WHAT IN THE F IS GOING ON AT ROADRUNNER RECORDS THIS WEEK?
Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 1:00pm by Vince Neilstein
Earlier this week Earache Records was the subject of an extremely long-winded rant about the state of the metal industry. Now it’s Roadrunner’s turn.
First we get a press release announcing that Roadrunner has signed heavy rock band Hail the Villain. MS reader “Shit Sandwich” alerted us that the label also recently signed indie rockers The Jakes. Then comes the latest fracas involving Rob Zombie suddenly pushing back the release of Hellbilly Deluxe 2 saying “everything was turning into a chaotic mess” which was actually code for “I’m jumping ship to Roadrunner.” Methods of Mayhem… let’s not even go there. And the label is touting Ratt’s new record as one of its flagship releases for early 2010. I mean, I LOVES me some Ratt, but seriously?
All this following the dismissal of long-tenured A&R man Mike Gitter a few months back. Gitter brought Killswitch Engage, Opeth, Megadeth and many others onto the Roadrunner roster.
What the?!?
Times are a changin’ at Roadrunner. Rumors have been swirling for months that Roadrunner is no longer signing metal bands… and it seems like this is true. Zombie’s got legitimate metal cred, but I don’t think anyone including the label really considers him a metal act in 2009; it’ll be all about radio and MTV for that record. It seems like Roadrunner is rolling with the times and just trying to sign whatever they think will sell records, an understandable move from a business perspective but sad news to fans of a label that’s signed (and broke!) so many great metal bands.
What of all the Roadrunner employees who signed on to work at ROADFUCKINGRUNNER RECORDS and are now forced to work shlock like The Jakes? I’d imagine there’s some bizarre sentiment and hushed whispers of disapproval going around the lower ranks of foot soldiers at the Roadrunner office. I feel bad for those good folks. Like, is there anyone at the company that honestly truly 100% legitimately LIKES Methods of Mayhem and thinks they’re a great band? Come on. Having worked at a major label before I can say from experience that it is really hard to get behind a band you don’t believe in, even if your paycheck relies on it. I can just hear the radio guy pitching Methods of Mayhem to his stations and it’s making me giggle.
And what about poor Mutiny Within? They’re a super-talented band and a great group of guys who suddenly find themselves the odd band out on a label that’s way more interested in creating the next Nickelback than the next Opeth. Are they gonna get the shaft? Will the label try and stuff them down the throats of the mass populace instead of looking long-term and building a career band the way a new metal band needs? I hate to say it, but it’s hard to see that partnership working out especially now that Gitter’s out of the fold; even if he’s still managing the project, having a champion inside the building is key. It’s too bad, because the band made an awesome album that deserves a full shot.
Times change, businesses evolve, the industry is transforming… I get it. Ultimately, I can’t hold it against the top brass who are just trying to make their company profitable. It’s just always sad to see such a radical transformation in something you loved so much. I feel like I’m saying goodbye to an old friend.
As always, I’d like to hear the thoughts of our readers (but please spare us tripe garbage like “Fuck Roadrunner they’ve always sucked!!!”). Especially any RR employees out there… I’d love to know what you think, and I’d like to offer to post your thoughts on MetalSucks as a blog (anonymously, if you wish). If you’re uncomfortable commenting publicly you can always email in your thoughts too.
-VN
Rob Zombie has legitimate metal-cred? Come the fuck on dudes. I guess he has slightly more music cred than cinematic, but that’s not saying much, is it?
white zombie you fucking idiot. seems like some people forgot the time when a lot of bands were doing the industrial thing.
You’re citing White Zombie, and I’m the idiot? Nice try. It’s been nearly twenty years since Rob Zombie has been even semi-relevant and even then it was schtick-y and boring after a handful of listens.
White Zombie are legitimate groove/industrial metal.
I disagree bro. White Zombie was a bullshit fucking gimmick, just like everything Rob Zombie attaches his name to. John Tempesta is pretty rad though. Industrial??!! Adding techo beats to boring riffs doesn’t = industrial.
metal sells, but only to a certain point. i get it. as a former record label employee (not roadrunner) i can tell you that there is a fear of metal in terms of being able to get it on radio and to the masses.
“too much screaming”
“we want three and a half minute long songs”
“radio stations don’t like instrumental sections in songs”
all responses i’ve heard whle trying to market metal bands
This is the problem, they hire marketing “gurus” to tell you how to sell music. They’ve never played music in their lives, but yet they know what sells? This is why the industry is fucked!
Also, Road Runner is now part of Sony is it not? This would explain why they’re douching the label up.
Part of Warner.
Also, playing music isn’t any indicator of good business sense, nor taste.
Fuck Roadrunner they’ve always sucked!!!
haha!!!!!!!!!
I actually love alot of Roadrunner bands but that statement was fucking hilarious!!!!!!!!!
Roadrunner signing HTV is the big news here….that band will be huge come next year!
Trying to be too diverse and all things to all men. I sense trouble ahead.
and to think this is happening from a label that signed obituary, deicide, suffocation, annihilator, chimaira, cynic, sepultura… its kinda sad
maybe Dave Mustaine was right in a sense. This company is falling apart and their just giving up on all these metal acts. Maybe Slipnot and KSE will last on the label but Megadeth, Opeth, Dream Theater, Mutiny Within, Cradle Of Filth, etc.?? i dont think so
Megadeth and Dream Theater are pretty successful nowadays. Despite Mustaine’s whining, Endgame did quite well, all things considered. Those two aren’t going anywhere.
Others? I guess only time will tell.
You are completely correct?
This is the second time this has happened with this shitty label, before in the 90s when they dumped their arsenal of thrash bands for numetal. In fact wasn’t Napalm Death – Enemy of the Music Business partially written for roadrunner? Whatever, metal is a bit low key right now, have to have faith in the smaller diy labels to bring out the real talent.
I think Napalm wrote EOTMB for Earache.
I don’t really remember that happening.
RIP ROADRUNNER RECORDS WELCOME RELAPSE RECORDS AND EPITAPH RECORDS HOME OF THE LOCUST
I’ll agree here. The times are changing, and the label needs to make money in an ever-shrinking industry. In the end, most of the metal bands signed to Roadrunner will have success if they do end up leaving. Chimaira proved that you can survive post-RR, even if you weren’t at the tippy top of their totem pole Speaking of which, Slipknot certainly won’t be hurting if they bail. Maybe go the NIN/Radiohead route. But for the smaller bands, I think Mutiny Within and Taking Dawn better get themselves a good lawyer. They’re probably gonna need it soon.
I just got an email from a Roadrunner publicist about the Mutiny Within album yesterday, so they’re not planning to TOTALLY dump the record. But imagine trying to be a metal publicist right now. Who you gonna work with? There are some metal shows on satellite radio (or so I’m told), and eight zillion sites and blogs (hell, I write one), but there are only two U.S. magazines of any note, and one of ‘em just announced they’re reducing their schedule to six issues a year. How many stories are not going to be written based on that? How many bands are not going to be reviewed, let alone profiled, in Revolver and maybe Decibel? I love Decibel, but I’m amazed they’ve managed to survive without cutting back their output.
if it makes you feel better, i’ve noticed that more mainstream outlets are starting to pick up on metal. i think it’s insane that bands like shadows fall are getting exposure on television shows like late night with jimmy fallon. and as much as it may surprise you, pitchfork media has been reviewing bands like fight amp, converge & mastodon and giving them really positive reviews.
i mean, it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
Oh, and just for the record, Gitter is now at Century Media.
Roadrunner realizes that the days when nu-metal and metalcore were popular are over. Metal is going back to a somewhat underground status, and they just don’t feel like there is any profit to be made with metal bands which i think is bullshit. From what ive heard on the KSE front from someone who works at RR is that RR is unhappy with the performance of their record, and KSE is unhappy of RR’s pressure for the kind of record it was.
they’ve got to do something to replace the cash cow that Nickleback has been for the last 10 years…
I totally agree, totally. But I like HTV.
who gives a shit, I still hold out hope that record companies are a soon to be thing of the past. bands can promote themselves through the internets.
Record labels roles are changing. They are not going to go away and the concept of upstart bands promoting themselves through the internet only works to a small degree in 90% of cases.
RoadRunner? Oh yeah…Jonas Nachsin. I wonder if we will be seeing scenes (in the near future) such as this one: http://i.imagehost.org/0335/davemustaine-nachsin.jpg
Maybe Mustaine was onto something after all, eh, Vince & Axl…
No. THey did a pretty solid job with that record.
The latest KSE record was complete shit. RoadRunner had to take one of the few good mainstream metal bands and turn them into another shitty radio rock band. Adam D and only Adam D should be able to produce for KSE.
Fuck them.
Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if we hear that Roadrunner and KsE have parted ways in the next few months. Maybe they’ll follow Gitter to Century Media, maybe they’ll go the Shadows Fall route and do their own thing. Either way, they’d be better off without Roadrunner, which clearly is no longer interested in signing and promoting new metal bands, just retreads like Ratt and Rob Zombie. At least they aren’t signing shit-tastic teenybopper pop acts like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers…yet.
Yet, just you wait.
thats what the pause before the yet ment
I think he was just agreeing with you, not correcting you.
I think KSE are a bit too big for Century Media. While the new record may not have sold as much as Roadrunner hoped it would, it has sold more copies than many of the recent albums from the label’s other artists. If KSE decide to leave RR, they will most likely go to another major. Perhaps another Warner label like Atlantic or the recently revived Elektra.
So Killswitch didn’t write the songs for that albums? Or are you saying it was all down to the production.
Either way I think the album’s quality has nothing to do with Roadrunner.
Well depending on the producer and the situation, a producer can sort of be like a “silent” co-writer of the album. He might not write lyrics or riffs, but a producer can be responsible for telling a band how a lyric might get delivered, or for song structure, as well as guitar tones and drum sounds etc.
The producer worked with Howard alone on the vocals…So……..
on a side note…I wish Killswitch would bring back the heavy! I mean their heavy, but I’m talking AOJB heavy…Son of Man anyone?
I think this is a long time coming. A few years ago anything Roadrunner put out was Gospel, but they slowly let things slip away, losing bands like Chimaira, allowing relationships with already established bands like BLS and possibly Megadeth to sour. Going after anyone that they can get played on the radio. It’s hard to believe this label once had bands like Suffocation and Death on their roster.
RR was awesome… a long time ago. Now it’s safe to say that both Metal Blade and Nuclear Blast are far better metal labels. Century Media is making its way up there too, considering they stole Daath from RR. Most metal fans don’t give a shit about RR’s “metal” artists. Plus, they signed Lynyrd Skynyrd and Sammy Hagar. I hate no song more than I hate “Sweet Home Alabama” and Sammy can “Diver Down” and suck my cock. David Lee Roth is The Fucking Man. RR = Fail.
I love that Overkill record “Hello From The Gitter” I can’t believe they are dropping it from the catalog!!
Jokes aside – LOVE Mutiny Within so let’s hope that RR does see success with the bigger acts to create leverage for these guys!
Roadrunner Records: A record label I haven’t cared about in the least for a very long time.
Many years ago when I started listening to what I consider metal back then, Roadrunner was at the forefront of the record labels that I knew about. I’m not gonna lie I loved Slipknot, and to this day still love bands like Fear Factory, Soulfly, Spineshank, all of those bands that most people talk shit about now, but know that they were fans as well. I noticed a trend when Chimaira left that kinda made me rethink about the awesomeness that is roadrunner. I noticed that they barely supported some of the bands that they have signed. Don’t get me wrong, they still have some wonderful bands, Devildriver, Daath, Dream Theater, megadeth, but freaking MoM? Seriously? But the fact that so many bands have a bone to pick with RR is the tell tell sign. I guess what it comes down to is money… which like in the article stated above is understandable… its just kinda disappointing and sad.
I remember Type O negative complaining about RR constantly, even back when October Rust was selling like crazy. They wouldn’t name specifics, but would often talk about money they werent seeing, and how even when they were on huge festivals, on radio, and even MTV, that Peter Steele was still driving the same little hatchback car he had when he was a garbage man in Brooklyn.
I can’t believe this is the same label that used to boast Suffocation, Obituary, Deicide and so many other great bands.
Seriously, 10-15 years ago this label was gold for me. So many awesome releases in the early to mid 1990’s. It was always a bit more mainstream than other metal labels, even back the, but if you were a kid getting into metal in those days this label pretty much had every great gateway metal release.
Also, just checked out the Roadrunner page on Wikipedia and saw that they have Billy Talent on their roster. I don’t know how many people have heard of that band on this site but up here in Canada they’re pretty popular…and they are one of the WORST bands I’ve every heard in my life. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I would rather listen to Nickleback. So, in closing, finding out that Roadrunner has Billy Talent on their roster officially confirms that the label is dead. So I’m going to listen to Legion and remember what once was.
Just in the US I believe.
Amen. Billy Talent give me the shits big-time. I saw them live at a festival (my gf is a Canuck, what can I say) and by the end of the set my hands were balled into very tight fists because of how pissed off I was at their suckitude, and the singer’s generally smarmy stage presence.
Roadrunner has sucked balls for well over a decade.
old news is old.
I think your right besides new Megadeth and Trivium. Dream Theater is my all-time faviroute band and I love their new stuff but road runner definately changed em, but not for the worse but not for the better either.
That poses a question….Dream Theater have tried to please a label in the past (Falling Into Infinity) and so I do wonder how much pressure/influence a record label has on a bands sound! Any A&R guys willing to comment on this????????????
i dont think it will affect DT at all. The band was generally not happy with Falling Into Infinity and thus, seized control of their music. I realize that was on a different label but i dont think their attitudes will have changed at all in regards to that
Ok everyone. This is coming from an ex Roadrunner employee. I absolutely love what the company was and I can only speak of the time while I was there. Of course Roadrunner is not the same as it used to be, but are YOU the same person that YOU used to be? I want to see if anyone out there could truly do a better job than the staff at Roadrunner running a business, during a recession, and at a time where records aren’t even selling! Not one but two completely different obstacles. Not many people out there even understand what running a business is or what exactly goes into it. I still don’t even know and I’m actually doing it. That’s why many of you will just be whining employees, who are told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. But thats fine, because we need people like you.
What of all the Roadrunner employees who signed on to work at ROADFUCKINGRUNNER RECORDS and are now forced to work shlock like The Jakes? I would say if there ARE employees out there like this, these times are over. Go find a hobby other than your job. Life is too short, and times are not the same. It’s only hard at the beginning. Travel, get married, invest in the stock market, start that business that you have always wanted to start: Be free. A company can only be as successful as its employees. Every man for himself though, employees cannot blame the higher up’s at the label for not having freedom and for not being happy- that is all on them. We are the only ones responsible for our destiny.
Anyway, this also sounds an aweful like “Roadrunner is signing gay bands.” Well guess what everybody, the GAY people are the only ones out there buying fucking music anymore! I personally haven’t bought a record in ages and neither have you. You steal it all or borrow it from your friends. I (just like many of you) grew up on Cynic, Obituary, Sepultura, Deicide, and Suffocation. Do I personally think that these new bands RR are signing rule? FUCK no. But im not buyin any fuckin music and making the music industry go round. Plus I believe the job of finding your fans is totally up to the band and the with the assistance of the Record company, they help to grow it.
A smart and successful business can & will always find a way to make money. If they don’t they deserve to fail. So let the best ones thrive and survive! :)
Thats all I gotta say, peace out from the Bronx.
P.S. No one please yell at me. I never wrote on one of these boards before.
1) I’m not Gay.
2) On Tuesday, 2 great metal albums were released and I went to my local record store and bought both of them. (neither album was a RR release)
3) I think what everyone is trying to say is: Music is supposed to be art. And when a record label (that used to be the best METAL label around) starts signing bands solely because they think they can make a lot of money and not because they believe in the art, it’s disheartening.
We understand that if a business is to be successful, it must make good business decisions. When you’re dealing with art, however, it’s a different story. Why continue on as a record label if its not the label you set out to be?
Do you think all consumers are like you? Remember Mark, Your little dollars here and there for records is not enough to make the world go round. Its disheartening? That was a very emo, and thus gay thing to say. Why don’t you go fuckin volunteer to your community, give some money to charity, create jobs for the economy and maybe do something for the WORLD and not think of yourself for a minute?? Seriously get over yourself!
Have you ever been in any RR meetings, do you know what they talk about? How do you know if their business decisions are bad? What do you base that off of? How do YOU measure success? Not everyone’s view on success is the same. Business is when you believe in something, invest in it, market and promote it and get profit from it. Simple as that. Dude, cmon- do you hear how silly you sound? The art? Have you been to a museum lately? Ugh Metal boys!!!
And I don’t know why the fuck I called you MARK!
First, you come on here and say: “P.S. No one please yell at me. I never wrote on one of these boards before.” I reply with my thoughts and the first thing you do is respond like a cunt. I didn’t know using words could be gay. If we’re analyzing word use, you wrote “I never WROTE on one of these…”. It should be “I have never written…” Which says to me: You probably have never worked for RR. In fact, you probably didn’t even graduate from high school with grammar like that and you’re a dumb bitch.
I’m just saying, it’s as if one of your favorite bands who put out a bunch of good albums starts putting out shitty albums. RR used to sign good metal bands, now they don’t (my personal opinion) and most of my metal comes from Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast, etc. I’m finished.
I know Sam
She has worked for Roadrunner
I’m pretty sure she graduated high school
She’s not a dumb bitch, she’s actually pretty fucking cool.
People should get over the fact that Roadrunner changed.
Its a label. A label does not make great bands. Great bands make themselves regardless of their label. Only kinds of bands a label creates are the kind you don’t want to listen to anyways.
Anybody who has a problem with this really just doesn’t understand.
“Oh but the art…”
Its a business.
Read that sentence a few hundred times to burn into your skull.
They are there to make a profit for their employees and investors.
Does it suck? Not really. I’m sure Opeth and some of the other notable acts will be fine even if they have to find a new label.
So if nobody is buying music anymore, then why does it make sense to sign “mainstream” bands that don’t promote any kind of brand loyalty whatsoever, that are disposable.
Pulling this instant gratification “marketable” bullshit is such a gamble, because even though these bands get signed for having all of the qualitites that make chart places, that is no guarantee of success. For every 50-million selling band like Nickelback, there a 100 or more failures. Hell, look at RoadRunner’s artists list right now. It’s already strewn with bands that were presumably signed with the same idea as Nickelback in mind, but nobody knows or gives a shit who they are. There’s no reason why they failed where others succeeded, it’s just luck.
Doesn’t it, in this climate, where nobody is going to sell more records than they used to, try as hard as you can NOT to alienate the loyal fanbase that you already have? To try and continue to sign bands that may not go platinum right off the bat, but maybe will make 5 or so consistently decent-selling albums, and bring in good touring and merch revenue besides?
Shouldn’t you be trying to cultivate a loyal fanbase that will be absolutely devoted to you and eat everything that gets thrown at them? A cult of music fans who will not only follow a band through everything, but the label, too? Nickelback fans don’t give a shit about RR.
Previously, RR’s logo on a CD used to be a seal of approval. You could feel pretty safe getting a new release from the label unheard because RR was a quality label.
This is straight-up cynical, short-term cash grabbing and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it ends up hurting the label in the long run.
That doesn’t change the fact that RR blows hard nowadays.
Dude, look at the name you have yourself listed under. So do you.
FUCK YOU CUNT, I’M YELLING AT YOU, DONT WRITE ON ONE OF THESE SITE’S WITH A DEFENSIVE CLAIM AND THEN ASK NOT TO BE YELLED AT…….FUCK YOU GO CLIMB IN YOUR ILLITERATE HOLE AND DIE
lol, oh you guys. You are so pathetic :)
Sam, come by more often! You’re livening the place up a bit. :)
Seriously, Sam, you came on here all defensive as hell, throwing your opinions at us, calling us out, and then end your original statement with “Please don’t yell at me”. You threw a hand grenade into a crowded room and try to play innocent? You could have easily made your point without calling people “gay” and being so accusatory. I’m not questioning your education or “coolness”, I’m questioning your sense of tact and social aptitude.
yeah, i agree with pretty much most everything you said. i always laugh when i hear people ’sperging out, bitching, “OH MY GOD NICKELBACK??? HOW COULD THEY SIGN SUCH AN ATROCIOUS BAND??!?!” all the while ignoring the literally tens of millions of records that atrocious band has sold.
i mean, do people really think that (successful) record companies are these altruistic organizations? sorry, but if you think record labels are about anything other than selling records, you should really give your head a shake. how many times do we need to hear about labels (major and independent) screwing over their bands before we realize this?
You all seem to be forgetting the major point, RR roster is becoming weaker every day.
Methods of Mayhem are suppose to sell records? They went platinum at the height of rap-metal’s popularity, but that was almost 10 years ago. Is it now retro-popular? Is rap-metal the next big swell in the music industry? Please tell me it ain’t so!!!!
Regardless, the label is turning over a new leaf, and in my opinion, it’s a shit covered leaf infested with pseudo-rock bands with bad haircuts and even worse sounds. Here lies what use to be a wonderful label, one that won the “Best Metal Label” by Metal Hammer at their Golden Gods Awards multiple years in a row and a label I use to love.
RIP the RR records I knew.
Just to start, I’m only 18 and I know I may not “understand” the world as well as someone older than myself but I think I get it well enough for my my own perception. Everything you said is right and I agree with you, and at the same time I also understand what your detractors are saying. Business is business and art is art, and I suppose at the end of the day they shouldn’t even mix in the first place, but the fact remains that they do. That being said, I personally believe that the art is lost from music, becoming a product no more artisitc then a television set or a refrigorator, and this progressive stagnation and decay of the musical “art” is what these people are talking about. At the same time RR is a business, and a successful business at that, and given the situation and background of those of higher power in the company, I can only assume I would make a similar decision. They want to suceed and reach a higher level of success in general.
Now after all that I want to make it very known that success is like beauty, and changes based on those who gaze upon it. I am a musician and a lyricist and success for me is not even remotely similar to that of a record label person. I am not out to make money or have things, I just want to fill my life with experiences and people who make my happy, and I get there with the aid of my love of music. In my day to day life, other than family and friends, music before technology, cars, big houses or anyhting of this nature are what influence me to make my decisons. And no its isn’t because I’m 18. If RR big shots choose to live their live as most due, that is completely fine I judge them not, BUT I happen to think there is at least one person who thinks like I do, and chances are, they consider themselves an artist. They love to produce their art and live to do what they love, and from that point of view, RR sucks.
Point being, perception changes everything. I’m wrong, when it comes to you. Your wrong when it comes to me. Art is being fucked in the ass by businessmen, while businessmen are just trying to live the way they would like to live. So be it.
P.S. even at 18 I know its cowardly to ask not to be attacked and to therefore attack someone.
as you said at least once in your other comments, come on. Grow up.
*becoming a product more and more not no more,
lol nevermind…
“Zombie’s got legitimate metal cred”
LOL
I’d rather see them go the way of the SPV than turn into something shitty!
Metal or not, that Hail the Villain band is pretty damn good based on the stuff from their myspace. And they’re from Oshawa too.
fuck oshawa. fuck ontario. the whole province is a shithole.
I’ve seen them live. Their vocalist may be a bit too spastic and over the top but they do put on a great show and have some good tunes.
Whatever you say, RR still does a fantastic job in promoting bands. Labels like MB, CM, NB were, are not on the same level with it. I really hate the way labels sign a bunch of good bands and then act like” Everything is done. The rest…go figure.” That being said, RR sucks for wishing everything becoming a radio hit.
I kinda agree with Vince on the 360 degree deal now… Maybe this tragedy won’t happen if labels can make some profits from merchs, tours and such to relieve slump in record sales. I’m not sure whether it benefits bands though…Well, here in Asia, there’re really some big record labels (actually like entertainment groups, Avex group for one) having their own management Inc. marketing Inc, broadcasting Inc, Live Inc and so on, which all serve their artists. I mean, they just gain money from everywhere you can imagine, rather than relying on record sales. Hopefully, some day this can be realized for a metal label. I don’t think I’m dreaming.
Thanks for making contributions to letting more people into metal, RR. Your job is done.
Metal is underground yet not dead. Period.
God, I just hope Opeth keeps making records and can find a good label if something happens to them and Roadrunner. Then the world of metal would still be amazing.
Bless Roadrunner, they’ve always rocked!
Owned.
To me, Roadrunner were always one of the premier metal labels out there. Look at the bands that once adorned their roster. Death, Annihilator etc. We all witnessed the slow ’sell-out’ process when Roadrunner started signing bands which people found hard to classify as metal. But even then, bands like Megadeth, Opeth and Dream Theater signed on and it seemed, at least to me, that they were sort of balancing out their roster. They weren’t a premier metal label for most part anymore, but they had some of the most highly talented metal bands on their list. Now, it’s a whole different story. I understand this from a business perspective, I guess that causes the dilemma between sticking to your roots and trying to make a few bucks. The question is, are Roadrunner even aware of that supposed dilemma?
oh, they know. they just don’t care. they’re too busy swimming in all of that nickelback cash.
Dresden Dolls
I haven’t had much love for Roadrunner bands in quite some time, but that’s not saying they didn’t have great bands at one time. I like the Zombie signing, but I like Rob Zombie. I really dug Educated Horses, even though it didn’t sound like a normal White Zombie/Early Rob Zombie record. It was different, but it still had John 5 shredding.
To that though, there are much better labels out there with tons of great metal bands on it. Hydra Head, Southern Lord, Nuclear Blast, Century Media and of course Metal Blade (there are always more of course ) will always (hopefully) continue to put out heavy-as-fuck records by great bands.
White Zombie are cool, but Rob should stick to his kick ass movies. Road Runner should stick to it’s kick ass metal. We have enough Nickelback Clones out there. Even Godsmack’s new crap Whiskey Hangover sounds like they have been sniffing Nickelbacks ass. When did metal care about the winning the redneck crowd? Outside of some Pantera fans of course. You guys can stay. I guess all good things die, including Road Runner.
I’m 20 yrs old. I got into metal in the Nu-metal era. Slipknot, Lamb of god, Kittie, Unearth and all those bands ruled my life. I matured and got older and now I’m more into Death metal than anything(DECAPITATED!!!!)….Growth is positive. Still, I see people screaming it’s just a business which is true, but the content in which they sell is not for “business” minded people. It’s music, whether it’s Nickel Back or Suffocation they’re selling art. Something to relax you, inspire you or w/e you get from music. It would be in RR’s best interest to thing beyond dollars and cents. Because this economy will pull through and when it does if they’re line-up isn’t worth spending money on…Then what? So, signing all these new bands that we all know are shitty only means one thing…They’re moving on. I personally feel like the cheated on spouse, but still we all have to move on. RR will do their thing and it will fail or it will be success. Either way none of it could have happen without Metal and that’s really what it’s all about…It’s about the Legacy. As for the ppl that signed on to work with “Road fucking records” they have every right to an opinion and the right to voice it. They’re employee’s the company wouldn’t be shit without them…You can always say there is another person waiting to fill a spot, but is that person gonna’ Kill for you like the one you fired, especially if your business is changing? Metal is in a lull point, it will re-surface again. Music is nothing but a big circle.
well spoken. I’m in the same boat as you, and its hard to see the scene you’ve loved for so long be raped and left behind by the big guys. Metal always does better when its underground though. Screamo-crunk signified the end of the major label metal band being good, to me.
Im not sure what record labels talk about…but obviously CD sales are not making them money anymore…so maybe they should market other ways……Radiohead obviously let the fans choose how much to buy their cd for and they made pretty good money I hear….Does anyone really know the percentage of profit that labels make off of cd’s, vs. merch…Where do they make most of their money? I’m sure it differs from label to label, band to band, but generally, what are the major differences!!!!!!!!!!!!
it sickens me how none of you know wat the FUCK your talking about. Mutiny Within’s debut is coming out feb of 2010 so any fucking idiot who says ‘oh theyre planning on dumping the record..get a good lawyer..bla fuckin bla’ can suck my personal cock. Theyre single is the main page on the roadrunner site as we speak and just listen for yourselves you fuckin ingrates, its fuckin amazing and all you jerkoffs who think ur in the industry better realize ur worthless
uh oh MS – Is Century Media next under the microscope?
I agree with Sam. I know her & can say she’s right on the money. It’s sad but the music industry is just that. It’s a business.. an industry, and it moves with the times. Though there is still a demand for it, there isn’t the same monetary backing for harder, heavier music that there is for tunes that big businesses can put their support behind. The last Nickelback tour was partially sponsored by Microsoft. Do you realize the amount of $$ they shelled out for that?
Do you really think that any other bands who are heavier than that could have gotten such a sponsor? If you answer yes to this, you are an idiot and should go die in a fire. The correct answer is No.
It’s a sad state of affairs.. but the world we live in is pretty sad.
Oh and btw- I wanna bang Samantha
Yeah, she has some valid points, but she could’ve made them without being a raging cunt. She opened fire like we ran over her dog or something. Totally uncalled for. Yeah, so are my comments.
I’m no industry genius, but I’m the guy that EVERY record label needs to shut up and listen to. I’m a fuckin consumer. I’m willing to spend cash for a cd. But I’m not buyin the bullshit that RR is passin off these days. They need to get there heds outta there asses and actually try to find out what people want, instead of tryin to tell us what we want.