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AOP Records

AOP Records (formerly Art of Propaganda) is a German record label and mailorder run by Sven Rosenkranz out of Seesen. Metal Archives shows it as an active label with a current roster of roughly 40 bands and a catalog of 400+ releases, concentrated in post-black metal, blackgaze, and atmospheric black metal, alongside folk/pagan and doom/death crossover acts. Sources disagree on exactly when the label began — Metal Archives lists 2004, while Wikidata lists a 2012 inception, which may reflect the era when the label rebranded from 'Art of Propaganda' to 'AOP Records' rather than the underlying operation's actual start.

Quick Facts

Country
Germany
Founded
2004
Label size
Small-to-mid-size specialist label (roughly 40 bands on the current roster and 400+ catalog entries)
Activity
Highly active — multiple new full-length releases every year, several already out or scheduled in 2026
Genres
Post-Black Metal / Blackgaze, Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Folk/Pagan Metal (secondary)

What Does AOP Records Release?

Representative artists: Harakiri for the Sky, Heretoir, Ellende, Finsterforst, Groza, Firtan, Agrypnie, Chaos Invocation

Boutique, genre-focused roster (~40 active bands) centered on post-black metal/blackgaze and atmospheric black metal, with folk/pagan, doom/death, and progressive crossover acts alongside it; predominantly German and Austrian bands with a growing international lineup.

Who Is This Label Likely to Fit?

AOP Records is an active, established German specialist label for post-black metal, blackgaze, and atmospheric black metal, with a roster of already-recognized acts; no public demo submission channel was found, so unsolicited submissions should not be assumed to be open.

This is Metal-Labels' analysis based on available roster and activity data, not a claim made by the label itself.

Demo & Submission Information

No demo submission policy, submission page, or contact route specifically for demos was found on the label's website, shop, or social profiles during this research pass. Do not assume the label is open to unsolicited demos — contact AOP Records directly (contact@aoprecords.de, per its Impressum) to ask about current submission status before sending anything.

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