Century Media Records
| Century Media Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment (Sony) |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Status | active |
| Distributor(s) |
RED Distribution (U.S) Sony Music (worldwide) |
| Genre | Heavy metal, extreme metal, hard rock, punk rock |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Location | Dortmund (Germany) (headquarters), Hawthorne, California |
| Official website |
centurymedia |
Century Media Records is a metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music Entertainment for US $17 million.[1]
Background
Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oliver Withöft in Dortmund, Germany in 1988 and has gone on to launch the careers of bands such as Arch Enemy, Architects, Butcher Babies, Eyehategod, God Forbid, Iced Earth, In This Moment, Lacuna Coil, Moonspell, Nevermore, Shadows Fall, Suicide Silence, The Gathering, Tiamat, Unleashed, Warbringer, and Winds of Plague. The label specializes in many different styles of heavy metal music.[2]. Century Media is also home to In Flames, Napalm Death, and Queensrÿche. Iconic hardcore punk band Sick of It All also resides in the Century Media family.
Today Century Media Records is recognized around the globe as a dominating force within their specialized market and one of the world's premier labels for metal, hard rock and hardcore. Despite all this the legend of Century Media Records began quite humbly, like so many, when in 1988 the singer of German thrash/crossover band Despair opted to take the higher road and self-release his band's debut album. In hindsight the ironically titled History of Hate started a legacy that saw vocalist Robert Kampf give fellow scenesters and countrymen a vehicle to release their music to the then unsuspecting European population. While names like Liar, Crows, Poltergeist and Rumble Militia may have never become household these early efforts allowed the then fledgling Century Media to find its legs and begin working with other of the continent's leading underground acts. Most notably Holland's Asphyx, Germany's Morgoth and especially the Swedish triumvirate of Unleashed, Grave and Tiamat. These five bands began to define Century Media, as well as a new sound and scene that was developing, thus Century Media was instrumental in fostering the death metal sound of the early Nineties.
This success and identity went hand-in-hand with the label opening a US office and the signing of domestic acts like New York's Demolition Hammer and then Florida's Iced Earth. Iced Earth were unlike what was perceived happening at the time but European audiences ate up the band's more traditional sound and the group's fanbase quietly grew helping persuade a stylistic shift in scenes years later. These moves firmly cemented the company's foothold as a legitimate label on both sides of the Atlantic and made any band from anywhere feel like they could get their music properly promoted and distributed in the world's key markets, as well as touring opportunities in both continents. Despite their efforts, the early- to mid-Nineties proved tough for metal, as the pendulum swung back with people turning coat with the advent of grunge and alternative and "metal" became a bad word too many with most of the traditional supportive avenues expired.
Century Media continued to staunchly support heavy music and diversified further but aside from the signing of the reformed Cro-Mags and the underrated Only Living Witness, on top of the continuance of the above key artists, not much was worth noting. Nonetheless, the label continued its firm belief and worked against the tides staunchly supporting metal and in its varied styles building the brand of "diversity in extremes" and securing relationships with cutting-edge acts like Nevermore, Eyehategod, Stuck Mojo, Strapping Young Lad alongside the development of Iced Earth on the US side while fostering a new sound and style overseas with the more gothic leaning metal signings of Moonspell and The Gathering. This European sound was already championed in large to the continuous progression of the aforementioned Tiamat, as well as Switzerland's Samael and Finland's Sentenced, who all continued to trade in their more extreme black/death past into a more avant-garde and/or melodic style. These developing bands and new signings revolutionized the company and the metal scene overall. Century Media's insight also proved fortunate in making available burgeoning European bands to American audiences and CM was key in introducing and developing licensed acts like Mayhem, Emperor, Satyricon, Opeth, Marduk, Nightwish, Blind Guardian and Katatonia.
Century Media were again at the forefront of stylistic shifts, in these cases releasing black metal as well as more orchestrated, bombastic strains. Century Media always reinvested in not only new signings and better promotion and touring but also in staff and in opening new offices around the world in such spots as England, Holland, France, Italy, Sweden, Australia, and Brazil as well as securing more and more licensing and distribution opportunities so that virtually no area of the globe was unrepresented. Always aiming to learn from their mistakes and repeat their successes CM's forward thinking, aggressive development, key relationships, and stellar reputation continued securing important signings and the company nurtured some of these bands to their biggest sales successes to date, namely Lacuna Coil, Shadows Fall, and Arch Enemy.
In the past 20 years Century Media has not only revolutionized Heavy Metal by working with some of the scene's greatest musicians but also in the way that labels operate. CM has stood firmly by the ups and downs of continually changing economic and political market places and more directly shifting tides in consumer tastes and always standing strong and holding the banner for a valuable art form and means of expression. Always at the forefront with an active role in emerging stylistic nuances CM has truly shattered the barriers and exemplified diversity in extremes while remaining rooted in the underground but giving bands opportunities outside of the normal means with major league international touring, commercial radio play, and music placement in high-profile films, TV and commercials. Despite all of the years and breakthroughs the company maintains their organic, family feel and business is still being conducted by fans of the music for fans of the music. [3]
Success
Lacuna Coil's 2002 album, Comalies, became Century Media's first act to crack the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 178 two years after its release. Their fourth album, Karmacode, improved on that achievement, having sold over 490,000 copies since its release, and peaking at No. 28 on the US Billboard Album Chart. It hit number one on the Top Independent Albums Chart. Shadows Fall experienced its greatest success during its time with the label. Shadows Fall's 2004 album, The War Within, set a new milestone for the label with a Top 20 debut on the Billboard 200 and also debuted at number one on the Independent Albums chart, having sold over 300,000 copies since its release. The song "What Drives the Weak" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2006. Other notable artists on the label that have also made appearances on the Billboard 200 include In This Moment, Arch Enemy, Stuck Mojo, Behemoth, Strapping Young Lad, Suicide Silence, God Forbid and Skinlab. The Finnish band Sentenced were awarded on August 14, 2008 for their platinum Buried Alive DVD labelled by Century Media.
Distribution
In April 2009, the label announced that they were extending their existing distribution deal with EMI, who had been distributing their releases in the United States since 1997, and in Europe since 2005, to include Australasia. Since being bought out by Sony Music in August 2015, the label's releases will be distributed worldwide by Sony Music while RED will be distributing the label's releases in the U.S.[4]
Another Century
In late 2014 Robert Kampf, founder of Century Media Records, launched a new hard rock-focused label named Another Century. This label is leaning away from straight-up metal of Century Media and looking to make a name for itself as a premiere hard rock label. Kampf, who started Century Media Records back in 1988, said in a statement that it’s his, “undying love for rock” that led to the formation of the new label, and he hopes to, “develop and break the best bands in rock.”[5]
Robert Kampf was quoted on his new label: Twenty five years after starting Century Media the excitement to do another version of the label could not be any larger. My undying love for rock has driven the formation of this label ANOTHER CENTURY. Over the years great bands like Otherwise and In This Moment have been released on Century Media but sometimes got lost or felt ill mixed among some of the heavier CM bands. Another Century now has a clear path and mission statement: To develop and break the best bands in rock to come![6]
The label has since acquired breakout bands New Years Day (band), 9Electric, Like A Storm, Awaken The Empire, and Stitched Up Heart.[7]
Century Black
During the mid to late 1990s, Century Media had a label offshoot called Century Black, which served to be the "Miramax Films" of black metal, releasing or re-releasing hard-to-find black metal albums that normally would be near impossible to find in America (usually released under smaller labels such as Malicious Records or Candlelight Records). By 2000 the Century Black label was discontinued, seeing as more than a few bands under that label either moved on to other labels, changed their musical direction, or became part of the actual "Century Family".
Abacus Records
Abacus Records was an imprint of Century Media created in 2002, signing mostly metalcore bands. On July 24, 2007, it was reported that Abacus Records had shut down.[8]
Spotify controversy
In August 2011 Century Media decided to pull all of their acts from Spotify, an online music streaming service, citing this as "an attempt to protect the interests of their artists". Metal blog MetalSucks[9] criticized Century Media in a post, which was later replied to by the label in an email.[10] On July 30, 2012, Century Media Records made their entire catalog available on Spotify again after "impressive debates and messages from fans" and discussions with Spotify.[11]
Death of Oliver Withöft
On January 21, 2014, it was reported that co-founder Oliver Withöft had died after a long period of illness. Tributes were paid to him by Monte Connor, head of US A&R for Nuclear Blast Records, Nachtmystium's Blake Judd and Sumerian Records publicist George Vallee (a former employee of Century Media), among others. He is survived by his wife Judith and their 3 daughters.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/is-this-the-next-big-major-label-acquisition/
- ↑ CMR Statement (Accessed July 15, 2007)
- ↑ http://centurymedia.com/label.aspx
- ↑ "CENTURY MEDIA Extends EMI Deal Down Under". idiomag. 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ http://www.metalinsider.net/news/century-media-founder-launches-another-century
- ↑ http://substreammagazine.com/2014/08/century-media-records-founder-launches-another-century-records/
- ↑ http://www.anothercentury.com/artists.aspx
- ↑ "Abacus Recordings shuts down". Lambgoat. July 24, 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ↑ Neilstein, Vince (August 8, 2011). "CENTURY MEDIA PULLS OUT OF SPOTIFY, BURIES HEADS IN THE SAND". Metal Sucks. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ↑ Neilstein, Vince (August 9, 2011). "CENTURY MEDIA RESPONDS TO SPOTIFY UPROAR: VINCE RESPONDS TO CENTURY MEDIA". Metal Sucks. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ↑ "CENTURY MEDIA Artists back on SPOTIFY". Blabbermouth.net. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ Ryan J. Downey. "Oliver Withöft, Century Media Records Co-Owner, Dies Aged 49". Retrieved 21 February 2014.