METAL BLADE RECORDS is bringing its four-decade catalog into virtual space, joining KnuckleBonz360, a new digital collectibles platform, with a dedicated 3D world called "The Metal Blade Crypt."
KnuckleBonz360 is built around its "BackStage Experience," letting fans explore immersive 3D environments built from iconic band imagery, connect with other users, play mini-games and shop for collectibles inside more than 20 branded worlds set to launch throughout 2026. The Metal Blade Crypt will be one of them, positioned as a space celebrating the label's roster of heavy music artists since its founding more than 40 years ago.
Alongside the virtual world, the partnership includes a physical and digital collectible dubbed the "KnuckleBonz x Metal Blade Reaper" — a limited, hand-crafted piece available as a numbered statue with a certificate of authenticity, open for pre-sale at launch, alongside a digital version available immediately once the platform goes live.
"Bringing that legacy into an immersive 3D world feels like a natural and exciting evolution," said Metal Blade founder and CEO Brian Slagel. KnuckleBonz CEO Tony Simerman echoed the sentiment, noting that "the artwork, the logos, and the heaviness are as iconic as anything on a record sleeve," framing the collaboration as an extension of the same visual culture that has long defined metal merchandise into a newer, interactive format.
The Metal Blade Crypt is set to launch alongside the wider KnuckleBonz360 platform this summer, with a waitlist already open at knucklebonz360.com. Pricing for the physical Reaper statue has not yet been announced.
For a label that built its reputation on physical releases and elaborate cover art — from CANNIBAL CORPSE to KING DIAMOND to ARMORED SAINT — the move into an interactive 3D format marks a notable step into newer collector territory, betting that the label's decades of iconography can translate as effectively to a screen-based "backstage" as it has to a record shop shelf.