Roadrunner Records

[Hammer of Might]

What do you think of the current state of Roadrunner Records? It seems thet used to have some signings like Obituary, Deicide, etc.

But a quick browse down their list of artists suggests that now they're just some kind of modern nu metal label!! Most of the list makes me laugh!

What do you think of this label?

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

Roadrunner records are the reason why Cynic broke up. I read in an interview with Paul that they realized they weren't going to be able to do what they wanted to do if they were with Roadrunner. I hate Roadrunner for that. Oh well, at least they have this "Two from the vault" thing going on, in which they release two classic metal albums by a band for the price of one, its how I got my 2 Suffocation cd's

 

[Astral Poetry]

I fucking hate Roadrunner. They are just a doorway through which shitty bands infest metal.

 

[Tanith]

They're trendwhores. They're currently working on signing grunge and post-hardcore bands. Before that they were signing nu-metal. Before that they were signing thrash/death. They seem rather good at predicting whats going to be popular then signing all the bands up.

 

[Life Sucks]

Roadrunner sucks. They are a trendy major record label, just the fact that they have Nickleback on their label indicates this. Almost all of the bands on their roster are nu-metal or alternative rock. It's hard to believe that Roadrunner was once a great record label, home to bands such as Suffocation, Gorguts, and Immolation, considering how much Roadrunner sucks now.

 

[SculptedCold]

Just like everyone else said.

They're just another part of the music industry.

 

[ffanatic]

Eh, not that great. Their older material is far superior to their newer material.

 

[chemicalburn]

I was watching a Death Metal DVD I have and the Earache reps. mention how they could go work for a label like them now and make 5 times as much money.

Just shows how the label sold the artists out.

 

[sixxswine]

Jeezus! You guys are harsh. How else would a label stay in business?!
True I could careless about the current roster of bands, but I can understand them wanting to keep their doors open. You think Soulfly & Jerry Cantrell records will keep the money comin'?!

 

[SculptedCold]

The viscious cycle is that the better the label does, the more money they bring in, the more popular their bands get and the more work they have signing, promoting, etc, so the more people they need to bring onto a payroll, and once that happens, the imperative slowly starts to become money, so they might sign or push more mainstream acts just to bring in that little extra....and with Roadrunner, that just turned into a landslide and now they're simply a business with money on the mind.

 

[The Sound Gardener]

Nickelback is on Roadrunner. 'Nuff said.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Yeah, but they also have/had Life Of Agony, Sepultura, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Type O Negative, Stone Sour, Chimaira, Glassjaw, Biohazard, Death, Obituary, Deicide, Nailbomb, and Killswitch Engage.

 

[Oceanic Motion]

Yeah, but they also have/had Life Of Agony, Sepultura, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Type O Negative, Stone Sour, Chimaira, Glassjaw, Biohazard, Death, Obituary, Deicide, Nailbomb, and Killswitch Engage.

And?

Just like most people have anlready said, they suck. How bad a label were they before Slipknot blew up? I'm guessing that Slipknot was their big hit which kick started the whole signing on limp wristed nu metal.

 

[J.]

Roadrunner Records used to be one of my favorite labels. If it was on Roadrunner, chances are, it was going to be quality. Back in the early 90's when they had the R/C label and bands like Suffocation, Obituary, Pestilence, and Death, Roadrunner was the label to beat. Then the label started getting into thrash acts like Type O Negative (early stuff was basically thrash), Fear Factory, Machine Head, Sepultura, and some quality hardcore like Biohazard and Life of Agony, Roadrunner was still a very good label.

But that all stopped once Slipknot hit the big time. Then it became all about the money instead of releasing quality product. Not to start an argument, but Roadrunner sold out big time.

 

[NapalmForLunch]

Back in June I heard from a reliable source that RR are planning on going back to their "roots" and getting more "underground" bands to help their rep in the metal crowd. Signing Cradle of Filth kind of proves they are trying to do that. I hope they start signing good bands since I get to go to RR shows for free.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that now they don't have to worry about money(being co owned my jive) so signing more "underground" bands will not hurt them.

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

Back in June I heard from a reliable source that RR are planning on going back to their "roots" and getting more "underground" bands to help their rep in the metal crowd. Signing Cradle of Filth kind of proves they are trying to do that. I hope they start signing good bands since I get to go to RR shows for free.

that actually doesn't sound too far fetched..... after all, they haven't completely forgotten their roots, their "Two From The Vault" thing is really cool.... 2 Suffocation albums for the price of one....

overall though, yeah i would have to agree that their interest in money probably got kickstarted with Slipknot....

 

[Wicked Child]

Well, i won't add anything new, but i'll say it anyway. Roadrunner were once a great label. Obituary, Death, Cynic, King Diamond, Exhorder, Pestilence, it all came from Roadrunner. Now they're nu-metal and metalcore central. But what NapalmForLunch said does make sense. Cradle Of Filth being signed(or is it because they're on the rise?) and this very cool "Two From The Vault" series, maaaybe they are going back to their roots, but i'm not keeping my hopes up.

 

[Stand-Ablaze]

they probably recognise Metal more than the other big name labels. But that's it.
Bands like Slipknot run the thing.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

But that shouldn't matter.

 

[MasterOLightning]

RR has Killswitch Engage, and I like them. Cradle of Filth is all about image, so I don't think signing them gives them any undergroud credibility. They might as well sign In Flames to be more underground.

Hey Nick, would you consider shrinking your sig photo? It stretches out my browser on every thread you're on. Which is a lot of them.