Internationally esteemed heavy rock and metal record labels Napalm Records Handels GmbH and SPV GmbH have announced that they have joined forces, combining decades of renowned expertise and passion for music, their artists, and those who inspire it all — the fans. Napalm Records' acquisition of SPV was completed at the end of November 2020 and represents a logical step in the Austrian company's global strategy. Long-established company SPV, founded in 1984 by Manfred Schütz, along with its current subsidiary labels such as Steamhammer (featuring a roster including SODOM, RUNNING WILD, MAGNUM, AXEL RUDI PELL, RAGE) and Long Branch Records (featuring artists such as AGENT FRESCO, THE INTERSPHERE, THE HIRSCH EFFEKT, SILVERTOMB, A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH), is now part of the Napalm Records family. The company's current location in Hannover, Germany and the SPV team under managing director Frank Uhle will maintain its structure and, in regard to new distribution partners and labels, be expanded in the future. Napalm Records CEO Markus Riedler states: "The continuation and expansion of SPV GmbH as a distributor and the strengthening of the in-house labels are our major priorities. We will combine all forces, and link them with the power and worldwide network of Napalm Records in order to positively shape the future together. The employees of SPV are music-savvy, extremely experienced experts who are needed, now more than ever, to survive in these turbulent times on the international market. Together with managing director Frank Uhle and his team, we will seize the opportunities that currently present themselves and face the ever-growing challenges that the modern music market brings with it. In the ever-changing music landscape, we will continue to deliver our strong digital setup alongside our partners The Orchard, and also continue to provide strong physical product distribution for both our retail partners and the fans worldwide via our mailorder stores. "We have purposefully launched and implemented this major project under difficult conditions in 2020. This was a great team effort, for which I would like to thank everyone involved, in particular to the attorneys Prof. Pascal Charles Amann (Napalm Records) and Joris Brand (SPV). For Napalm Records, this acquisition is without a doubt an extraordinary, historic moment." SPV managing director Frank Uhle adds: "With Napalm Records, we have found a synergistically perfect partner for our artists, bands and labels. The international setup and the additional reach and power of Napalm's marketing capabilities mean an important upgrade for SPV in tackling future tasks. I look forward to working with Markus Riedler and the affiliated teams to further strengthen and expand our position in the market."
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