Roadrunner closes UK offices

http://www.rocksins.com/2012/04/warner-music-closes-roadrunner-records-uk-offices-huge-cuts-elsewhere-14746/

Sign of the times but it doesn't make me happy.

Their 80s catalog was truly amazing! For the past 20 years thought I don't think they have had a single band I would care about. So yeah, too bad for the employees, otherwise, *shrugs*

Ouch. Guess this was inevitable once they got in bed with a major label though.

I like the reaction from "Dig" Pearson of Earache Records:

Sad to see Roadrunner Uk/EU close, had many of the best bands and hardest working staffers there. Changed once Warners owned 100%. Some corporate twonk at Warners thinks promoting Machine Head & Opeth can be done just like Linkin Park & Green Day?

It's a shame, but inevitable I suppose.

stormspell wrote:

Their 80s catalog was truly amazing! For the past 20 years thought I don't think they have had a single band I would care about. So yeah, too bad for the employees, otherwise, *shrugs*

That's how I see it. Roadrunner was one of the best metal labels back in the day, but today (with the exception of a few bands) they don't have much. For me it'd be different if Nuclear Blast, Century Media or Frontiers were closing offices.

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That's how I see it. Roadrunner was one of the best metal labels back in the day, but today (with the exception of a few bands) they don't have much.

Same here. Roadrunner was pretty irrelevant to me for most of the 90s/00s but in recent years they'd been signing up some bands I dig like Megadeth, Ratt, and Airbourne.

...Though in Megadeth's case, Dave Mustaine has been very vocal about how much he hated Roadrunner and couldn't wait to get the hell off the label. "Th1rt3en" was his last record for them, I guess he got outta dodge just in time.

S.D. posted on Facebook that these mergers have helped killed the music industry due to the lack of diversity and identities these indie labels provided, and I have to agree with him, they no longer cultivate careers. Again the record labels have created the means to their own demise

manny wrote:

S.D. posted on Facebook that these mergers have helped killed the music industry due to the lack of diversity and identities these indie labels provided, and I have to agree with him, they no longer cultivate careers. Again the record labels have created the means to their own demise

It's exactly what happened to Tribunal and other labels under the Lumberjack Mordem Music Group distributor umbrella. Quote from Matt (Tribunal):

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the problem is they sold 73% of the company to WMG (Warner Music Group). therefore, at any point in time they could all be fired and RR would be absorbed which is what is happening now. it sucks, but it's what happened at LMMG unbeknownst to us labels. Dirk get in bed with WMG and they took all our money and claimed LMMG was losing tons of money but they basically just charged us for every little thing they could when getting returns, shipping product, etc. piled on the debt (on paper) and then shut him down and took our money. It's why i won't ever sign with a major or someone who goes through a major. been there done that and it sucked.

Shame. Most of their more recent material isn't material I'm into (with some exceptions), but they have some classics in their back catalog.

I will say something positive about Roadrunner in the fact they have their "Two From The Vault" deals they've released. I've been able to get the first two albums from Annihilator, Mercyful Fate, and Obituary without having to buy indivdual albums thanks to those.

Roadrunner dumped a lot of great bands from their roster in the early nineties. However, it is always sad to read this kind of news.

Roadrunner still has some impressive artists on their roster, alot of the albums I've purchased in the last few years have been Roadrunner releases. Even in this horrid downward spiral the music industry is in, the BIG THREE still seem hell bent on shooting themselves repeatedly in the head at close range.

Roadrunner is still around. It's just their international offices that are getting reorganized. One of my favorite bands of all time is currently on their label (Megadeth, but they are leaving soon anyway) but I've never been a fan of the label. I usually stay away from anything they put out because I know what type of metal acts they like to sign and that's not my style.

Anyway, it's sad and not a good sign for rock/metal but it was obvious once WMG bought it.

RR will remain in imprint of WMG...