USA 20 Yr Anniversary: - Century Media Records News

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Mike DiSalvo's (ex-vocalist Cryptopsy) Ultimate Century Media Playlist

Century Media Records — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:23:34 GMT

Mike DiSalvo's (ex-vocalist Cryptopsy) Ultimate Century Media Playlist!

Grave - Extremely Rotten Flesh Holy shit, this song blew my mind when I first heard it. Riff after meaty riff, this is my all time favorite song from Grave. I remember being in the parking lot of the old Channel Club in Boston (getting ready to see Entombed and Morbid Angel), listening to this and saying, "Does it get any heavier than this band?" In truth, the guitar sound alone is enough to bring on nightmares. I'm not quite sure that any band has been able to come up with a nastier sound than Into the Grave. Candiria - 300 Per Cent Density This band is like the master of breakdowns. From the first manic drum roll , it just sets the song up perfectly. There are so many useful time change, nothing is skimped on this tune. One my favorite live bands. Eyehategod - Blank Could there be a better opening track? "Suffering from addiction to drugs .drugs.alcohol.alcohol.", oh what a song. It's a bonanza of sick riffs, I just love this band. Grief - Ruined "I'm a total fanatic, probably controlled by the supernatural.but I'm here.I'm here in the physical world". I don't know where Terry got this clip, but it's one of my all time favs. Goddamn, the main riff in this song just kills. At one time this band ruled my world, I love the pure slowness they achieved. Great song. Fu Manchu - Against the Ground Classic Fu Manchu material here. They are like the AC/DC of stoner rock, churning out the same type riffs that totally work. This whole record is awesome, this particular track hits me the hardest. Despised Icon - Made of Glass Damn, this is a great song. There is something about the main riff that strikes a nasty chord with me. Great breakdowns, sick vocs,.really a great record overall. One of Montreal's best for sure. Nevermore - The Death of Passion Arguably the most talented band on the roster. Warrel belting out "I feel so hollow.", accompanied with a serious chugging riff, I have such an affinity towards this tune. There are a lot of tunes on this album to choose from, however this tune does it for me the most. Suicide Silence - Unanswered "Where is your God?" Relentless brutality, I dig the shit out of this song and for that matter, this record. Seriously heavy tune, vocs are always great, breakdowns are practically unmatched. Unleashed - If They Had Eyes I love the opening riff of this song. Their guitar sound always reminded me of early Bolt Thrower, just more refined. This record blew me away back in the day, I always really felt the vocs, true old school phrasing and tone. I truth, there isn't a dud on this record..but if I had to choose, this would be the track I'd listen to first. Cryptopsy - White Worms Yeah, I'm going there cos' this song was already written before I joined. First time I heard this in the jam room, I almost shit myself. It's just ridiculously brutal and one of my favorites to have played live. The breakdown is one of the more memorable Cryptopsy riffs.in my opinion, it just shakes and pummels the floor.

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Clay Marshall's Ultimate Century Media Playlist

Century Media Records — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:48:37 GMT

Clay Marshall(alumni employee) compiles his Ultimate Century Media Playlist: I spent the majority of my 20's working in various capacities at Century Media's American headquarters. Although most of the bands I worked with in that time are currently listed on the "alumni" page of the CM website -- proof that I wasn't very good at my job, I guess! -- I was still asked to contribute an anniversary playlist, so here goes nothing. This is by no means a list of my 10 favorite Century Media songs released during my tenure (late '02-mid-'07), but each of the songs brings to mind something worth remembering...and now, worth sharing. - Clay

1. Arch Enemy - Ravenous Although "Wages of Sin" came out before I joined CM, one of my first nights on the job entailed being a de facto roadie for a one-off Arch Enemy concert at L.A.'s Troubadour late in that album's record cycle. It was their A&R guy's birthday, and he made it clear that his priority that night was booze, not work, so I remember having to rent a 15-passenger van and help the band get from their boutique hotel in Beverly Hills (!) to the venue and back at the end of the night. It was my first time to meet Chris, Mike and Sharlee, and the first of many times I ended up being a driver to the (would-be) stars. 2. Behemoth - As Above, So Below As they're one of the bands with whom I worked the closest during my time at Century, it's tough to sum up everything in a few words -- but since their first U.S. show ever took place on the "Zos Kia" cycle (scenic Elizabeth, NJ; I was there!), I figured I had to pick something from that album. Soon after the Jersey show, Danzig invited the band to take part in the inaugural "Blackest of the Black" concert in Arizona, and I again ended up behind the wheel. The drive from L.A. took longer than expected, as the band was visibly nervous about what was at the time the biggest show they'd ever done -- and after we finally got there, because of a strict schedule and others' late-running soundchecks, they were forced to start playing BEFORE doors opened. Thankfully, everything ran on schedule the next night back in L.A., and the band killed. They always do. 3. Brand New Sin - Black and Blue BNS' self-titled debut was one of my favorite albums released in 2002, and I remember saying as much during my Century job interview at the end of that year. Soon after I was hired, I was told that the band's then-label was going under, and that we might soon become their new home. "Soon" wasn't quite the right word, though, for a year and a half later, I found myself in a parking lot in Louisville, KY watching a then-unsigned BNS play a mindblowing set for all of six people, myself included. Although they weren't able to recapture the magic of their first album on their Century releases, I think "Black and Blue" smokes anything on the debut -- and even after hearing it 1000 times at the song's video shoot at a North Hollywood warehouse, I never got sick of it. 4. Into Eternity - Splintered Visions After listening to the just-finished "Buried In Oblivion," my boss and I were stunned. "Dead Or Dreaming" was good, but "Buried" was off the charts, so he sent me to Canada for a small record-release tour, and I'll never forget being floored that they could actually pull off the material live -- especially the intro of "Splintered Visions," which still kicks my ass every time I hear it. Several months later, I remember arriving at the ProgPower festival, the first U.S. show in what ended up being an incredible touring cycle, in a hurricane-drenched Atlanta just as they were taking the stage to its sweeping arpeggios. Because of the weather, the band's flights to Georgia were canceled, so they ended up re-routing themselves to Charlotte, renting a car and driving to Atlanta through the rain just so they could make their scheduled set time. Respect. 5. Lacuna Coil - Daylight Dancer I spent a lot of time with Lacuna during the "Comalies" cycle. When they played their first American headlining concert (at New York City's Knitting Factory in 2003), I was the lone label rep in attendance. A year later, after "Comalies" became the top-selling release in Century Media history, I joined the band on the 2004 Ozzfest tour for a few days, at which point I presented them with some plaques we'd commissioned to commemorate the album selling more than 100,000 copies in America. As always, they were extremely gracious, a main reason why I saw the band play live in at least seven states and in at least three countries before the cycle ended -- but I think my favorite memory was Cristina (no damn H, I know) cooking dinner for me at their home away from home at the time, an Extended Stay America hotel here in L.A. 6. Rotting Christ - Nightmare Any track off of Genesis would have worked, but this one had the most fitting title, as I blame my first gray hair on Rotting Christ. The same festival at which Behemoth made their American debut, Rotting Christ was also invited to play. This was a time before e-tickets became the standard for international air travel, so we still had to mail bands paper tickets -- and for reasons I can't quite remember, we didn't buy Rotting Christ's flights until the last minute. Long story short, the tickets ended up being shipped incorrectly by Travelocity, and as a result, they were delivered in Greece a day late -- right as their scheduled flight took off. Luckily, the band was able to jump on a flight the next day (for $1,000 extra!), so they still ended up making it to the fest. A week's worth of marathon calls with Travelocity customer service took its toll on me, though. 7. Nightwish - Dead To The World I chose this only because there isn't currently anything on iTunes by Finland's Lullacry, the opening act on Nightwish's first U.S. tour (on the "Century Child" cycle) in 2004. A year earlier, Lullacry were invited to make their American debut at the Milwaukee Metalfest, and since it was a one-off, they couldn't bring much of their own gear. I remember receiving the band's technical rider from their guitarist, and noticing that it included a request for a Dunlop Crybaby wah-wah guitar pedal. As a hack guitarist myself, I happened to have one at home collecting dust, so I offered to lend it to him for their performance -- which went off without a hitch. I've never played a gig in my life, but thanks to Lullacry, at least my Crybaby has. (They brought their own for the Nightwish tour.) 8. Shadows Fall - Those Who Cannot Speak Although I never worked terribly closely with the band, it was still a blast to be a part of the launch of "The War Within." I remember the excitement when we learned that it cracked the Top 20 -- if only because I'm a cheap bastard, and we got free pizza in the office that day. That's not why I'm including them, though, for again, I ended up being Century's designated driver one day, when I had to take Jason to a drum shop in West L.A. When we got into my car, I was concerned that my car stereo rotation of nerdy prog-metal wasn't going to make the best impression, but Jason saw my copy of the new (at the time) Fates Warning CD and immediately started gushing about how much he dug the band. A few years later, he'd end up playing with their guitarist in a side project. Because of that conversation, I still go out of my way at NAMM every year to track Jason down and say hi. 9. Strapping Young Lad - Relentless At some point on the "SYL" cycle, the band had to do a tour in an RV instead of a bus for budgetary reasons, so I helped them find a rental place close to their Vancouver home. Unfortunately, while they were at the border attempting to enter America on the way to show #1, a drug-sniffing dog attacked the front passenger seat of the RV and chomped it to shreds. (You can't make this stuff up.) The dog found nothing, and the band swore to me that they weren't stupid enough to carry anything across the border, but the RV rental place didn't care -- someone had to pay for it, and unfortunately, that ended up being the band. I tried to take it up with the border, but they explained to me that customs employees essentially have the right to do whatever they want in the name of securing our borders in a post-9/11 world. (I think they hung up on me after I asked if the dog was considered an employee, and if so, what kind of benefits package it received.) A couple of years later, at Century's inaugural "Christmas Balls" concert, Devin saw that I was wearing a Santa hat and lamented not bringing one of his own -- so I lent him mine, which he wore for all of 30 seconds of the band's opening song before it ended up in the crowd. 10. Fu Manchu - Hung Out To Dry I left Century soon after the release of "We Must Obey," and I continue to feel a bit guilty that the timing of my departure, well, hung the band out to dry. Truth is, I was extremely excited when we signed Fu, and it was a big thrill to meet the band in person for the first time at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, where they tracked the album. Having seen them in concert a number of times over the years, I knew that songs like the title track, "Knew It All Along" and "Hung Out To Dry" would sound great live, although when the band debuted material at a Viper Room concert here in L.A., I realized I'd underestimated just how epic these new tunes were. It quickly became clear why Scott Hill called "We Must Obey" his favorite Fu album ever, and even though I didn't stick around to see the album cycle through (sorry, guys), I was proud to at least be a part of its launch.

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : George Vallee's Ultimate Century Media Playlists

Century Media Records — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:29:29 GMT

Hey everyone! So I have been with Century Media for almost nine years and have had the opportunity to be a part of building up some of my favorite bands of all time. I started in radio promotions, but becoming head of publicity was where I was meant to be and it was just a natural fit for my personality. I have been doing PR (writing bios and press releases) for about six years and I am tired of writing hype points, so my playlist is more of a personal account in regards to what these bands mean to me and how they have impacted my life. It has been a wild ride in so many ways and hopefully you enjoy this playlist below. Thanks for listening and crank this shit up!

1. NEVERMORE - "Inside Four Walls" This is hands down my favorite band on the label and having the chance to work with them literally blew my mind. This song is one of my favorite songs of theirs and it just so happens to come from one of my favorite albums of all time. There is one band that has their own definitive sound that can't be replicated by anyone; easily one of the best metal bands ever. 2. SHADOWS FALL - "Destroyer of Senses" I am from Boston and grew up watching these guys from their humble beginnings with Phil (All That Remains) on vocals. It was such an honor and privilege to be their publicist and witness this band evolve into one of the biggest bands in the genre. This song is really special to me because it's a pure drinking anthem that reminds me of all the good times that I had with this band throughout this timeframe. Plus, all I can remember is setting up this video shoot and flying out to east coast for it and being stuck in a massive blizzard on the day of the shoot. The location for the shoot was a bar so needless to say everyone got hammered and had a blast. I pop up a few times in the video and it was what basically defined this band's career. 3. SKINLAB - "Know Your Enemies" This was one of the very first albums that I worked upon joining the label and this track especially shows just how unrelenting their music was. They might have been overlooked by many but this band has some killer albums that should be revisited. 4. ICED EARTH - "Watching Over Me" This is a flagship band for the label and Matt Barlow's voice on this song is absolute perfection. This track sucks you in with a barrage of melody and blazing riffs, which is the band's trademarked sound. They helped pave the way for the bands that are signed to the label today and we definitely might not be here if it wasn't for them and their success. 5. GOD FORBID - "Force Fed" These guys are awesome and hanging out with them is like watching a stand-up comedy special. I have spent many days traveling with this band on numerous tours, but nothing was better than being with them on Ozzfest playing to thousands of people each day. Nothing got the crowd moving more than this track and it just kills from start to finish. This band never got the credit or attention that they deserved, but this album is amazing and extremely underrated. 6. CHILDREN OF BODOM - "Needled 24/7" This is easily one of my favorite bands ever and I was so excited when we licensed Hatecrew Deathroll for North America because I knew that I could help make this band massive. Meeting these guys was a dream of mine and I remember flying out to NJ for the start of their first U.S. tour with Dimmu Borgir, and walking on their bus for the first time started a lifelong friendship that is really special to me. You couldn't possibly ask for any cooler and down to earth guys to work with and getting Alexi Laiho the cover of Guitar World might be the crowning point of my publicity career. Plus, I think these guys helped destroy my liver because the party doesn't end until they say it does. 7. IN THIS MOMENT - "Forever" This is one of the most promising new artists on the roster and they are some of the sweetest people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. This song was the first single from their second album and it is just a straight up killer hard rock tune that is pretty damn infectious, so be careful as you will be singing this one in your head for the rest of the week 8. SUICIDE SILENCE - "Bludgeoned To Death" This is the band that is helping take the label into the next decade as they most recently became one the highest charting extreme artists to enter the Billboard charts. This song absolutely crushes. 9. DARK TRANQUILLITY - "Final Resistance" This is a band that has never put out a bad record and they continue to get better after 20 years of excellence. This specific track just always stood out from the rest but it's almost impossible to pick out a favorite because everything they do is awesome. They are the pioneers of Swedish melodic metal and are also one of the best live bands ever. It is such a pleasure working with them as well because they are all fun dudes that really like to party. They are also huge poker players so don't get hustled into a game with them because they will take you for everything you've got. 10. ARCH ENEMY - "The Immortal" This is the song that got me into this band. The dual guitar work of the Amott brothers was stunning and this album remains my favorite one of their catalogue. 11. SENTENCED - "You Are The One" There is no other band like these guys and their trademarked sound is sorrowful, but uplifting in a really odd way. The lyrics are all about killing yourself but the music is upbeat and exciting. It is really just like nothing else out there and they are true legends. 12. STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - "All Hail The New Flesh" Devin Townsend is a pure genius and meeting him for the first time was a memorable experience. I was working at the label for about a month and his A+R man asked me if I could bring him some weed and of course I was more than happy to accommodate this request. I met Devin in his hotel room where we smoked many joints, talked for hours and developed a bond that I never expected to have. He is one of the most genuine, honest and respectful people that I have ever met and working with him couldn't possibly be any more fulfilling. Traveling with them on Ozzfest was a great experience and seeing this band live everyday is about the best perk this job offers. This is one of my favorite tracks and it basically encompasses everything they are about. Take a hit, sit back and prepare to be annihilated. 13. WARBRINGER - "Living In A Whirlwind" These guys are the definition of road warriors and they are easily one of the hardest working bands we have. They have grown so much since their debut offering and this track is just what the new wave of thrash should be all about. They are really starting to tap into something unique and I see them starting many circle pits across the nation. 14. INTO ETERNITY - "Spiraling Into Depression" These guys are the most underrated band we ever had and they should have been massive. Their sound was so ahead of its time and they never really got the chance that they deserved. They delivered a slew of stunning metal epics that will be heralded in the years to come as some of the progressive genre's best. The guitar work on each album is just magical and this track is one of their most aggressive and it really captures just how special this band truly was so hopefully they will return one day, but until then enjoy this and spread the word. 15. DIVINE HERESY - "Failed Creation" Having the opportunity to work with Fear Factory's Dino Cazares was a true honor and he has been one of my favorite guitar players for years. This project was a new chapter in his life and Divine Heresy was definitely aggressive while maintaining the melodic aspects he was always know to embrace. Even though the band was plagued with lead vocalist changes this track was always a stand out hit to me. If you are a fan of Dino then this is a must. 16. WINDS OF PLAGUE - "Approach The Podium" This is another band that is helping pave the new way for the label moving into the future. They are one of the most vicious live acts out there and will be the standout band on this summer's Rockstar Mayhem fest. Be sure to check it out now because everyone is going to be raving about them soon enough. 17. FIREWIND - "Mercenary Man" This band features one of the most talented guitar players in the genre and now Gus G. is going to finally get the attention he deserves as he is Ozzy's touring guitarist. These guys are the definitive melodic metal band of this decade and more people will be singing his praises soon. 18. THE AGONIST - "Business Suits and Combat Boots" An absolutely mesmerizing frontwoman with a killer voice are just a few selling point for this Canadian powerhouse. They truly sound like no other band out there and just haven't had the opportunities that some other bands get. This band is refreshing and unique so take a listen and you might just be turned onto something new. 19. BEHEMOTH - "Slaves Shall Serve" This is one of the first bands that I started doing press for and I just remember meeting Nergal (vocals, guitars) for the first time and was blown away by how cool and normal he was, as I expected a maniac. We had so much in common and hit it off right away. I felt that they were one of the most promising extreme metal acts coming up in the scene at that time and I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure they were everywhere. It just so happened that with the combination of their undying hard work and willingness to do anything asked of them that they eventually exploded and realized their full potential. I have had lots of insane parties with these guys and even though they have moved on to a new label they always take time to check in and see how I am doing. They are the best and this track is about as good as it gets in the extreme metal genre.

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Andrew Fletcher's Ultimate Century Media Playlist

Century Media Records — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:17:39 GMT

Andrew Fletcher (Customer Service/CM Superhero) recalls his Ultimate Century Media tracks:

1. Aborted - Avenious: Great track that grinds (no pun intended) their new and old elements into one vicious chimpanzee, face eating attack. 2. Dream Evil - Blind Evil: Wasn't too big on Power Metal until I heard "United." Fun track from a badass album. 3. Arch Enemy - Bury Me an Angel: Still my favorite song from the Liiva era that always demands 2 horns up. 4. Arch Enemy - Behind The Smile: Was the first track I heard With Angela. Never disappoints. 5. The Agony Scene - Rapture: Best song to listen to while getting into a car accident! Especially if it involves an innocent pedestrian. 6. Samael - Supra Karma: One of my favorite tracks by Samael that shows off why they are the leaders in blending Goth, Industrial, and Metal into one tasty margarita! 7. Behemoth - The Reign Ov Shemsu-Hor: If you don't like this song, bring me your children so I can shoot them in the throat to stop your genes from spreading. 8. Dark Tranquillity - The Endless Feed: It's DT.nuff said. 9. Cryptopsy - We Bleed: Always perfect for my tech-death fix, especially the "Live" version since it shows off how proficient these guys are. 10. The Gathering - Probably Built In The Fifties: Best clean, female vocalist in the business, PERIOD. One of many songs that shows why. 11. The Gathering - Shot To Pieces: A track from their last album with CM :( Will rock any radio shit out of your ears. 12. Despised Icon - MVP: Warning: Will cause brown stains in your pants. 13. Mercenary - 11 Dreams: An awesome heavy metal track that is deep in its heaviness and melodies. 14. Scar Culture - Vision: Makes me breaks things, but also makes me cry knowing the band is no more...then I stop and wonder what's wrong with me. 15. Rotting Christ - Athanati Este: Even Jesus would burn a church listening to this song. 16. Iwrestledabearonce - Eli Cash vs. The Godless Savages A VERY talented, young band for those that need more uniqueness in their Metal. 17. Napalm Death - Right You Are: You can't have a playlist without some Napalm. 18. Nocturnal Rites - Awakening: One of those Power Metal tracks that is timeless...until we all die and no one can hear it anymore. 19. Old Mans Child - Enslaved And Condemned: If Satan was a composer, he would make such a song. 20. Sentenced - Vengeance Is Mine: My favorite song from their last album. "Fantasies of bashing in your brains!" Preach it Ville! 23. Strapping Young Lad - Force Fed: Listing EVERY SYL song in a playlist is tempting, but this one always topped my list. 24. Strapping Young Lad - Satan's Ice Cream Truck: Just to get off your Metal high horse for a minute. Every metal head needs it. 25. Suicide Silence - Genocide: Solid bludgeoning from the best up and coming band. 26. Winds Of Plague - The Great Stone War: Whenever I'm battling zombies, Spartans, or testicle eating hamsters I blare this song. 27. At All Cost - Leaving Forever: I always thought this was a very overlooked and underrated CM band. This track will confuse and beat the shit out of you...like a naked, hydrocephalic ninja. 28. Nevermore - My Acid Words A classic example of how Nevermore progresses not only with every song, but with every album.

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Marc Shapiro's Ultimate CM Playlist

Century Media Records — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:27:50 GMT

SCHAP'S CM PLAYLIST Marc Schapiro Branch Marketing Collective - North American Marketing for InsideOut & Superball Music - NYC I've been listening to Century Media releases for the past 20 years, and then finally in late 2009, I started doing work with them. Over the past score (that's 20 years for those of you that don't speak Middle English), there were so many records the label put out that were influential on my life and career. Here are the Top 13, in no particular order...

The Gathering - Liberty Bell This song should have been a radio hit...if only radio had the balls to take a chance on a band like The Gathering. Amazing intro. Amazing bridge. Amazing chorus. And how can you not be sucked in by Anneke's beautiful voice? She has quietly led the way for all other female-fronted bands around the world, and is the secret weapon in the success of the new Devin Townsend Project record (if you didn't know, she sings on most of the album). Moonspell - Opium You'll see by my list, I like myself some "gothic" metal. I remember when I discovered Moonspell on a hot summer day in Miami (where you hear more Spanish than Portuguese). I was thinking that this dude really likes (and rips off) Type O Negative...then next thing I knew, I was listening to Irreligious as much as October Rust. Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black Everyone says it, so I'll say it. This should have been "Operation Mindcrime II". A great concept record that introduced me to the greatness of Nevermore. They even repeated their amazing songwriting on the next album, Dead Heart In A Dead World, but this was the album that brought the band into my life. Katatonia - Saw You Drown Ok, so it was really Tonight's Decision that made me a fan of Katatonia...but if it wasn't for that record, I wouldn't have gone back and discovered Discouraged Ones and this great song. Tiamat - Cold Seed How can such a "dark" record make me so happy? I hate to say that Tiamat peaked with A Deeper Kind Of Slumber, especially since it came out back in 1997, but even 13 years later the album sounds as new and fresh as any recent "gothic" metal album. Orphaned Land - Ocean Land (The Revelation) I'm Jewish and I like Opeth. In 2004, someone told me of an amazing Israeli band called Orphaned Land that I should listen to because I am Jewish and like Opeth. I did...and even though it took 6 years to release their most recent album, this song from 2004 is the one that made me a fan. Strapping Young Lad - Room 429 I'm lucky enough to work with Devin Townsend now. He's an amazing person and musician that I've followed for years...and it was the City album that suckered me in. Funny thing is that this song is a cover of a band called Cop Shoot Cop that I worked as an Interscope college rep back in the early 90s, and pretty much how I discovered SYL. Ulver -Hmyne, Part 1 I love Ulver. I really don't care for the lo-fi "tin can" black metal sound, but when I first heard this record I had a feeling there was something different. And I was right when those first acoustic guitars came in. The band's progression has made them one of my favorites of all time, and this is the album that started it for me Children Of Bodom - Needled 24/7 Ok, so I guess somehow I've worked with most of the bands on this list - most before I did work with Century Media. With COB it was for their Blooddrunk album, but my favorite song of theirs has always been "Needled 24/7" from the Hate Crew Deathroll album. Iwrestledabearonce - Tastes Like Kevin Bacon My last "label" job was working over at Ferret Music. I was introduced to IWABO and actually tried signing them, but Century Media beat us out. Damn you Century Media, damn you. Extol - Pearl Could this be one of the best Deftones songs never written by the Deftones? Why yes it is. Haunting. Epic. Listen now. Shadows Fall - Crushing Belial Back in 2000 there were two landmark albums released from two Massachusetts bands: Shadows Fall's Of One Blood and Killswitch Engage's Killswitch Engage. "Crushing Belial" made Shadows Fall the winner in that battle for me that year. Dream Evil - The Book Of Heavy Metal Total guilty pleasure. I heard the song, saw the video, and was totally hooked!

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Mike Gitter's Ultimate CM Playlist

Century Media Records — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:32:04 GMT

Mike Gitter (A&R) @ Century Media Records, Los Angeles.

1. Cro-Mags-See The Signs: Opening track from the Alpha Omega album. For a brief time, singer John Joseph and bassist Harley Flannagan re-teamed and captured the fury that defined the Cro-Mags. Make that a very brief - and extremely volatile -- time. 2. Iced Earth-Wolf: Mattt Barlow's vocals never sounded so intense and pained as they do here. John Schaffer gives. the tale of the Wolf-Man a Power Metal makeover on this track off the awesome Horror Show album. 3. Merauder-Master Killer - Merauder vocalisr Jorge Rosado is one of the most distinct and ferocious voices out there. Here is his defining moment. The title track off Merauder's Century Media debut, "Master Killer" is a violent anthem from the men streets of NYC. 4. Celtic Frost-A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh - Tom G. Warrior re-invents his own legend and puts Celtic Frost to bed. Monotheist is a record as epic and disturbing in scope as anything Mr. Fischer has done in his career. If you've seen the video for this one, you know what a head-f**k this track is. 5. Stuck Mojo-Reborn-Who cares if rap-metal is the uncoolest genre to be part of these days? With guitarist Rich Ward (also of Fozzy) at the heart of this groove-fest, the Mojo always kicked it with credibility. This song rules - plus, it's got a chorus that Sevendust would kill for. 6. Shadows Fall-Of One Blood-An anthem of unifcation of the metal nation. I still maintain that this is the Shads' finest hour - and this is before Western Massachusetts became a metal mecca. Frontman Brian Fair had literally just joined Shadows Fall and that energy crackles all over this recording. 7. Dream Evil-The Book of Heavy Metal-One listen and you know why it's so important to get inscribed there - kinda like Yom Kippur for the denim and leather crew. OK, here's thed deal: Swedish metal producer Frederick Nordstrom meets Ozzy guitar-to-be Gus G.. Does it all make sense now? Heavy f**king Metal to the Max! 8. Unleashed-Into Glory Ride-Bloodied swords. Fallen warriors. These Swedes brought this blast of Nordic fury to the world in 1989. Guaranteed, the likes of Amon Amarath learned a thing or two about death-metal combat from ex-Nihilist man Johnny Hedlund and his Viking horde. 9. Turisas - Battle Metal - I get pumped every time I hear this. You can't help but feel like a warrior when the chorus hits. Aside from defining an entire genre, it's a brilliantly written song. Can't wait for their new one later this year. 10. Nevermore - Narcosynthesis - Wanna know what Nevermore is truly about? This one spells it all out.. Off the Dead Heart In a Dead World , this one's as musically complex and memorable as the Seattle metallers get: 11. Nachtmystium-Assassins - Imagine Watain duking it out with Mastodon. Then, you'll get a very good idea of what Nachtmystium mainman Blake Judd had in mind on the Chicago band's Century Media debut. It's really sound of Black Metal bending and breaking. 12. Finntroll-Solsagan- From the latest Finntroll album, Nifelvind. These long running Humpa-Metal masters sound like Slayer in a beer hall on this one. 13. The Haunted - 99 -Vocalist Peter Dolving comes back and this friggin' rocks. After the last Earache album came up a bit short, rEVOLVr was there to remind fans just why The Haunted were such a key piece of Swedish metal history. 14. Behemoth -Slaves Shall Serve EP Nergal shows absolutely no remorse on the title track to the Slaves Shall Serve EP: a great four tracker that includes covers by Danzig and Fields of the Nephilim. Recorded during sessions for he Demigod album. It kills, plain and simple. 15. Satyricon - K.I.N.G. - Satyricon doing what Satyricon does best. Big mean riff upon riff with Satyr growling a bastard of a chorus that tears into your skull without mercy. 16. Napalm Death - Conform (Siege Cover) - Napalm cover one of their biggest influences on their second album of i cover songs: Leaders Not Followers Part 2. Siege were a circa 1983 hardcore band that eluded categorization and only got the credit they deserved years later. Napalm Death tip the hat and pass the ammunition on this one. 17. Diecast - Singled Out -Metalcore meets Nu-Metal with a pretty unforgettable chorus from the the Day of Suffering album.. Think pre-Killswitch era Roadrunner metal and you'll be on the right track. 18. iwrestleadabearonce-You Ain't No Family-IWABO musically hang out somewhere between Napalm Death and Bjork. This Louisiana bunch may just be the most progressive and exciting band on Century Media these days. 19. Arch Enemy - Ravenous - Still my favorite Arch Enemy song. Tasty hook after hook with a chorus that desn't let go. The world meets Angela Gossow and Arch Enemy becomes a force to be reckoned with. 20. Only Living Witness-Prone Mortal Form-The missing link in Mass Metal. The likes of Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage have long cited their love for Only Living Witness. Jonah Jenkins' soaring voice still remains one of a kind. This track is really starter course in this band. There's been a reissue of their only two records pretty recently. Buy it! 21. The Gathering - The Big Sleep - How To Measure a Planet was my first exposure to The Gathering and quite a few years and several albums later it remains their best work. The mellow, sweeping, "The Big Sleep" is a prime cut from a two-disc body of work that features the Dutch band then fronted by former vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen (who also provides vocals on Devin Townsend's "Addicted") at its peak. 22. Extol - Pearl - A major change for these formerly tech-obsessed Christian Swedes. Progressive and lush. Much simpler than anything they had been known for in the past. They called it quits after this fan-eluding album, The Blueprint Dives. For fans of Cult of Luna and various Neurosis spin-offs.

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Andrei Cublesan's Ultimate CM Playlist

Century Media Records — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:25:33 GMT

Andrei Cublesan (Warehouse) @ Century Media Records, Los Angeles. Preview My Playlist

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Jeff Wagner's Ultimate CM Playlist (Alumni CM Employee)

Century Media Records — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:03:37 GMT

I was employed by Century Media from 2001 to 2004, I guess "CM Distro Buyer" was my title... & here's a quick breakdown. Jeff Wagner, metal geek Preview My Playlist

Asphyx - "It Awaits" while the quintessential Asphyx sound is best heard on earlier albums like 'The Rack' and 'Last One on Earth,' this song from 1996's 'God Cries' is one of those that makes the hands clutch and eyes roll back in the head in all its ugly awesomeness. Borknagar - "Colossus" Borknagar - "To Mount and Rove" two different Bork tracks from two different albums that highlight two different vocalists. "Colossus" is a masterpiece of cosmic progressive black metal, with some of the best vocals you'll ever hear from the throat of ICS Vortex (aka Simen Hestnaes, also known from Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir). "To Mount and Rove" is earthy and majestic stuff, as is the entire 'Olden Domain' album. Comecon - "Worms" and underrated album, 'Converging Conspiracies' is blistering, ferocious death metal with a quirky and sometimes progressive edge. And no one can talk about Century Media's first decade without mentioning the True Voice of Death Metal, Martin Van Drunen (also of Asphyx, of course). Extol - "Gloriana" another underrated and I think misunderstood album, Extol's 'The Blueprint Dives' is an eclectic album, mixing the band's Believer-influenced prog death/thrash with elements of indie rock, emo and prog rock. The chorus of "Gloriana" is pure joy, something that powerfully communicates the band's strong spiritual convictions...and I'm a heathen of the first order! Passionate music is passionate music, be it Christian, Satanic or secular. Hexx - "Watery Graves" "Food for the fish!!" Yet another underrated album from the Century Media roster, and an early one too (1991). This is an awesome track, and it represents the rest of the 'Morbid Reality' album well enough: seething vocals, stop/start tempos, insane intensity, rhythmic complexity. It also has two elements I'd like to hear on more modern albums: 1) earthy recording and 2) bass guitar you can actually hear! Jag Panzer - "Chain of Command" So many excellent songs on Jag Panzer's 'The Age of Mastery,' it's hard to choose one, but this one works well enough. Regal, authoritative, kick-ass American heavy metal from one of the great masters of the form. Katatonia - "Brave" I tried to stay away from licensed titles for this Top 15, but couldn't leave this song out (apologies to Emperor and Opeth on this front). "Brave" is one of the most hypnotic, solid, memorable tracks in Katatonia's growing discography. Nocturnal Rites - "Afterlife" Nocturnal Rites - "The Pentagram" as with my Borknagar picks: two different albums, two different vocalists. The title track of 2000's 'Afterlife' is as throttling and spirited an opener as you'll find on any other classic metal album (and I do believe 'Afterlife' is a modern classic!). "The Pentagram" is from earlier album, 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination,' which found the band in their original post-Yngwie/post-Silver Mountain mold, updating that old-school Swedish heavy metal sound while keeping all the basic traditions intact ('Afterlife' would rewrite everything for Nocturnal Rites two albums later). Listen to the fluidity of the guitar playing in "The Pentagram." Speed metal, indeed. Sentenced - "Forever Lost" easy to pick a favorite Sentenced album ('Amok') but difficult to pick a favorite track from it. This one is a highlight on an album of highlights, I like the epic feel of the song and how the bloodthirsty vocals also manage a solid melody. Solefald - "Dionysify This Night of Spring" this lengthy song encapsulates everything that is great about this band, who are one of the leaders in that whole weird Norwegian post-black metal avant-garde thing. Tiamat - "Whatever That Hurts" The greatest album ever released by Century Media? It was tempting to just pick the entire 'Wildhoney' album for my first 10 picks, but this opener suffices well enough. A landmark album...truly progressive metal! Ulver - "I" Ulver's 'Nattens Madrigal' isn't for everybody, but I wouldn't want to live without it. Hard to pick one track, as the album flows best as a whole (if you can take the noise that long) but the first "hymne" is probably the most well-rounded song on the album. The guitar melody that flows and buzzes around the verse vocals is transcendental, as is the whole album... Unleashed - "Into Glory Ride" Totally throttling momentum and an overall great vibe on this album ('Where No Life Dwells') and especially this standout song. God-like riffs all over the place. Still the best Unleashed album, in my opinion, and possibly the greatest album cover in the entire Century Media catalog! Old Century Media albums like Morgoth, Unleashed, Tiamat and Asphyx had a certain look about them, they gave an arty sensibility to some ugly, brutal music...and it worked. Stuff like Morgoth's 'Cursed,' the first two Unleashed albums, Tiamat's 'The Astral Sleep' and Asphyx's 'The Rack' just LOOK cool, not even mentioning the music inside. Try and seek out the original pressings to see what I mean, if you've never seen them before. Jeff

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Century Media Records' North American Office Celebrates Its 20 Year Anniversary, Releases New Compilation Series and Several Interactive Online Features

Century Media Records — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:57:52 GMT

Century Media Records is recognized around the globe as a dominating force and premier label for metal, hard rock and hardcore. The label is extremely proud to celebrate 20 years of metal excellence this year and have put together a special series of compilations that will highlight their 1st 20 years in North America. Four double discs will be released over the coming months, each representing a five year span to provide more focus and in-depth flashback coverage. The tracks for each reissue were meticulously chosen by previous Century Media President, Marco Barbieri, and are housed on 2 CDs in a beautifully crafted and designed digipack. Former Century Media A&R, Tom Bejgrowicz handled all the art direction and coordination, from designing the cover art, to choosing 100% recycled materials for the packaging. Each release will contain liner notes from Century Media employees, past and present. Volume one of this series hits shelves on May 18th and its official track listing is below. The remaining discs will be released throughout the year culminating with a massive box set at the end of the year. In addition, the label compiled staff member playlists of their Ultimate Century Media Songs. They will be releasing these playlists on our sites throughout the year, and they will be available on iTunes for preview or purchasing. Click on the link below to view the first playlist. DISC ONE Morgoth - Lies of Distrust (from Resurrection Absurd/Eternal Fall) 4:39 Demolition Hammer - Infectious Hospital Waste (from Tortured Existence) 5:01 Iced Earth - Iced Earth (from Iced Earth) 5:22 Asphyx - Diabolic Existence (from The Rack) 3:55 Unleashed - Before the Creation of Time (from Where No Life Dwells) 3:48 Grave - Into the Grave (from Into The Grave) 4:08 Tiamat - Ancient Entity (from The Astral Sleep) 6:17 Morgoth - Sold Baptisim (from Cursed) 3:41 Demolition Hammer - Skull Fracturing Nightmare (from Epidemic of Violence) 5:45 Iced Earth - Stormrider (from Night of the Stormrider) 4:47 Cro-Mags - The Paths of Perfection (from Alpha Omega) 3:06 Unleashed - Never Ending Hate (from Shadows in the Deep) 2:32 Grave - Morbid Way to Die (from You'll Never See) 4:46 Tiamat - The Sleeping Beauty (from Clouds) 4:10 Asphyx - Serenades in Lead (from Last One on Earth) 3:26 Eyehategod - Children of God (from In The Name of Suffering) 3:11 Samael - After the Sepulture (from Blood Ritual) 4:29 DISC TWO Only Living Witness - Prone Mortal Form (from Prone Mortal Form) 5:18 Morgoth - Resistance (from Odium) 4:49 Eyehategod - Kill Your Boss (from Take As Needed for Pain) 4:17 Samael - Baphomet's Throne (from Ceremony of Opposites) 3:31 Grave - Soulless (from Soulless) 3:00 Graveyard Rodeo - Thoughts of the Past (from On the Verge) 5:27 Penance - Crosses (from Parallel Corners) 4:04 Tiamat - Gaia (from Wildhoney) 6:24 Sentenced - Phenix (from Amok) 5:23 Grief - World of Hurt (from Come to Grief) 5:02 Nevermore - What Tomorrow Knows (from Nevermore) 5:11 Stuck Mojo - Not Promised Tomorrow (from Snappin' Necks) 3:15 Strapping Young Lad - SYL (from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing) 4:47 Iced Earth - Last December (from Burnt Offerings) 3:24 Moonspell - Wolfshade (from Wolfheart) 7:43 The Gathering - Leaves (from Mandylion) 6:01 The label also started a Flickr group that anyone can contribute photos to. They will be opening this up to the fans and submissions will stream through the widget displayed on the 20 Year page. If you have any photos to contribute if you are on Flickr: 1. Go here 2. Join the group 3. Add your photos This is really about our Metal community, which is why we are involving fans as much as we can, so please join the effort too!

USA 20 Yr Anniversary: : Stephanie's Ultimate CM Playlist

Century Media Records — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:27:38 GMT

Stephanie Shoulders (Head Of New Media) @ Century Media Records, Los Angeles. This is my ultimate Century Media Playlist of songs that i simply love or have a special meaning to me. It contains a few of the varied metal genres CM is known for giving you a perfect display of the diversity of Artists found the label's roster. Enjoy! Preview My Playlist

Preview My Playlist 1. Napalm Death - Identity Crisis: Its Napalm Death. End of Story. 2. Despised Icon - The Sunset Will Never Charm Us: I love these guys. I think this record is definitely more on the death metal / grindy side of things, but truly gave way to the whole deathcore movement. No matter if youre a fan of deathcore or not, these are some seriously talented musicians and everyone should go see show if not only just to see the machine that is Alexandre Pelletier (drums). 3. Carnal Forge - Carnal Forge: Most people either dont know who this band is or forgot about them. This was really the only album I liked by Carnal Forge, but it was one of my Fave CM records before joining the crew and it still holds a significant place in my book. 4. Arch Enemy - Dead Bury Their Dead: Arch Enemy is one of the best known CM Bands for good reason. Awesome songs, amazing musicians. You really cant go wrong. And Wages of Sin is their Best album. Id ont care what you say, it IS. 5. Behemoth - Conquer All: These guys are the coolest dudes ever. It was so much fun to work with them. Nergal is so serious about his band and the music he writes, that it truly flows out of the music. Many good Behemoth tracks to go for, this one just really gets me pumped. 6. Children Of Bodom - Six Pounder: I love the guitar in the song. Its f*ing sexy. 7. Strapping Young Lad - Love?: Devin is a genius.Everyone knows that. But this song just makes me happy. 8. Into Eternity - Splintered Visions: I worked with this band for a long time. Videos shoots, promo, and many many shows so I really grew fond of them. This album features a different vocalist from later albums, but I realy feel the material on thios album was my favorite. Every song on this album is awesome. 9. Dark Tranquillity - The Fatalist: This band is phenomenal live and I've always been a fan but never a diehard. This track is from the newest record, that when I heard it blew my mind. This record is so dark and goth, I was really surprised in the direction it went and found this record to be the most accesible and this track in particular is just catchy and wonderful. 10. Sentenced - The Suicider: With a catalog as deep as Sentenced's, any choice would be tough. So I just picked a track that i think is easy to rock out to. 11. Mercenary - 11 Dreams: A lot of people probably dont know who Mercenary is. We have acouple albums by the band, but this album is a little different than the subsequent ones and was really one of the standout records for the progressive death metal sound in my opinion. It was really hard to narrow down a track because the songs are all very eclectic on this record. 12. Aborted - Pestiferous Subterfuge: Gore Grind at its best. Plus it's a pleasure to trade retarded links via AIM with Svencho all the time. 13. Heaven Shall Burn - The Bombs Of My Saviors: This band is so underrated. Everyone should know and love this band. Fans of melodeath should be singing their praises. Pick up the albums and you'll be surprised by the juxtaposition of extremely harsh and brutal metal comibined with intros and outros of astonishingly beautiful melodies done by an Icelandic composer.I also just cannot get over how menacing Marcus' voice is. 14. Lacuna Coil - Cold Heritage: This is one of my favorite bands to work with on the label. The are all such sweet and fun people and I've loved their catalog for a long time. Definitely one of my fave CM Artists and this is my fave album by them. 15. Intronaut - The Literal Black Cloud: I love the guys in this band too much to even describe. Great dudes all around, good friends indeed. There are some moments in this song that are just so serene and peaceful, I cant help but simply adore the musicianship and creativity behind this band. Its just good music period. 16. Nevermore - The Hurting Words: This is probably a strange choice for Nevermore diehards to understand. To me this song has a really strong Alice In CHains type vibe to it, and with AIC being another one of my fave bands, I think thats why I gravitate so much towards this particular track. 17. Poisonblack - With Her I Die: I love the first record of this band. This song in particular during the verses gets so dark and eerie its like it was made especially for me. This album featured the singer of the band Charon, while later albums feature Ville (Sentenced) on vocals. 18. Eyes Of Fire - Gone Forever: You know, I really liked this band. It was such a bummer when they disbanded. Some really cool sludgy stuff going on in this record.Give it a chance. 19. Moonspell - Antidote: There are some pretty easy choices for Moonspell, but I love how soft and quiet this song is. You can really hear Fernando's accent which is amazing btw. There's something about this song that feels so intimate almost like he's whispering into your ear. 20. Warrel Dane - Lucretia My Reflection: Sisters of Mercy is one of my favorite bands on the planet, so I was noteably excited for this cover. WD does it great justice and combines Warrel's soulful vocals with gods of Goth. 21. Katatonia - Saw You Drown: Definitely not my favorite Katatonia album, but I do love this song. This band is unmistakable. They definitely have their own sound, which I completely adore. 22. Celtic Frost - Drown In Ashes: This was my favorite record of 2006. CF does a great job of combining death, black and goth in one evil little package. This song hit me the hardest for being so friggen eerie and atmospheric. And with Peter Tagtgren producing you cant really go wrong. 23. The Gathering - Saturnine The Gathering is one of my all-time favorite bands period. Anneke has such a beautifully soft voice and the songs created by this Dutch outfit have long inspired me. This is my favorite song by the band hands down, so easy choice. The outro still gives me chills. 24. Paradise Lost - Unreachable I really loved this album and it was a tough choice between this song and Praise Lamented shade, but I feel like this song was really underrated. In Requiem and the Warrel Dane records were my absolute favorite records of 2007. 25. Tiamat - Lucy: This song is so dark and creepy. Its soft and yet metal at the same time. Cant go wrong there. 26. Turisas - The Land Of Hope and Glory: You know, I wish Turisas would make another record like this. Its so epic and Olli (violin) is really a star on this record.Its just a fun record that takes you on a journey. 27. Old Mans Child - Towards Eternity: This was the first OMC album I had every heard many moons ago and I really connected to it. Simply put Galder rules. Being a part of Dimmu Borgir makes him a crucial part of my employment at Century Media. If it hadnt been for the wonderous stylings of DB, I wouldnt have interned at Nuclear Blast and subsequently been hired by CM. 28. Satyricon - The Pentagram Burns: I was ecstastic when we licensed this record. A longtime Satyricon fan, it was pretty exciting to get to work a new record by the Norweigian kings of Black metal. This song is just so diabloic and the video is equally full of fire and debauchery.