Roadrunner Records closes doors in Europe

(By DJ Wildhoney) - Bad news from the label world, again. It has been announced that Roadrunner Records will closes door in Europe. End 2010 Warner Music Group completely took over Roadrunner Records which already resulted in a loss of jobs. Now at least 36 people will lose their job all over Europe (the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, ...).

Roadrunner will continue to operate as a standalone frontline label, although 16 people in the USA will also lose their job.

CEO Cees Wessels released the following memo: "All good things come to an end and regretfully I am informing you that after 32 years I have decided to leave Roadrunner and resume the independent course that has always been my lodestar. It breaks my heart to say farewell to all those magnificent colleagues that have contributed so greatly in building the strongest brand in metal and rock and helped a great number of artists to make their dreams come true."

It looks like the American office in New-York will continue as the head-office. CNR Entertainment keeps the Roadrunner-license until the end of this year.

Roadrunner Records (part of Roadrunner Music Group) was founded in 1980 in the Netherlands by Cees Wessels. The label specialized itself in metal and is the home for a lot of famous bands as Slipknot, Korn, Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, Type O Negative, Within Temptation, Sepultura, Machine Head, Megadeth, Life of Agony, and so on.

Here's a rather extended reaction from Clown of Slipknot which he posted on Facebook: "Today is a sad day. It has been brought to my attention that many Roadrunner offices around the world have been closed permanently. This means to us, Slipknot, in my opinion that a lot of our very close friends and comrades will no longer be around to help the art and business known as the Slipknot family. This is very disheartening because our whole career has consisted of being involved with this personal family. This comes as very shocking news and in my opinion only, this is completely unwarranted and unacceptable. Money should not dictate art. Art should dictate money.

It only proves that the business side of things dominates the art side of things and again in my opinion art is what changes the world. Everyone who no longer works with Slipknot will be greatly missed and as far as I’m concerned things will never ever be the same. I personally will not let anybody new into the vision of art because the art has been supported by so many from the beginning of my career to now. Things will never ever be the same. My heart hurts for my friends all around the world and for their families and I know that all things that are meant to be will come back around. All I can say at this point from the bottom of my heart is THANK YOU for everything you have ever done for our band Slipknot, our families, and other bands who have been trying to live out their dreams. I’m sorry and we love you all.

The music industry as a whole will always continue to fail but the love for art and music will always be on an up rise. And because of this art will always need people who understand it. Now that the wheel is being expected to change everyone should know outside the family that the wheel known as Slipknot will become bigger, stronger, and more dangerous than ever. It will have no sympathy and no forgiveness and will roll over all the wrongdoing. This is simply unbelievable to me. In fact it is everything that is wrong with the world today.

You will all stay in my mind and my soul and my art and I will continue to reach out and remain as close as possible to as many of you as possible as I can. The experiences that I have had with you over the years have been part of the dream and have made the dream a reality, something that I have dreamt of since I was a child. Thank you for pushing me as hard as you have over the years so that I could be the best that I can be for our culture. As you know I want my dream to be aligned with people who believe as passionately as we do and will continue to every step of the way.

Things will never be the same from this day on and I am tired of things always changing in this business because of politics and people that have not taken the time to fulfill the duty to understand us as an art form representing a culture that is one of a kind and more importantly as people with families ourselves. I also know how important these people who no longer will be working with Slipknot and Roadrunner are and how much of a difference they made to the most important people of all - the fans. I believe the fans should also be able to voice their opinion as well if the industry is going to continue making the decisions they have based on my life, our art, and our fans.

Please feel obligated to voice that opinion on our page and give the respect to those who have helped with the vision of Slipknot. Again I am very very very sorry. You are in my thoughts and prayers now forever. I will always consider you close friends and I will make every attempt to stay in touch with as many of you as possible. And if I had my way we would align our forces for our culture to continue what is most important and that is the art and philosophy of Slipknot. Thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart. Your friend, your brother - The Clown."

Posted by B. Van Isacker