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DAN SWANÖ Signs Longterm Worldwide Deal With Century Media Records; WITHERSCAPE Album Completed

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 17, 2013
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Century Media has issued the following:

It’s with great pride and joy that Century Media Records can announce to have signed a longterm worldwide deal with Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire Dan Swanö.

DanSwano

Most dedicated metalheads will not only be able to call themselves owners of certain releases by one Dan’s many outstanding bands/projects (Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale, etc.), but also the work at his own Unisound studio will surely have left a mark in everyone’s record collection at some point: Opeth, Katatonia, Dissection, Merciless, 59 Times The Pain, Dark Funeral, Hail Of Bullets, Marduk, Millencolin or Nasum, to name but a few… Anyhow, Swanö has been no stranger to Century Media Records: He was originally involved with the Death Metal supergroup Bloodbath (also featuring members of Opeth and Katatonia), who released the “Breeding Death” EP as well as the amazing first two albums, “Resurrection Through Carnage” and “Nightmares Made Flesh” via CMR. Most recently, Swanö has been heavily working again as producer and mixer of albums, also including releases by Century Media Records artists like Asphyx, Grand Supreme Bloodcourt, Oddland or Morgoth.

Dan Swanö had the following to say about the signing: “It’s been 23 years since I signed my first ever record-deal, but never before have I been this excited… I have now signed with Century Media Records! I bought the first release from Century Media back in 1989, and it is amazing to see how much the label has grown over the years.
After working with CM for a few compilation CD’s and for two and a half albums with Bloodbath, I knew it would be the perfect home for me whenever I felt like returning to the recording-industry as a performer again. And now…I am back! With a vengeance!!!“

The first result of the freshly started co-operation between Dan Swanö and Century Media will be the release of his newly founded Metal outfit WITHERSCAPE, which sees Dan teaming with another talented multi-instrumentalist, Ragnar Widerberg, creating an intense concept-album, which should musically please not only fans of earlier Swanö-works like “Moontower” or Edge Of Sanity, but also attract friends of progressively atmospheric contemporary Metal in the vein of Opeth or Amorphis. Swanö comments on the upcoming WITHERSCAPE album as follows:

“I have just completed the final mixes of the first album from my new project WITHERSCAPE. Fans of my “Moontower” album and the catchier parts of EDGE OF SANITY won’t be disappointed! I sing, both clean and growl, play drums and keyboards. Ragnar Widerberg plays all guitars & bass and has co-written almost all the tracks with me.”

Look forward to a late July 2013 release for WITHERSCAPE’s “The Inheritance” via Century Media Records.

Bloodbath – “Breeding Death”: soundcloud.com
Bloodbath – “Eaten”: www.youtube.com
Heaven Shall Burn – “Black Tears” (Edge Of Sanity Cover): www.youtube.com
Edge Of Sanity – “Crimson” (Feat. Mikael Akerfeldt / Opeth): www.youtube.com

Selected Dan Swanö Discography:
Edge of Sanity – Unorthodox / Purgatory Afterglow / Crimson I & II
Dan Swanö – Moontower
Bloodbath – Breeding Death / Resurrection Through Carnage / Nightmares Made Flesh
Odyssey – Re-Inventing the Past
Nightingale – Nightfall Overture/White Darkness

Dan Swanö will have a new website ready for a launch in the summer, but in the meantime you can turn to his studio-site as reference for his works: www.unisound.se

Stay tuned for more details about WITHERSCAPE and “The Inheritance” to be revealed soon…

ICED EARTH’s Jon Schaffer Comments On Century Media’s File Sharing Lawsuit – “We Had No Knowledge Of This Motion”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 18, 2012
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ICED EARTH guitarist/vocalist Jon Schaffer has issued the following statement:

“It has come to my attention that Century Media is suing fans over illegal downloads of (among others) our latest album Dystopia. I felt it was important to clarify that we had no knowledge of this motion and were, sadly, not asked permission.

We all know the music industry is changing. We have been adapting to this model by embracing legal streaming services such as Spotify and by bringing our music to places we have never played before by touring our proverbial asses off.

As much as we respect that the labels are having a harder time selling music, we feel this is a misguided effort and want to make sure our fans know we would have not given our consent would we have been asked.”

Jon Schaffer

NorthJersey.com’s Peter J. Sampson recently reported:

An independent record label, a foreign film company and several pornography studios have declared war on illegal file sharing in New Jersey, suing more than 12,000 people since June for allegedly using peer-to-peer networks to unlawfully distribute copyrighted material over the Internet.

After a lull of several years, 44 lawsuits have been filed in the state’s federal courthouses over the past 18 months against more than 15,000 “John Doe” defendants who, initially, are identified only by Internet addresses that stretch from Fort Lee to Honolulu.

The report continues: A Hackensack attorney, Jay R. McDaniel, is one of the lawyers leading the charge. He has filed 17 suits on behalf of three clients in U.S. District Court in Newark, alleging copyright infringement by more than 14,000 file swappers.

“What’s critical to these cases, and what many people don’t understand, is that it’s the distribution that is the evil influence,” McDaniel said. “It’s the distribution that does the real damage and harm, not just to the client but to the culture industries and to creative endeavors in general.”

McDaniel’s clients include a London-based record company, Century Media Ltd., which is suing fans of two popular metal bands for allegedly using the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol to unlawfully distribute their music online.

Source: Bravewords.com

CENTURY MEDIA Sues More Than 7,000 People Over Illegal ICED EARTH, LACUNA COIL Downloads

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 17, 2012
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According to NorthJersey.com, a New Jersey attorney has filed lawsuits on behalf of Century Media Records that collectively target more than 7,000 people for allegedly using peer-to-peer networks to unlawfully distribute “Dark Adrenaline”, the most recent album by the Italian band LACUNA COIL, and “Dystopia”, the 2011 album by ICED EARTH.

In a typical illegal-downloading case, a lawyer hires a company to search for Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the use of file-sharing software such as BitTorrent. Once the IP addresses have been harvested, the lawyer’s clients file suit naming defendants as John Doe. They then seek to have mass subpoenas issued for the Internet providers associated with the harvested IP addresses in order to obtain the name and address of the owner of the IP address on the date it was harvested. Once identified, an Internet account holder typically faces the prospect of settling the case for a few thousand dollars or hiring a lawyer to fight the charges.

“It’s tough. If you get one of these letters you’ve been put in a difficult and unfair spot,” said Rebecca Jeschke, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based civil-liberties group, referring to the notices that go out once a John Doe has been identified.

“In many of these situations,” she added, “the goal doesn’t seem to be to fight infringement; it seems to be to get settlements. That’s where the money-making is.”

Nuclear Blast Records made headlines earlier in the year when it filed a lawsuit against 80 users of the BitTorrent network over illegal music downloads of an album by Oakland, California-based extreme metallers ALL SHALL PERISH. The lawsuit was not only brought without the band’s permission, but also without their knowledge.

After members of ALL SHALL PERISH made it clear that they did not want to participate in the legal proceedings, Nuclear Blast voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice.

In December 2008, the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) abandoned its litigation campaign against file sharers after having targeted some 18,000 individuals, usually naming dozens or hundreds of defendants per suit.

Most of the defendants settled out of court for a few thousand dollars rather than risk Copyright Act fines of up to $150,000 per purloined music track.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

GRAVE: Cover Artwork And Tracklisting For “Endless Procession Of Souls” Revealed

Posted by Mohsen Fayyazi on June 22, 2012
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Swedish death metal veterans GRAVE – spearhead of the scene since 1988 – will release their 10th studio album “Endless Procession Of Souls” on August 27th in Europe. To give you a first insight into the album, the band has just revealed the cover artwork for the new album which was again done by the experienced hands of Costin Chioreanu who also worked with GRAVE on the two preceding studio albums. Costin has not only done the cover artwork, but some extra art for the inside of the CD booklet and the vinyl.

 

 

“Endless Procession Of Souls” track listing:

1.     Dystopia

2.     Amongst Marble And The Dead

3.     Disembodied Steps

4.     Flesh Epistle

5.     Passion Of The Weak

6.     Winds Of Chains

7.     Encountering The Divine

8.     Perimortem

9.     Plague Of Nations

10.  Epos

 

GRAVE – who have just returned from a touring trip to South America – will enter European stages again in September together with their label mates of SONNE ADAM. Official tour dates will be announced soon. After the European tour GRAVE will cross the Atlantic once more to join forces with MORBID ANGEL and DARK FUNERAL spreading plague and death unto the American soil.

MORBUS CHRON – signs worldwide deal with Century Media Records

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 13, 2012
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CENTURY MEDIA has issued the following:

Century Media Records is proud to announce the signing of MORBUS CHRON from Sweden. Often described as a perfect mix between Autopsy and Carnage, MORBUS CHRON clearly is one of the most talented and promising bands among all the new traditional death metal acts which have been popping around since more than 3 years now.

MORBUS CHRON comments: “Always expect the unexpected. MORBUS CHRON are thrilled to join the ranks of Century Media Records. We know that with greater assistance and sturdier tools, the more clearly we can focus our attention solely on the music. So it is with big smiles that we ink this deal tonight. To keep the momentum going, we’re entering Gutterview Studios in March/April to record our first 10″ EP. Expect to have us around for a while.”

Jerry Maréchal, A&R at Century Media Europe comments: “Coming from Sweden without sounding like the 9265465th clone of Left Hand Path Entombed is not a sinecure, to say the least. What MORBUS CHRON has been achieving for more than 3 years since their first demo tape is far more impressive as the band manages to merge varied and classic influences ranging from US death metal to Swedish and Euro death metal with their own very personal conceptions be it musically or aesthetically. The result is an intense and fascinating traditional death metal act. Period.”

As previously mentioned, MORBUS CHRON will soon record new tracks for a 10″ vinyl to be released at the occasion of their first live appearance in Germany at the Hell’s Pleasure festival July 20th and 21st, 2012 in Pößneck, East Germany along with other Century Media Metal of Death youngsters Sonne Adam and Necrowretch! Later this year, the band will start writing the follow up to their critically acclaimed first album entitled “Sleepers In The Rift” which was rewarded with a fabulous 9 out 10 points review in German Rock Hard magazine.

CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS Announces Cooperation With MARDUK And BLOODDAWN PRODUCTIONS

Posted by tarjavirmakari on November 3, 2011
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CENTURY MEDIA has issued the following:

One of the most important and legendary Black Metal bands and Century Media Records are joining forces to continue MARDUK’s own label Blooddawn Productions to spread the disease for the next decades.

Morgan Håkansson (owner of Blooddawn Productions, guitar player and founding member of Marduk, as well as bass player in Death Wolf) comments: “It’s with great pleasure that I can announce the cooperation between Marduk and Century Media as we enter into a long-term deal. After over 20 years as a band and the last 10 years on Regain Records we decided to march on. We have received an enormous amount of offers. But in the end we see Century Media as the best partner and best platform for us to operate from. Century Media has a strong foundation and the vision that we have been looking for. So from this November day Marduk as well as my label Blooddawn Productions including the band Death Wolf are in league with Century Media.”

Jens Prueter, Head Of A&R Century Media Records Europe: “We always had a soft spot for bands with a history: legendary bands like Celtic Frost, Napalm Death, Paradise Lost, Sick Of It All, etc. Bands that helped to define a whole genre and who haven’t been afraid to follow their own vision – with all consequences. Therefore I feel honored to announce the new worldwide cooperation between Century Media Records and Blooddawn Production. MARDUK released their groundbreaking demo 20 years ago and laid the foundation of Swedish Black Metal – so 2011 marks a historic anniversary to start with a new team to continue their path.”

MARDUK’s last album “Wormwood” was released in 2009 followed by extensive touring through North America (including the Blackest Of The Black tour with Danzig), Europe, Asia and South America. In December 2011 MARDUK will join the Hatefest Festival with Kataklysm and new labelmates Triptykon – including a stop-over at the X-Mas Metal Festival and Eindhoven Metal Meeting. Right after the tour MARDUK will begin the recording of their 12th studio album set for a spring 2012 release through Blooddawn/ Century Media.

Hell no longer awaits!

MARDUK live at the Hatefest Festival tour with Kataklysm, Triptykon and more:
December 2, 2011 Oberhausen, Germany (Turbinenhalle – Metalfest Winter Edition)
December 3, 2011 Giessen, Germany (Hessenhalle – Metalfest Winter Edition)
December 4, 2011 Paris, France (Alhambra)
December 5, 2011 Pratteln, Switzerland (Z7)
December 6, 2011 Innsbruck, Austria (Hafen)
December 7, 2011 Vienna, Austria (Arena)
December 8, 2011 Zlin, Czech Republic (Masters Of Rock Café)
December 9, 2011 Leipzig, Germany (Hellraiser)
December 10, 2011 Geiselwind, Germany (Event Hall – X-Mas Metal Festival)
December 11, 2011 Antwerp, Belgium (Trix)
December 12, 2011 Saarbrücken, Germany (Garage)
December 13, 2011 Hanover, Germany (Musikzentrum)
December 14, 2011 Hamburg, Germany (Markthalle)
December 15, 2011 Berlin, Germany (C-Club)
December 16, 2011 Munich, Germany (Backstage)
December 17, 2011 Eindhoven, The Netherlands (Effenaar – Eindhoven Metal Meeting)
December 18, 2011 Ludwigsburg, Germany (Rockfabrik)

GRAVE – Announce special 20th Anniversary concert for “Into The Grave” debut album

Posted by Mohsen Fayyazi on October 27, 2011
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Swedish old school Death Metal originals GRAVE, who recently signed a new worldwide deal with their initial home Century Media Records, have checked in after a long North American tour – alongside Blood Red Throne, Pathology and Gigan – with an update from their camp’s activities, starting with a brief tour re-cap:
 
“So back in dark, cold and rainy Sweden again after a successful North American tour. We had a great time and many great shows. Since we haven’t headlined the US since 1996 we didn’t know what to expect but I must say that we were pleasantly overwhelmed by the response from our fans. This gave us the kick in the nuts and the motivation to get back over there again in a near future. A huge special thanks to our kickass roadcrew: T-Wayne, T-Bone and The Colonel.”
 
Next up, GRAVE will be playing a very special Stockholm hometown show for the 20th Anniversary of the release of their “Into The Grave” debut album. The show takes place on November 12th at Kulturhuset in Stockholm / Sweden and will be supported by General Surgery (20th Anniversary of the “Necrology” debut EP) and also Vicious Art (last gig ever!). The band comments as follows:
 
“Right now we’re preparing for an epic night of old school madness. November 12th we will play a very
special Anniversary gig at Club Distortion/Kulturhuset here in Stockholm. The classic “Into the Grave” album will be run through from ”Deformed” to “Banished to Live”, plus another handful of classic tunes.
Support acts are the mighty Vicious Art and General Surgery. Be there or be square…”
 
Next up, GRAVE will be busy working on their upcoming studio album effort, marking the 10th studio album in the band’s history and can also announce a line-up change in their rhythm guitar department. But read it from GRAVE’s Ola Lindgren himself:
 
“The plans for our next studio album is also already in the works. We will start writing and arranging songs in November and enter the legendary Studio Soulless again in early January. We also have a very cool idea for a special bonus disc, more on this later. Stay tuned for video diaries and sneak peeks which will be updated all through the process. Album #10 is scheduled for release by Century Media Records before the summer 2012.
 
Last but not least in this small update we want to inform you that our guitarist Magnus Martinsson is no longer in the band. But don’t worry ladies, we will keep goin’. Magnus has played with us since 2008 and did some epic tours/shows with us. We took this joint decision after going through plans for next year and we needed to address this within the band before we start the new album process. There aren’t now and have never been any hard feelings between us and we wish him the best in any future endeavors. See Magnus statement below…
 
We’ve recruited Mika Lagreen (Facebreaker) for the Stockholm Anniversary gig and he should fit right in since he already handled the stage left axe on our latest European tour. He will of course also be with us through the new album process and upcoming shows/tours.”
 
Magnus Martinsson posted the following additional message about the amicable split:
 
“Hello all you death metal heads!
 
I’d like to inform you that myself and the rest of the band have come to the mutual decision that I will no longer be a member and guitar player of Grave. People develop on and off the field, and sometimes in different directions, and I feel I can’t fully commit to the bands upcoming and intense touring plans. So the time has come for me to pass the torch. No drama or bloodshed has occurred and I wish the guys all the best for the future.
 
It’s been a great time since I joined Grave back in 2008; I have many amazing memories from our gigs, tours and travels together, and all amazing fans and friends out there. We’ve toured all over the world, toured together with great bands/guys like Nile, Misery Index, Belphegor, Krisiun and Vader, just to mention a few. It’s been a blast! 
 
But don’t worry folks; I won’t stop playing music. Check out my new band Overtorture. Alle ska döj!“
 
Next to the mentioned North American tour, GRAVE have mercilessly toured all across Europe with acts like Misery Index or Obituary in the past year in order to promote their latest album “Burial Ground”, but were also playing special live-sets for the 20th Anniversary of their “Into The Grave” debut album-release at selected festivals/events…
 
GRAVE online:

CENTURY MEDIA pull their repertoire from Spotify

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 9, 2011
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CENTURY MEDIA has issued the following:

pull their repertoire from Spotify!
 Century Media and its associated labels “InsideOutMusic”, “Superballmusic” and “People Like You” have decided to pull their repertoire from Spotify in an attempt to protect the interests of their artists.

While everyone at the label group believes in the ever changing possibilities of new technology and new ways of bringing music to the fans, Century Media is also of the opinion that Spotify in its present shape and form isn’t the way forward. The income streams to the artists are affected massively and therefore that accelerates the downward spiral, which eventually will lead to artists not being able to record music the way it should be recorded. Ultimately, in some cases, it will completely kill a lot of smaller bands that are already struggling to make ends meet.

At the same time Century Media also believes that Spotify is a great tool to discover new music and is in the process of reintroducing their bands to Spotify by way of putting up samplers of the artists. This way, fans can still discover the great music released by the label.

Physical sales are dropping drastically in all countries where Spotify is active. Artists are depending on their income from selling music and it is our job to support them to do so. Since the artists need to sell their music to continue their creativity, Spotify is a problem for them. This is about survival, nothing less and it is time that fans and consumers realize that for artists it is essential to sell music to keep their heads above water.

Obviously it is ultimately up to the music fan and consumer, how they access their music, whether it is buying, streaming or stealing. There needs to be awareness though, that how you will consume your music has direct consequences for the artists, who we are all trying to support.