San Diego Metal · Since 2002
About
SDMETAL
SDMETAL is San Diego’s source for metal music: the shows, the bands, the venues and the news from a scene that keeps getting louder.
Built in San Diego and run from San Diego, the site has been a home base for local metalheads for more than two decades, through every redesign, message board and comeback along the way.
Fact Sheet
Where It Started
sdmetal.com was formed in the early 2000s to meet an ever-increasing demand for a meeting place in the San Diego metal community. As many of you have noticed, San Diego has become a breeding ground for this massive explosion that seems to grow every day, and SDMETAL is the place where artists can showcase their talent.
Raymond Melendez, Founder
SDMETAL was founded on October 6, 2002, and that mission has not changed. Versions of the same words have greeted visitors on sdmetal.com since the site’s early days, and they still describe what SDMETAL is for: a meeting place for the scene and a stage for the artists in it.
The Evolution
SDMETAL has changed its look many times, but it has always been about the San Diego scene. Here is how it got from there to here, pieced together from the site’s own archives.
2002 – 2003
The Flash Era
sdmetal.com was founded on October 6, 2002. The earliest archived version, from November 2002, greets visitors with “San Diego Local Metal” and an Enter Flash Site button. By early 2003 it had news, pictures, a message board, a chatroom, a guestbook, a mailing list and a monthly MP3 pick from a local band, plus show listings from rooms like Brick By Brick.
2004 – 2005
Built By The Scene
Band pages, an audio section, tour dates and a forum filled out the site. Show and band reviews were sent in by readers, and Raymond announced plans for SDMETAL shirts and stickers and for promoting local shows.
2006 – 2008
Forums And Radio
Local news shared the page with the forum, an events listing, the Metal Vault and an online radio stream, SDMETAL Live Radio.
2009 – 2011
San Diego’s Source For Local Metal
The site moved to WordPress under the tagline “San Diego’s Source For Local Metal.” It added tour listings, a venues page, a store, reviews and reader-submitted news, and Victor Murphy began posting metal news for the site in 2010.
2012 – 2018
The Interview Years
With a staff of writers on board, SDMETAL gave away tickets to House of Blues San Diego shows and started filming interviews for its YouTube channel. Its writers sat down with artists including Mille Petrozza of Kreator, Cremator of Ghoul (at the Soda Bar in 2014), Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian, Rudy Sarzo, Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation, Chris Broderick and Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan.
2019 – 2021
Community, Then Facebook
The site added a forum, a shop and member profiles and groups. In early 2021 its homepage announced that SDMETAL operations had moved to Facebook.
2022 – Today
Back At Full Volume
sdmetal.com came back with a new build, and its oldest surviving posts date to January 2022. Today it runs a show calendar, a venues directory, news, album and show reviews, band and venue spotlights, and member accounts.
What You’ll Find Here
Who’s Behind It
Raymond Melendez
Founder and Editor-in-Chief · San Diego, CA
Raymond started sdmetal.com and still runs it. Beyond SDMETAL he is the force behind MovieFloss and BeerAlien, covering heavy metal, film and craft beer.
Victor Murphy
Editor
Victor has been part of SDMETAL since at least 2010. His byline ran on the site’s metal news from 2010 through 2018, covering new albums, tour announcements and video premieres, and he was on the SDMETAL staff list through the early 2010s.
Past Contributors
SDMETAL has always been a team effort. These writers and interviewers helped build it:
Christian Redelsperger
Writer and video interviewer · 2012–2018
Filmed interviews with Warbringer’s John Kevill, Jay Reynolds and Mille Petrozza of Kreator in 2012, then talked with Bonded By Blood, Rudy Sarzo and Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation at NAMM, Skeletonwitch and Erik Danielsson of Watain. Also wrote album reviews and show coverage from Brick By Brick.
Karila Shannis
Video interviewer and writer · 2013–2014
Filmed interviews with 4ARM, Max and Richie Cavalera and Karl Sanders of Nile in 2013, then Skeletonwitch, Cremator of Ghoul and Fleshgod Apocalypse in 2014. Also interviewed Allegaeon and wrote album reviews. Listed on the site as Media Relations: Los Angeles.
Ethan Wick
Writer and video interviewer · 2014–2017
Interviewed Alestorm, Kamelot, Carnifex, Doyle, Chris Broderick, Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan and bands at Warped Tour 2016 and NAMM, and reviewed albums and shows.
Brendan Kahn
Writer · 2013–2014
Reviewed albums from Death Angel, Sepultura, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust and more, covered Clutch at House of Blues San Diego, and posted metal news.
Sam Gaffney
Show reviewer · 2018
Covered San Diego shows in early 2018: Scolex at the Til-Two Club, Funeral Chant at The Merrow, and Eyehategod and Wolves in the Throne Room at Brick By Brick.
Caitlin
Staff · 2013–2014
Part of the SDMETAL staff alongside Raymond Melendez, Victor Murphy, Christian Redelsperger, Karila Shannis and Brendan Kahn.
Many of their interviews are still up on the SDMETAL YouTube channel.
Be Part Of It
SDMETAL runs on the scene. Send us your shows, your news and your noise.
All the details on where to send what are on the Contact page. See you at the next show.