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Re: ROADRUNNER RECORDS Fully Acquired By WARNER MUSIC GROUP - Nov. 11, 201
BLABBERMOUTH.NET
According to Billboard.biz, Warner Music Group has fully acquired Roadrunner Records after first buying 73.5% of the company in January 2007.
Roadrunner — which has been hosting the BLABBERMOUTH.NET web site since 2001 — will continue to operate as a distinct brand within WMG. Cees Wessels, the label's founder, remains CEO.
In an internal memo to staff, Wessels wrote: "Since joining the Warner Music family, we have enjoyed some of our greatest creative and commercial successes as a label. Most importantly, we have retained our unique identity while also expanding our horizons, thanks in part to the tremendous expertise and experience we can tap into as part of the Warner Music family and the relationships we have built with our Warner Music colleagues around the world. I am very proud that Roadrunner is now a fully-fledged stable mate of such iconic labels as Atlantic, Warner Bros. Records, Elektra, Asylum and Rhino, and I believe that we are in this position thanks to our team's hard work and consistently original approach over the years. The vast majority of our staff around the world will experience little or no change to their roles. However, after carefully reviewing our operations, we have decided to transfer the support functions across to our Warner Music colleagues in some territories. This is not an easy process to undertake, but we believe that, by making these changes, we can take Roadrunner to the next level by focusing our resources on marketing our existing lineup of acclaimed artists as well as discovering the stars of tomorrow."
Initially founded in the Netherlands in 1980, Roadrunner Records has earned its place as one of the most prominent international independent record labels. The Roadrunner catalog boasts early releases from such seminal artists as KING DIAMOND, TYPE O NEGATIVE, SEPULTURA and ANNIHILATOR. More recently, the label has experienced unprecedented success with multi-platinum artists NICKELBACK and SLIPKNOT, gold-certified STONE SOUR and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, as well as modern heavy hitters TRIVIUM and MACHINE HEAD.
Re: ROADRUNNER RECORDS Fully Acquired By WARNER MUSIC GROUP - Nov. 11, 201
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadrunner_Records
History
The label was launched in 1980 as "Roadracer Records" in the Netherlands. Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986 Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in New York City and later opened offices in Wales, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Denmark and the latest in Canada. Early successes included albums from King Diamond (the first Roadrunner artist to enter the Billboard Top 200 albums chart) and Annihilator. The label also handled early Metallica releases in the Scandinavian region. The end of the 1980s saw the release of two albums that are now considered classics of their respective genres: Obituary's Slowly We Rot and Sepultura's Beneath the Remains.
The 1990s saw the arrival of acts such as Life of Agony, Machine Head, Suffocation and Type O Negative. As the 1990s wore on, several of Roadrunner's bands managed to make an impact on the mainstream, most notably Sepultura and Type O Negative. Sepultura's 1993 album, Chaos A.D., became the first Roadrunner band to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard album chart. Type O Negative became the first Roadrunner band to receive a certification from the RIAA; this was a Gold award (and later Platinum award) for the 1993 album Bloody Kisses, which was certified in 1995. The band also became the first Roadrunner band to receive radio play. In 2000, Slipknot became the first Roadrunner band to go Platinum. Nickelback were also very successful on the label (except they were on another label at home in Canada). Derek Shulman ran the label in the late '90s.
Beginning in 2001, Roadrunner was distributed by the Universal Music Group through a share of the label owned by The Island Def Jam Music Group. This deal has now expired.
On December 18, 2006, Warner Music Group signed an agreement to purchase a majority in shares (73.5%) of Roadrunner Records' parent company, Roadrunner Music Group B.V.[1] This deal became finalized on January 29, 2007 after receiving regulatory approval in Germany.[2]
On June 11, 2008, Roadrunner Records was voted as the "Best Metal Label" by Metal Hammer at their Golden Gods Awards,[3] an award that it has won the past four years in a row. The award was accepted by Sharon Den Adel and Ruud Jolie of Within Temptation, one of Roadrunner's biggest acts.
However, Roadrunner has also been accused of being a label only interested in current or trendy alternative music, reflected by their current roster of mainly popular and metalcore acts. The most notable example of this is the treatment of the main death and thrash metal bands on Roadrunner's roster throughout the 90s including Obituary[4][5], Deicide[6], Death[7], Gorguts and Pestilence[8] who were either dropped or left the label after ill treatment. One of the earliest names on the label, King Diamond[9] (who was originally signed to then-Roadracer with the legendary Mercyful Fate[10] before embarking his solo act), left the label due to alleged lack of promotional support for the 1990 King Diamond[9] release, The Eye[11]. Type O Negative[12] left Roadrunner in 2006 following a dispute over the label releasing a "hits" compilation, The Best of Type O Negative[13], without prior notification to the band, which led them to accept a more appealing offer from SPV Records[14]. More recently, in 2008 punk cabaret chanteuse Amanda Palmer was told by the label that they wanted to re-edit her video for "Leeds United" to make her look slimmer, causing a firestorm on the Internet from fans. On April 6, 2010, Palmer announced on her Twitter account that Roadrunner had dropped her.[15] The most recent complaints about Roadrunner have come from one of the label's biggest bands Megadeth[16].
Roadrunner Records was majorly affected by Warner Music Group's legal dispute against YouTube, including having their account's YouTube partnership canceled. Most of the videos on their channel, however, are still viewable. There is even a disclaimer talking about Warner's dispute right on the channel.
On November 11, 2010, Warner Music Group announced they had acquired the remaining of Roadrunner's stock. Roadrunner will continue to operate as a distinct brand within WMG, according to sources. Cees Wessels, the label's founder, remains CEO. [17]
[edit] Discography
* The Heart of Roadrunner Records (2000)
* Freddy vs. Jason (soundtrack) (2003)
* Roadrunner United - The All-Stars Sessions (Album) (2005)
* The End (Single) (2005)
* Two from the Vault album series no
* Forged in Steel (2007)
* Annual Assault (2008)
* Between Rock and a Hard Place (2008)
* Roadrunner United: The Concert DVD (2008)
* Annual Assault (2009)
* God of War: Blood & Metal EP (2010)
[edit] Signed bands and previous artists
Main article: List of Roadrunner Records artists
* Shihad (2010–present)
* Alter Bridge (2010–present)
* Slipknot (1999–present)
* Kiss (2009–present)
* Grand Magus (2009–present)[18]
* Nickelback (2000–present)
* Christy Moore (1986)
* Phantom Blue (1989)
* Machine Head (1994–present)
* Soulfly (1998–present)
* Kids in Glass Houses (2007–present)
* Dry Kill Logic (2000–2003)
* Killswitch Engage (2001–present)
* Within Temptation (2001–present)
* downthesun (2002–2003)
* DevilDriver (2002–present)
* Stone Sour (2002–present)
* Murderdolls (2003–present)
* Cradle of Filth (2004–2010)
* DragonForce (2005–present)
* Opeth (2005–present)
* Delain (2005–present)
* Trivium (2005–present)
* Madina Lake (2006–2010)
* Megadeth (2006–present)
* Black Stone Cherry (2006–present)
* CKY (2006–present)
* Dream Theater (2006–present)
* Porcupine Tree (2007–present)
* Airbourne (2008–present)
* Collective Soul (2008–present)
* Funeral for a Friend (2008–present)
* Dommin (2008–present)
* Mutiny Within (2008–present)
* Slash (2009)[19]
* Rob Zombie (2009–present)
* Lynyrd Skynyrd (2009–present)
* Billy Talent (2009–present)
* Ratt (2009–present)
* Methods of Mayhem (2009–present)
* Takida (2009–present)
* Taking Dawn (2009–present)
* Berri Txarrak (2009–present)
* The Red Shore (2009–present)
* Royseven (2009–present)
* Lamb of God (International Releases) (2009–present)
* Bleeding Through (2010–present)
* Deez Nuts (2010–present)
* Korn (2010–present)
* Underoath (International Releases) (2010–present)
* Avenged Sevenfold (2010-present)
[edit] See also
