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Infos
EMPIRE RECORDS - History in the making EMPIRE RECORDS is the culmination of my dream - the dream of a label which is a part of the world metal scene. I would really like to think that it is now that a new label is born which will join so many other eminent companies in releasing and promoting worthy metal artists. Below, I would like to briefly sketch EMPIRE RECORDS' history - where we have come from and where we hope to be going. My involvement in the metal scene goes back to 1986, which was the year when one of the best Polish metal magazines - THRASH'EM ALL - was born. I hope that most of you reading this know the title - I have worked with so many of you, always trying to keep professional and reliable. Currently, THRASH'EM ALL is a Polish-language bi-monthly with the total circulation of 5,000 copies. We are also preparing the English-language version, which should start coming out soon after Poland's accession to EU. I do not mention this fact without a reason - for many years Poland's isolation behind the Iron Curtain hampered my ideas. It was only in 1989 that I started to think seriously about extending my activity beyond. Under the moniker of Carnage Records I released VADER's "Morbid Reich" demo, which was recorded for the equivalent of 40 USD (however meagre the budget may seem to have been, back then it was still about 5 average monthly salaries!). The cassette was sold through mail-order only - eventually more than 10,000 copies were sold, which led to Headbangers Ball/MTV's naming "Morbid Reich" the best-selling death metal demo in history. The following years brought the acceleration of the label activity - both thanks to VADER's success and the distribution and licensing deals with a number of western labels. In the early 1990s Carnage Records was the first Polish metal label to release a licensed - as opposed to bootlegged ones - cassette. At that time Carnage was also the exclusive Polish representative for Osmose Productions, Earache Records, Black Mark Records, Holy Records and many others. Later, Carnage Records metamorphosed into Carrion Records, which continued the release schedule for another few years. In the late 1990s I decided to change the profile and, instead of licensing other labels' titles, to concentrate on developing my own roster. Unfortunately, the economic and legal situation in Poland (most particularly the tax and import/export regulations) still did not allow for anything even vaguely resembling healthy business operations. While waiting for a better economic climate, I started MASSIVE MANAGEMENT, which within the last few years has become one of the strongest Polish management firms responsible for signing and developing Polish (and not only) acts as well as representing and licensing them abroad. VADER - now on Metal Blade - have obviously been my biggest success, but they are not the only ones. I was responsible for discovering and promoting the youngest band in the history of death metal DECAPITATED - at the time of recording their debut album for Earache their age average was 16! Other bands I have represented include LOST SOUL (Osmose), DIES IRAE (Metal Blade), NEPHASTH (Mighty Music), SCEPTIC (Last Episode), DEVILYN (Listenable, Plastic Head), HATE (WW3, Candlelight) and many others. 2001 marked the long-awaited change in the economic situation - while Poland was preparing to gearing towards EU accession I started EMPIRE RECORDS. Together with Plastic Head we released Massive's first truly international albums from HORRORSCOPE, ESQARIAL, BELFEGOR, CONTEMPT, PARRICIDE, and EXCOMMUNION. In the States I was initially represented by Pavement Music/Crash Music; later the licensing was taken over by WW3. Although only six titles were released in 2002, it was the time of learning and gaining experience. In 2003 I am planning to build a new distribution network, seek new and trusted partners, and develop the label's activities. As we speak, the new headquarters are under construction. We are also on the lookout for a number of employees, including several foreign agents. I realize that EMPIRE RECORDS is still just one of the many small labels in the great metal industry, but our strength is in the long-proven commitment and the desire to do things right, even if this takes time. At this time I can only hope that bearing this in mind you will trust EMPIRE RECORDS and its bands. For once Empire is not evil, but do not count that its bands will not strike back. Mariusz Kmiołek Label Manager
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