Roadrunner Records is an American

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...

focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

History

The label was launched in 1980 in the Netherlands. Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986, Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in

and later opened offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Denmark, Russia and Canada. Early successes included albums from King Diamond (the first Roadrunner artist to enter the Billboard Top 200 albums chart) and Annihilator. The label also handled early

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

releases in the Scandinavian region. The end of the 1980s saw the release of two albums that are now considered classics of their respective genres: Obituary's '' Slowly We Rot'' and Sepultura's ''

Beneath the Remains ''Beneath the Remains'' is the third studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on April 7, 1989. It was their first release by Roadrunner Records. The album had improved production and songwriting compared to the band's pre ...

''. The 1990s saw the arrival of acts such as Life of Agony,

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can ...

, Type O Negative, and underground grunge rockers Willard. As the 1990s wore on, several of Roadrunner's bands managed to make an impact on the mainstream, most notably Sepultura and Type O Negative. Sepultura's 1993 album, ''

Chaos A.D. ''Chaos A.D.'' is the fifth studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1993 by Roadrunner Records. The album saw a stylistic departure from the band's earlier thrash metal style,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 131. by featurin ...

'', became the first Roadrunner band to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard album chart. Type O Negative became the first Roadrunner band to receive a certification from the RIAA; this was a

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

award (and later

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

award) for the 1993 album ''

Bloody Kisses ''Bloody Kisses'' is the third studio album by the American gothic metal band Type O Negative and the last recording with their original lineup, as drummer Sal Abruscato left the group in late 1993 to join labelmates Life of Agony. The album inclu ...

'', which was certified in 1995. The band also became the first Roadrunner band to receive radio play. In 2000, Slipknot became the first Roadrunner band to go Platinum. Nickelback were also very successful on the label, although they were signed to another label in their native Canada.

Derek Shulman Derek Victor Shulman (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive. From 1970 to 1980, he was lead vocalist for the band Gentle Giant. Career Born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland, ...

ran the label in the late '90s. Roadrunner Records ran into financial trouble in 2001 after its distribution deal with RED Distribution through Edel Music was aborted after Edel ended up in US$400 million in debt. Unfortunately, as Roadrunner had just taken out a US$15 million loan from Edel, Cees Wessels was forced to put 49% of the label's stock up for $30 million, attracting the interest of major labels such as

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

and Columbia Records. In July 2001, The Island Def Jam Music Group purchased a 50% stake in Roadrunner worth US$33 million, larger than the asking price. While there were fears of legal action from Edel, who owned 17% of Roadrunner's stock, negotiations allowed the label to switch "immediately" to Island Def Jam and its distributor, Universal Music & Video Distribution. On December 18, 2006, Warner Music Group signed an agreement to purchase a majority in shares (73.5%) of Roadrunner Records' parent company, Roadrunner Music Group B.V. This deal became finalized on January 29, 2007, after receiving regulatory approval in Germany. On June 11, 2008, Roadrunner Records was voted as the "Best Metal Label" by

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

at their Golden Gods Awards, an award that it has won the past four years in a row. The award was accepted by Sharon den Adel and Ruud Jolie of Within Temptation, one of Roadrunner's biggest acts. Roadrunner Records was significantly affected by Warner Music Group's legal dispute against

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

, including having their account's YouTube partnership canceled. Most of the videos on their channel, however, are still viewable. There is even a disclaimer talking about Warner's dispute right on the channel. On November 11, 2010, Warner Music Group announced they had acquired the remaining of Roadrunner's stock. Roadrunner will continue to operate as a distinct brand within WMG, according to sources. Cees Wessels, the label's founder, remains CEO. On April 26, 2012, it was announced that Warner Music Group would make substantial cutbacks throughout Roadrunner Records worldwide operations. According to staff working at the company, The UK offices and the Canadian offices of Roadrunner Records are to be closed completely, with severe levels of cutbacks occurring across the rest of the label worldwide. It has also been announced that the Roadrunner office in The Netherlands is to close, and that the label's founder Cees Wessels is stepping down from his role of CEO. The following years saw several major Roadrunner acts leave the label, including DevilDriver and Alter Bridge (who both moved to

Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label late ...

, with Devildriver's catalogue being sold to The Echo Label), Opeth,

, and Soulfly (all of whom followed former A&R of SVP Monte Conner to

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label move ...

) and

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out o ...

(who signed with InsideOut Music in 2017) In July 2017, British rock band Milk Teeth signed with Roadrunner Records. In June 2018, Roadrunner became a sub-label of Warner's Elektra Music Group division. In June 2022, Elektra Music Group, and subsequently Roadrunner, was merged into the new umbrella label group

300 Elektra Entertainment 300 Elektra Entertainment (or 3EE) is an umbrella label group owned by Warner Music Group. It exists as a merger of 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, along with its respectively owned labels. The umbrella label describes itself as " av ...

International labels

Roadrunner Records UK

Roadrunner Records UK operates out of the Warner Music London office. Their roster includes the addition of Alter Bridge, Down, Satyricon and

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

Signed bands and previous artists

Currently signed

* Angel Du$t * Code Orange * Coheed and Cambria * Corey Taylor * Creeper * Dinosaur Pile-Up ( Parlophone/Roadrunner) * Fever 333 *

Gojira Gojira (ゴジラ) is the original Japanese name for Godzilla, a giant monster at the center of a media franchise. It may also refer to: Films * ''Godzilla'' franchise, known as ''ゴジラ'' (''Gojira'') in Japan ** ''Godzilla'' (1954 film), rel ...

* Higher Power * Highly Suspect *Joyous Wolf *Mess Of Wires * Motionless in White * Slipknot * Stone Sour * Theory of a Deadman * Trivium * Turnstile *Unto Others

Past Roadrunner Records artists

* 3 Inches of Blood *

8 Foot Sativa 8 Foot Sativa is a New Zealand-based extreme metal band formed in 1998. Their most famous single is their self-titled song, "8 Foot Sativa", which was number one on the M2 (a late night New Zealand music show) top 12 list for 12 weeks, and sta ...

''(NZ)'' * 36 Crazyfists ''(excluding US)'' * A Skylit Drive ''(excluding Fearless)'' * Adaje * Above All * The Agony Scene * Airbourne *

Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee and Patrick Thompson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Recordings and Artery Recordings. Ale ...

(including

Fearless Fearless or The Fearless may refer to: Psychology * Lack of fear * Courage or bravery Film, television and audio Film * ''Fearless'' (1978 film), an Italian film directed by Stelvio Massi * ''Fearless'' (1993 film), an American drama directed ...

) *

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit ...

* Alter Bridge * Amanda Palmer * Amen *

The Amity Affliction The Amity Affliction is an Australian metalcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band's current line-up consists of Ahren Stringer (bass, clean vocals), Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar) and Joe Longobardi (drums) ...

* Annihilator * Anti-Mortem * Anyone *

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

* At The Skylines * Atreyu ''(excluding US)'' * Atrocity *

Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, ...

''(EU)'' * Atrophy * Baby Fox * Bad Seed Rising * Believer *Ben Smith And The Associates ''(US)'' *

Berri Txarrak Berri Txarrak (''Bad News'' in English) is a Navarrese rock power trio whose songs are sung in Basque. It was founded in 1994 in Lekunberri, Navarre, Spain. History Berri Txarrak originated in Lekunberri, Navarre, Spain in 1994 as a parallel ...

''(Spain)'' * Biffy Clyro ''(US and Japan)'' * Big Rude Jake *

Biohazard A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bi ...

* Black Flag * Black Label Society * Black Stone Cherry *

Behind Crimson Eyes Behind Crimson Eyes is a band based in Australia. The band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 2004. Their line-up currently consists of vocalist Josh Stuart, bassist Garth Buchanan, guitarist/ back up vocalist Aaron Schultz and Dan Kerby as drum ...

Betzefer Betzefer ( he, בצפר) is an Israeli groove metal band originating from the community settlement Maccabim-Re'ut. The band was formed up in 1998 and was signed to Roadrunner Records from 2005 to 2007. Betzefer is notable for becoming Israel's ...

''(excluding US)'' * Baptized in Blood *

Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup changes, although ...

''(US)'' * Black Train Jack * Bleeker Ridge * Boiler Room *

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

''(Japan)'' * Brujeria * Buzzoven * Caliban * Carnivore * Cavalera Conspiracy * Channel Zero * Chimaira *

CKY CKY may refer to: *CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself" ** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band **CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects *CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manitob ...

* Close to Me * Clovve * Coal Chamber * Collective Soul (via Loud & Proud) * Convent of Mercy (band) ''(Australia)'' * Corrosion of Conformity * The Creetins * Cradle of Filth * Crease (band) *

Crimson Glory Crimson Glory was an American heavy metal band that formed in 1983 in Sarasota, Florida. They started in 1979 under the monikers 'Pierced Arrow', then 'Beowulf', before settling on Crimson Glory. The classic line-up consisted of vocalist Midnig ...

* The Cult *Cyclone * Cynic * Dååth * De La Tierra *

De Novo Dahl De Novo Dahl is an Indie rock group from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Formed in 2001, they were signed to Roadrunner Records and released from their contract in 2009. They are currently signed to Theory 8 Records. History The band was formed in 2001 ...

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

* Defiance * Deicide * Delain * Delight (Poland) *

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depech ...

(Brazil) * Detente (band) * DevilDriver * The Devil Wears Prada * Direwolve * Disincarnate * Divine Heresy ''(excluding US)'' * Dog Eat Dog * DoubleDrive * Doug Stanhope *

Dommin Dommin is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1999 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kristofer Dommin. The band is made up of Kristofer Dommin on vocals and guitar, Billy James on bass, Konstantine on keyboards, and Cameron Morri ...

*Downer * Downthesun * Down * DragonForce *

Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; addi ...

* Drugstore * Dry Ivory *

Dry Kill Logic Dry Kill Logic is an American heavy metal band from Westchester County, New York. Formed in 1995 under the names Hinge and Hinge AD, they have released three albums. History Psychodrama Records (1997–1999) After being together as a ba ...

* Electric Eel Shock ''(Japan)'' *Empress AD * Eric Stadler * Exhorder *

Faktion Faktion was an American rock band from Denton, Texas. History Faktion formed in 2002 as a four-piece group after the band members met at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Originally, guitarist Marshal Dutton was the band's vocalis ...

* FC Five ''(Japan)'' *

Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...

* Fiction Plane *

Fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

(Dick Bros./Roadrunner) * Five Pointe O * Floodgate *

Front Line Assembly Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. FLA has developed its own sound incorporating elements of electronic body music and electro-industrial. The band's membersh ...

Funeral for a Friend Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smi ...

''(excluding US and UK)'' *

Garrett Lewis Garrett Lewis (April 2, 1935 – January 29, 2013) was an American actor, dancer, and set decorator. He was nominated for four Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction. Selected filmography Lewis has been nominated for four Academ ...

* Garrett "Baby Hands" Metts *

Glassjaw Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential ...

* Gorguts *

Grand Magus Grand Magus are a three-piece heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden that draws influence from classic heavy metal bands and elements of doom metal. Career The band was formed in 1996 under the name ''Smack'' by former Cardinal Fang vocali ...

* Gruntruck * Guardian * Hail the Villain ''(US)'' *

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''(Spain)'' *

Harlot Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

* Hatebreed (2006) * Heartist *

Heathen __NOTOC__ Heathen or Heathens may refer to: Religion *Heathen, another name for a pagan *Heathen, an adherent of Heathenry Music *Band of Heathens, a North American rock and roll band *Heathen (band), a North American thrash metal band * The He ...

* Heaven and Hell ''(outside the US, Canada and Japan)'' * Hopesfall ''(excluding North America)'' * Horse the Band ''(Australia and Japan)'' * Ill Niño * Immolation * Inglorious ''(US and UK)'' * Jerry Cantrell * Jonas Goldbaum ''(Germany Only)'' * Junkie XL *

Jupiter Coyote Jupiter Coyote is an American rock band from Macon, Georgia. Operating as an independent group from the late 1980s into the 2020s, they have sold more than one million records.Karma to Burn Karma to Burn, commonly abbreviated as K2B, is a desert rock/ stoner rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia. The band are noted for their uncompromising, mostly instrumental sound. Their name comes from a sleevenote on Bob Dylan's 1976 albu ...

The Karelia ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

* Kenny Wayne Shepherd (via Loud & Proud) * Khoma *

Kids In Glass Houses Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff. The band's name was inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from the Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles " G ...

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and A ...

* King 810 * King Diamond *

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

Krypteria And Then She Came is a rock band from Aachen, Germany. The band was formed as Krypteria, a gothic metal band. Originating from a 2001 "pop musical theatre studio project" of the same name, the idea was to use different vocalists, though German-K ...

Kvelertak Kvelertak () is a Norwegian heavy metal band from Stavanger, formed in 2007. The group comprises vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen, guitarists Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland and Maciek Ofstad, bassist Marvin Nygaard and drummer Håvard Takle Ohr. Found ...

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

''(excluding US and Canada)'' * Last Crack * Lenny Kravitz (via Loud & Proud) *Liege Lord * Life of Agony * Lucidream * Lynyrd Skynyrd (via Loud & Proud) *

* Mad Max * Madball * Madina Lake * Make Them Suffer * Malevolent Creation *

Marmozets Marmozets are an English rock band from Bingley, West Yorkshire, England. Formed in 2007, the band consists of Rebecca "Becca" Macintyre (vocals), Jack Bottomley (guitar), Sam Macintyre (guitar/vocals), Will Bottomley (bass/vocals) and Josh Ma ...

Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...

''(excluding US)'' * Megadeth * Mercyful Fate * Milk Teeth * The Misfits * The Moon Seven Times *More To Monroe * Murderdolls *

Mutiny Within Mutiny Within is an American heavy metal band from Edison, New Jersey. The band was formed in 2002 by bassist Andrew Jacobs. Background Formation, Signing to Roadrunner and debut album (2009–2010) They would go through a number of lineu ...

* Non-Intentional Lifeform * Nailbomb * New York Dolls * Nickelback ''(excluding Canada)'' * Negative ''(Europe)'' *

Nights Like These Nights Like These is an American metal band from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, heavily influenced by death metal and sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that or ...

Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka N ...

''(US)'' * Obituary * Opeth * Optimum Wound Profile *

Out Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...

* Out Came the Wolves *

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

Pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...

''(Nordic Territories and Europe)'' * Painting Over Picasso * Paradox *

The Parlor Mob The Parlor Mob is an American rock band from New Jersey. History Formation and Capitol Records The original members of the band formed in 2004, as What About Frank?. They independently released an album in 2005, entitled "What about Frank?". The ...

Patmos Patmos ( el, Πάτμος, ) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is famous as the location where John of Patmos received the visions found in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament, and where the book was written. One of the norther ...

* Pestilence * Pe'z * Periphery * Porcupine Tree *Port Amoral * Possessed ''(Europe)'' * Powersurge * Queensrÿche (Loud & Proud) *Realm * Ratt (Loud & Proud) * Ratos de Porao * The Red Shore ''(Australia)'' * Red Tape *

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

''(UK)'' * Revoker * Rob Zombie *

Royal Republic Royal Republic is a Swedish Rock music, rock band from Malmö. The band is currently signed to Universal Music Group, Universal Music and managed by Odyssey Music Network. History 2007–2012: Foundation and ''We Are the Royal'' Royal Republic ...

Royseven Royseven are a six-piece alternative rock band from Dublin, Ireland. They are known for songs such as "Dance" and "We Should Be Lovers", and have released two albums to date: ''The Art of Insincerity'' (2006) and ''You Say, We Say'' (2011). Roy ...

* Rush (outside Canada) * Sacrifice (Europe) * Sammy Hagar (via Loud & Proud) *

Sanctity Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehoo ...

* Satyricon *

Scar the Martyr Scar the Martyr was an American heavy metal band, consisting of Joey Jordison, Kris Norris, Jed Simon, Kyle Konkiel, and Matthew Tarach. History The band was announced in April 2013 by drummer Joey Jordison, who was still playing with Slip ...

* Sepultura * Seven Shades * Skin Chamber * The Sheila Divine * Sinch * Shelter * Shihad * Shinedown * Sons of Sadism * Soulfly *

Soziedad Alkoholika Soziedad Alkoholika (Alcoholic Society), commonly abbreviated to S.A., is a crossover thrash band from the Basque Country in Spain. They were founded in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1988. Their lyrics tend to have a crude, direct and somewhat emotional a ...

''(Spain)'' * Sparks *

Spineshank Spineshank was an American metal band from Los Angeles. The band has released four studio albums: '' Strictly Diesel'' (1998), ''The Height of Callousness'' (2000), '' Self-Destructive Pattern'' (2003), and ''Anger Denial Acceptance'' (2012). H ...

Spoil Engine Spoil Engine is a four-piece metal band from Belgium, formed in 2004. The band plays a mix of melodic thrash metal and groove metal, influenced by bands such as Pantera, In Flames, Lamb of God and Soilwork. They have released one demo and thr ...

* Staind * Steadlür *The Step Kings * Stereoside * Steve Miller Band (via Loud & Proud) * Still Remains * The Stranglers ''(Germany)'' *

Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion was a musical collaboration between Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metal band Opeth and Steven Wilson, an English solo artist and frontman of the progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. Åkerfeldt and Wilson began a ...

* Streem (Floodmark) *

* Taking Dawn *

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...

* Thornley * Throwdown ''(excluding US)'' *

Times of Grace Times of Grace is an American heavy metal band formed in Southampton, Massachusetts. The group consists of Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage) and Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage, The Empire Shall Fall, and Seemless) while guitarist Joel Stroetz ...

Toxik Toxik is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in Peekskill, New York. After breaking up for the first time in 1992 and briefly reuniting in 2007, the band reformed once again in 2013. Toxik has gone through several lineup changes over ...

* Treponem Pal * Twice The Sun * Type O Negative *

VIMIC Vimic is an American heavy metal band consisting of Jed Simon, Kyle Konkiel, Matthew Tarach, Kalen Chase, and Steve Marshall. History After Joey Jordison left Slipknot in late 2013, he began focusing on other projects. One of these, Scar t ...

Vision of Disorder Vision of Disorder is an American hardcore/metalcore band from Long Island, New York, that initially released three albums before disbanding in 2002. The band garnered attention for blending melody and groove into a traditional hardcore framewor ...

* Vicious Rumors * Wednesday 13 *Westworld * We Are Harlot * Whiplash (band) * The White Room ''(Australia)'' * Willard * Wild Throne *

The Winery Dogs The Winery Dogs are an American rock supergroup formed in 2012 by Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy. Background The idea of the band started out as a project featuring drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan, who were aimi ...

(via Loud & Proud; US) * Within Temptation * The Wombats ''(US)'' * The Workhorse Movement * Xentrix * Young the Giant

Criticism

Since the 1990s, Roadrunner Records has been criticised by several of its past alumni over its record contracts, business practices and management and promotion of its releases. Artists who have criticised Roadrunner include Megadeth, Slipknot, Obituary, Opeth, Chimaira,

and Sepultura.

members

Daryl Palumbo Daryl Palumbo (born February 10, 1979) is an American musician, originally from Bellmore, New York. He is the frontman of the bands Glassjaw, Head Automatica and Color Film. As a youth he was a member of the Long Island straight edge band ''Xbust ...

and

Justin Beck Justin Beck is an American musician and businessman. He is the guitarist and musical writer for Long Island, New York band Glassjaw. Beck, with a high school and college buddy, Lee Tepper, also co-founded a band merchandise Merchandising i ...

continue to speak unfavourably of Roadrunner, years after the problems the band experienced with them. They openly advise people not to buy their first full-length so as not to give the label money, and have repeatedly told fans at shows to illegally download the record. Palumbo has said: "Roadrunner is a joke. Roadrunner's not even a real label. It has the power to be one of the superpowers in the heavy music industry. While labels like Victory Records, which is such a small hardcore label, is totally surpassing Roadrunner... It's like the scourge of the music industry. Beck has said: "Seriously, don't ever support anything from Roadrunner – they suck!" Palumbo has said that Roadrunner didn't put the band on enough tours: "We never toured half as much as we wanted to, I just wish we got to tour more in support of 'Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence''; and, "They are a miserable fuckin' corporation that does not bend for their bands, does not give their bands anything and they're just terrible businessmen....They had 2 cash cows, Slipknot and Nickelback, and every other project they had rode backseat to those bands, and then the second that the new Slipknot record came out and didn't go quadruple Platinum in the first few hours it was released they fuckin' turned their backs on Slipknot. That label just wants instant gratification where it sells its units and that's a joke. You can't run a major corporation with that as your business strategy"''.''

Soundtracks

* '' Faust: Love Of The Damned'' (2000–2001) * '' Ginger Snaps'' (2000–2001) * '' Resident Evil'' (2002) * '' Spider-Man'' (2002) * ''

Freddy vs. Jason ''Freddy vs. Jason'' is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a crossover between the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' and ''Friday the 13th'' series, being the eighth installment ...

'' (2003) * '' Resident Evil: Apocalypse'' (2004)

References

External links

Main site gives you links to other international sites.

Official USA site

Official Canadian site

Official UK site

Roadrunner Records' official YouTube channel

Roadrunner Records' USA Twitter

Roadrunner US A&R team contact list
{{Authority control American record labels Heavy metal record labels Record labels established in 1980 Rock record labels Warner Music labels Atlantic Records IFPI members Labels distributed by Warner Music Group 1980 establishments in the Netherlands American companies established in 1980 1986 establishments in New York City