Century Media Records (CMR) is an independent rock record label with offices in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

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Background

Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf in Dortmund, Germany in 1988 and has gone on to start the careers of such famous bands as Eyehategod, Nevermore, Diecast, Suicide Silence, Winds of Plague, Iced Earth, Demolition Hammer, God Forbid, Lacuna Coil, In This Moment and Shadows Fall. They specialize in goth, death, black, and metalcore, as well as some related sub-genres. ^[1] A number of artists listed are licensed to Century Media for the American market from labels mostly based in Europe. Century Media is also home to legendary acts such as Napalm Death and Celtic Frost. From 1995 to 2007, Marco Barbieri was the label's president.

The label’s biggest band is Lacuna Coil, while Shadows Fall had the most success during their time with the label. Iconic hardcore punk band Sick Of It All also resides in the Century Media family. Lacuna Coil’s 2002 album, Comalies , became Century Media’s first act to crack the Billboard Top 200 chart 2 years after its release. Their fourth album, Karmacode , has sold over 490,000 copies since its release and debuted at #28 on the Billboard Charts, also hitting #1 on the Top Independent Albums Chart. Shadows Fall’s 2004 album, The War Within , set a new milestone for the label with a Top 20 debut on the Billboard Top 200 and also debuted at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart, having sold over 300,000 copies since its release. Other notable artists on the label that have also made appearances on the Billboard Top 200 include Arch Enemy, Stuck Mojo, Nightrage, Behemoth, Children of Bodom, Strapping Young Lad, Suicide Silence and God Forbid. In April 2009, the label announced that they were extending their existing distribution deal with EMI, who had been distributing their releases in the United States since 1997, and in Europe since 2005, to include Australasia. ^[2]

Century Black

During the mid to late 1990s, Century Media had a label off-shoot called Century Black , which served to be the "Miramax Films" of black metal, releasing or re-releasing hard-to-find black metal albums that normally would be near impossible to find in America (usually released under smaller labels such as Malicious Records or Candlelight Records). By 2000, the plug was pulled on Century Black , seeing as more than a few bands under that label either moved on to other labels, changed their musical direction, or became part of the actual "Century Family".

Abacus Records

Abacus Records was an imprint of Century Media created in 2002, signing mostly metalcore bands. On July 24, 2007, it was reported that Abacus Records had shut down. ^[3]

See also

• List of record labels
• Century Media Records artists
• Abacus Recording artists
• List of Century Black Albums

References

1. CMR Statement (Accessed July 15, 2007)
2. CENTURY MEDIA Extends EMI Deal Down Under
3. Abacus Records Shots Down: News @ lambgoat.com