Judge it based on whichever criteria you want (catalog, hit-to-miss ratio, label ethics, etc.).

Napalm Death
Bolt Thrower
Carcass
Godflesh
Morbid Angel
Sleep
Deicide
Cathedral
Municipal Waste
Brutal Truth
A.C.

Yeah, that's a big ol' NC right here, buddy.

Easy NC, despite the enormous waffles of Dig.

Pfffff…duh….

Not Crap just for Scorn, Painkiller, and Sleep.

Generally great until around Mosh 130 / 140 when a toxic mix of general scene malaise, misplaced attempts to diversify into extreme techno and an inability to pick a commercial winner basically robbed them of their mojo. In hindsight, it was such a shame the Columbia distribution deal flopped - all that great music but the kids just didn't bite...

But until that point it was as if they were releasing a classic every few weeks. I'd put Earache's glory days up there w/ SST, T&G - their punk attitude / aesthetic really stood out in the metal world, where even the indie labels were more ensconced in music biz norms.

Also enjoyed Dig's "Ask Earache" blog back in those internet v.1 days.

N.C

They put out a lot of crap later, but Earache's legacy is beyond reproach. As previously stated, they were the SST of extreme metal.