RoadRunner Gone!!!

scudzilla

I've just heard that RoadRunner has closed all it's European offices!!

I can't find links at moment as mobile but this is horrific news for European Metal.

I GUARANTEE that all of you metalheads who read this will have owned at least 10 RoadRunner realeases at some point.

Will post more news when I can, unless someone else has good internet connection

Nea

Nothing mentioned on their FB page.
Shít news if its true, some great bands on their label

Furious-Red

Rumours that the European and UK offices of the huge Roadrunner Records label are shutting down are flying around the Internet today, something which could affect some of the biggest names in metal and rock.

While nothing official has been confirmed by the label as of yet, the story has been popping up across the net, with the most common belief being that parent company Warner Music Group has decided to shut down the UK and European offices of Roadrunner Records in a 'bid to save money'.

But, while it is unconfirmed, Matt Heafy, frontman of Trivium - a band signed to the label - wrote on his Twitter minutes ago: "I wish I knew who or what to blame specifically, and chew off it's heads - but Roadrunner records just fired some of their best employees. I don't know if it's corporate greed or it's due to the fact that no one puts value in physical art and that piracy created a domino effect."

He continued: "But our friends who are being tossed away so quickly by the label are now out of jobs. These people helped bands get where they are today.Wanna defend piracy? Do what you do for me and 10,000 others for free. Whatever your trade is - give me that for free or You're a jerk.

"My heart goes out to my friends who have been delivered this awful news today. You helped us get where we are. You're in our thoughts."

The move would be very sad news to the music industry, and in particular the rock and metal scene, who've already seen the cancellation of this year's Sonisphere Festival due to poor ticket sales.

It's unknown whether, if the news turns out to be true, how it will affect any of the artists on their roster – Roadrunner Records UK is the home of some huge bands, including Trivium, Slipknot, Slash, Nickelback, KISS, Kids in Glass Houses and more.

http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/172217/9

Joe_Dull

:eek:

NO!

devildriver

True, I'm afraid.

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/layoffs-at-roadrunner-records-founder-ceo-1006893352.story

Sad day. A lot of people have lost their jobs.

Malice

Seems a bit strange. I wonder what the reasons are. More economic doom and gloom?

cena

Don't they have the likes of slipknot, slayer and nickelback on there rankings.

Never understood way nickel were on that label.

devildriver

I don't think there's any real mystery as to the reasons. It was a decision by Warner Music Group who own the label outright after purchasing it in late 2010.

To cut costs they've just shut all of the Roadrunner offices worldwide where Warner already has a presence. All admin functions will now be handled by WMG and probably Atlantic Records. They are retaining marketing, A+R and some other staff in New York so at least some people with a knowledge of hard rock and metal will still be there.

Some words from Slipknot's Shawn Crahan:

https://www.facebook.com/slipknot/posts/10150708464012672

Fi H

Strategic decision to buy it butcher it and then move the more successful artists to the main label i reckon

Welsh Megaman

UK, Europe and Canada offices shut, 36 staff lose jobs, founder leaves in aftermath of sale to Warner Music Group.
Leading rock and metal label Roadrunner Records has slashed its staff around the world, closing its UK, Europe and Canada offices and making at least 36 staff redundant.
Founder Cees Wessels has also stepped down, 17 months after the label was sold to Warner Music Group.
It’s thought to be a cost-cutting exercise on the imprint which is home to dozens of big-name acts including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Slash, The Cult, Ratt, Dream Theater, Airbourne and Queensryche.
Warners have not commented.
Roadrunner UK publicist Kirsten Sprinks said: “It’s true – we’re all out of a job. It’s safe to say it’s a truly horrible day. We’re a little family really.”
Wessels formed the award-winning label in the Netherlands in 1980 as Roadracer, and saw early success through Metallica’s European releases and worldwide sales of King Diamond and Annihilator. Warners bought three-quarters of the company in 2007, then took it over fully in 2010.
Matt Heafy of Trivium said: “I am pissed off at my greedy record label for canning my friends who helped build our band.”
Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy warned: “First Warner Bros will cut Roadrunner down, then they will drop the metal bands. Corporate sellout.”
Slipknot’s Clown stated via the band’s official Facebook. “A lot of our very close friends and comrades will no longer be around to help the art and business known as the Slipknot family. You are in my thoughts and prayers now forever.”
Other labels paid tribute to the groundbreaking firm. Metal Blade boss Brian Slagel said: “Sorry to see so many out of work. We always had a great relationship with everyone.”
Earache owner Dig Pearson added: “Many of the best bands and hardest-working staffers were there. Some corporate twonk at Warners thinks promoting Machine Head and Opeth can be done just like Linkin Park and Green Day?”
The latest entry on Roadrunner UK’s Twitter feed last night was a photo of a sign outside a pub quoting Benjamin Franklin: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” with the message: “What a day…”

seachto7

Well, a business opportunity there if I ever saw one. A gap in the market has just presented itself. Though most bands will be tied into a contract with Warner, is it not a good time for someone with the money to set up a dedicated metal label in Europe.
If it is a case that Warner will shaft the bands next, now that they have shafted the label, new bands would look favourably at a dedicated metal label based in Europe?

devildriver

seachto7 wrote: »

Well, a business opportunity there if I ever saw one. A gap in the market has just presented itself. Though most bands will be tied into a contract with Warner, is it not a good time for someone with the money to set up a dedicated metal label in Europe.
If it is a case that Warner will shaft the bands next, now that they have shafted the label, new bands would look favourably at a dedicated metal label based in Europe?

I don't think any exist artist contracts will be affected by this so it's not like Slipknot and Machine Head et al are free agents as of now. However, promotion of these bands in Europe will be affected as will new signings. Maybe the bands themselves will have to think about their positions in the future though.

Secondly I don't think it's a great time to be setting up a record label. People simply aren't buying music.

seachto7

@devildriver

Yup, but surely something in the way of promoting metal will have fallen by the wayside with the closure of Roadrunner that could be picked up by someone new?

devildriver

seachto7 wrote: »

@devildriver

Yup, but surely something in the way of promoting metal will have fallen by the wayside with the closure of Roadrunner that could be picked up by someone new?

Well I think it is a bad day for rock and metal in general because despite their widening of the genres of bands that they signed, Roadrunner was at it's core still a metal label. Now they are being rolled into the bigger Warner corporate machine so who knows how that's going to change things.

But long term I just reckon that the major labels will drop everything other than their high-sales chart artists and the music industry will be further homogenised in favour of X Factor, radio friendly stuff that sells.

All extreme music or anything that isn't mainstream enough will just fall to the smaller labels/independents. Nuclear Blast (not that small), Peaceville, Season of Mist - all of which are European incidentally.

But how long can the smaller labels last when sales keep falling?

NIBBS

this is what tends to happen when a major label buys a smaller one, first sign of a problem and the purchased label gets dropped - this will have a bad affect on the metal scene in my opinion, the founder of Roadrunner has also stepped down - although Roadrunner had become quite big anyway before being taken over by Warner there's no doubting that the smaller metal bands that would have been signed up by RR's side of things won't get the same treatment from Warner, this kind of thing happens but it took Roadrunner a long time to build up what they had, it's sad to see - but more than likely was always going to happen once Warner bought them....

NIBBS

devildriver wrote: »

Well I think it is a bad day for rock and metal in general because despite their widening of the genres of bands that they signed, Roadrunner was at it's core still a metal label. Now they are being rolled into the bigger Warner corporate machine so who knows how that's going to change things.

But long term I just reckon that the major labels will drop everything other than their high-sales chart artists and the music industry will be further homogenised in favour of X Factor, radio friendly stuff that sells.

All extreme music or anything that isn't mainstream enough will just fall to the smaller labels/independents. Nuclear Blast (not that small), Peaceville, Season of Mist - all of which are European incidentally.

But how long can the smaller labels last when sales keep falling?

I think the independents are better off staying as they are, there's a loyal (if small) fanbase on the more extreme side of things and although sales may be down all over, they never stand a chance of survival once they get rolled up into the majors

ThunderApple

Seriously? Noooooo!
Are they crazy or what? Closing such a great label! Can't believe this. How stupid are the big fat bosses? Nowdays, when metal is one of the most important source of incomes? *uck them all.

Knifey Spoony

ThunderApple wrote: »

Seriously? Noooooo!
Are they crazy or what? Closing such a great label! Can't believe this. How stupid are the big fat bosses? Nowdays, when metal is one of the most important source of incomes? *uck them all.

When was metal ever one of the biggest sources of income for a label? I would have thought it was actually quite hard to make money off a metal band given that most of it (metal) is underground and there being only a select few bands that are gareenteed to sell a profitable amount of albums.