records.
Tone Center Records a jazz oriented label featuring fusion guitar as well as a number of jazz tributes.

## Notable releases
### Shrapnel Records

| # | Artist | Title | Year | Note |
| SH-1001 | Unsung Guitar Heroes (V.A.) | U.S. Metal Vol. 1 | 1982 | |
| SH-1002 | Unsung Guitar Heroes (V.A.) | U.S. Metal Vol. 2 | 1982 | feat. Michael Angelo Batio and Marty Friedman |
| SH-1003 | Wild Dogs | Wild Dogs | 1983 | feat. Deen Castronovo |
| SH-1004 | Exciter | Heavy Metal Maniac | 1983 | |
| SH-1007 | Steeler | Steeler | 1983 | feat. Yngwie Malmsteen |
| SH-1008 | Culprit | Guilty as Charged | 1983 | |
| SH-1009 | Hawaii | One Nation Underground | 1983 | |
| SH-1013 | Unsung Guitar Heroes (V.A.) | U.S. Metal Vol. 4 | 1984 | feat. Shawn Lane |
| SH-1014 | Keel | Lay Down the Law | 1984 | |
| SH-1018 | Chastain | Mystery of Illusion | 1985 | |
| SH-1019 | London | Non-Stop Rock | 1985 | |
| SH-1020 | Vicious Rumors | Soldiers of the Night | 1985 | |
| SH-1021 | Tony MacAlpine | Edge of Insanity | 1986 | |
| SH-1022 | Fifth Angel | Fifth Angel | 1986 | |
| SH-1023 | Racer X | Street Lethal | 1986 | |
| SH-1024 | Chastain | Ruler of the Wasteland | 1986 | |
| SH-1027 | Vinnie Moore | Mind's Eye | 1986 | |
| SH-1028 | MacAlpine, Aldridge, Rock, Sarzo | Project: Driver | 1986 | |
| SH-1030 | Joey Tafolla | Out of the Sun | 1987 | |
| SH-1031 | Cacophony | Speed Metal Symphony | 1987 | |
| SH-1032 | Racer X | Second Heat | 1987 | |
| SH-1033 | Vicious Rumors | Digital Dictator | 1988 | |
| SH-1035 | Marty Friedman | Dragon's Kiss | 1988 | |
| SH-1036 | Jason Becker | Perpetual Burn | 1988 | |
| SH-1037 | Greg Howe | Greg Howe | 1988 | |
| SH-1038 | Racer X | Extreme Volume Live | 1988 | |
| SH-1040 | Cacophony | Go Off! | 1988 | |
| SH-1042 | Richie Kotzen | Richie Kotzen | 1989 | |
| SH-1043 | Phantom Blue | Phantom Blue | 1989 | |
| SH-1044 | Howe II | High Gear | 1989 | |
| SH-1045 | Michael Lee Firkins | Michael Lee Firkins | 1990 | |

### Blues Bureau

* Eric Gales - Relentless (2010)
* Marc Ford - Weary and Wired(2007)
* Joe Louis Walker - New Direction (2004)
* Leslie West - Got Blooze (2005)
* Chris Duarte - Blue Velocity (2007)
* Jimi Kidd/Paul Gilbert - Raw Blues Power (2001)
* Glenn Hughes - Blues L.A. Authority Volume II (1992–93)
* Rick Derringer - Back to the Blues (1993)
* Pat Travers - Just A Touch (1993)
* Outlaws - Hittin' The Road Live! (1993)
* Outlaws - Diablo Canyon (1994)
* Jon Butcher - Positively the Blues (1995)
* Marc Ford & The Neptune Blues Club - Marc Ford & The Neptune Blues Club (2008)