Mascot Records Celebrates 35 Years with Bold New Era

Mascot Records marks its 35th anniversary in 2025 with a dynamic rebrand and fresh visual identity, reflecting a future-focused A&R strategy that’s redefining rock and metal for a new generation.

Since 1990, Mascot has been home to heavy-hitters and breakout talent alike. Over the past three years, the label has surged forward with acclaimed releases from rising stars like Conquer Divide, Calva Louise, Dragged Under, and Any Given Sin, alongside established titans such as Black Stone Cherry, P.O.D., 10 Years, and seen the return of Dinosaur Pile-Up.

Ed van Zijl, Founder and CEO of Mascot Label Group, comments:

“We’re still 100 percent independent after 35 years, and the energy within the team has never been stronger. Our roots are in rock and metal, and while we’ve evolved over the years, the guitar remains at the center of everything we do. With digital now leading the way, we’ve restructured, rebranded, and doubled down on what we believe in most—great music with real impact.”

2025 saw UK alt-rock heroes Dinosaur Pile-Up return after six years with I’ve Felt Better, their first release on Mascot. Following a run of sold-out UK shows, they’re now headed across the U.S. with A Day to Remember and Yellowcard and will play on Shiprocked 2026.

Genre-blending Danish-Swedish outfit VOLA are a breakout success story. Since their 2018 debut, they’ve racked up over 115 million streams, toured across Europe, the Americas, and now set sights on Australia in 2026.

Fresh sounds are at the label’s core. Venezuela/New Zealand/France genre-melding metallers Calva Louise’s explosive Edge of the Abyss has broken them into the mainstream with major radio support and millions of streams across Europe. They continue to tour both Europe and the U.S.

10 Years continues their streaming dominance with over 1.6 billion global streams. Their Inner Darkness EP has surpassed 45 million streams, while their new Florence + The Machine cover, “No Light, No Light,” kicked off their 20th Anniversary “Autumn Effect Tour.”

Southern rock legends Black Stone Cherry are nearing a decade with the label. With five studio albums with Mascot — including 2023’s Screamin’ at the Sky, which delivered three U.S. Active Rock hits, and has surpassed 31 million streams — they continue to headline festivals and pack out arenas globally. Their new EP Celebrate drops in March 2026, led by first single “Neon Eyes.”

Metal/Rock icons P.O.D. have kept global momentum with Mascot Records releases Circles and VERITAS, the latter featuring Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) and Tatiana Shmayluk (Jinjer), and boasting over 67 million streams to date. They just released their new single “Don’t Let Me Down,” a Beatles cover, and they are currently on a big U.S. tour with Seether and Daughtry, and just announced a headline tour of Brazil in December.

Hard rockers Any Given Sin are on a meteoric rise with debut album, War Within, amassing over 56 million streams and three #1 hits on SXM Octane. They’re about to release a new single, “Through Hell,” that will be featured in the indie horror film, The Barn 3.

Ron Burman, President of Mascot Records North America, comments:

“Mascot has always championed rock and metal that resonates worldwide. Next year marks our biggest and most consistent release schedule yet—and I couldn’t be more excited about where we’re headed.”

Seattle’s punk and post-hardcore outfit Dragged Under have hit major festivals like Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Slam Dunk, Hellfest, Download and more, while notching 80 million streams and headline tours across North America and Europe, and support tours with Bless The Fall, Beartooth, Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil, and The Used.

UK metalcore rising stars Defects unleashed one of 2024’s most raw and powerful debut albums, tearing up major festivals like Slam Dunk, Rock am Ring, Download, and Graspop. They’ve shared stages with Of Mice & Men, Bullet for My Valentine, and In Flames, solidifying their spot as a force to watch.

With HQ in Rotterdam and teams in NYC, London, Italy, Germany, France, and beyond, Mascot is building a global infrastructure to match its digital momentum. With the recent hire of Spotify’s former Head of Rock & Metal, Renaud Doucet, the label’s digital-first strategy is already paying off.

Managing Director, Rikkert Dahmen, says:

“We’ve grown the digital team to better meet the demands of today’s industry, and this is reflected in the successes we’ve been seeing. Our streaming has considerably increased over the last few years, and there’s been exciting highlights for Mascot Records bands all over the place.”

New Mascot Records signings include THE HARA, who bring a high-voltage mix of alt-rock and electronics, fueled by relentless touring and raw attitude. Their genre-smashing debut album, The Fallout, drops January 2026.

Florida metallers Afterlife have racked up 140K+ TikTok followers and scored three #1s on Sirius XM Octane with their hit “Throat.” With 17 million streams and tours alongside Ice Nine Kills, Dayseeker, and Zero 9:36, they’re just getting started.

Kingdom Collapse are pure rock adrenaline—four back-to-back #1 Octane hits have seen them hit the road in the US with From Ashes to New, Fire From the Gods, Nothing More, 10 Years, Non-Point, Saliva, Hinder and many more.

Mascot Records — the home of the riff — is built on a legacy of loud. With a history of releasing albums by heavyweights such as Volbeat, Black Label Society, Crobot, Fozzy, and Gojira in their ranks, the future isn’t just bright… It’s louder than ever.